Cambridge Daily News 26 Sep 1956: Young Farmers Hawkey supper

The annual Hawkey supper organised by Trumpington Young Farmers’ Club was a real harvest supper in the old-fashioned spirit. Mrs V.C. Pemberton described how 70 years ago men hired themselves to farmers who took them on for a year, paying wages at the end of the engagement. In 1922 shepherds wore a piece of wool in their buttonhole, horsekeepers a piece of whipcord and men who were not much good for anything a piece of cow’s tail. The bargain was sealed by both parties shaking hands on the ‘luck penny’ which was as good as an oath.