Hop Picking

Londoners would come to the Kentish Hop Gardens during the September Hop picking season, they would go to farms where huts were provided for them to stay in. Local people would go to the daily farms such as Eastry a village just outside Dover, hop picking would give families extra money during the post war years

Families would prepare their belonging which they would take to the hop fields things such as, Tea Chest's, Bushel Baskets, Old Tin Baths all for picking hops into, Chairs to sit on which would have wooden slats nailed across the legs to stop them sinking into the mud, the most important item a Primus Stove with mentholated spirits and paraffin to make the endless cup of tea that would be drank. All these belongings would have the persons name pained onto it, they would then be picked up by lorries such as PW Sneller and Son or Mr Vic Smith with his lorry signed on the front "Here Comes Vic". Dover people would be picked up at 06:00 hours in the cold autumn mornings by Hampshires Coach an taken to Eastry.