Fred Cradock's heroics serve as a reminder of part of Glemsford's history that has not been well served by research. We know quite a lot about the Horsehair, Coconut Fibre and Silk industries in the village but Val Ost's work refers to the old Flax Factory on Lower Road, where the Avent works is now.
This photo, of the workforce there in the 1950s, gives an indication of just how important British Flax was as an employer in the area:
Together, the photos suggest some sort of continuity of an industry which has left a mark on the village.
The traditional view has been that the
production of Flax, and Linen, was an irregular occupation, growing in importance in wartime, when extra linen was needed for sheeting, bandages and such-like.
Certainly, we know that there was an influx of Land Girls during the Second World War, to work in the Flax Industry, and several years ago now I had brief contact with the daughter of the last manager of the Flax Factory where Fred Cradock worked. She provided some fascinating glimpses of the reality of the village's link with Flax.
It seemed to me then, and it seems to me now, that there is scope for some important research into Glemsford and the Flax Industry. Any volunteers?