Ever been 'Hopping'

I went a couple of times with Nan - its where us hard up folks would go to Kent and pick hops for yer beer.
It was our holiday back then - hard work - green hands and a bed of straw - loverly ................

Re: Ever been 'Hopping'

No hops in my neck of the woods, tattie picking was a must for us entrepreneurial yoofs, few pence and a bad back all in a days graft.

Re: Ever been 'Hopping'

My foster mum did that for years, she must have had a good back !
Lovely tan too ...................

Re: Ever been 'Hopping'

It was pea picking up our way, and strawberry picking where I ate more than I picked and made myself sick.

Re: Ever been 'Hopping'

No Patsy but we do have hops around here just over the border in Herefordshire . They and are picked mainly by machine these days.

I have read stories about the hop pickers in London who years ago spent their summer holidays 'hopping' in Kent

Re: Ever been 'Hopping'

I'm not sure if we have hops here or not, if they require a lot of Sun then we ain't ever gonna have 'em, but all the kids off our street used to go fruit picking to the big fruit farms outside the city, a big open back lorry would collect us at 7am and take us there, then back again at 4.30, it was hard graft but you could make a few bob while it lasted. It never done any of us kids any harm, quite the opposite, you learned you don't get anything for nothing in this world.

Re: Ever been 'Hopping'

So right - always believed every child should be given some responsibility, sets them up for the future .........

Re: Ever been 'Hopping'

Yes was our family holiday down to Kent for a week then along to Sussex to celebrate my Great Aunt's birthday.

Re: Ever been 'Hopping'

my family went to kent to pick hops ,not sure if i was there or just heard stories about it ;;my aunts uncle all went and neighbors i was told ' think they all had great weekends ....and got paid ...

Re: Ever been 'Hopping'

That's right gal - they had a jolly ol time down in Kent