“One, Two, Three…”: Words, Memories and Life in the Fen Country

An exhibition exploring the language, memories and everyday life of the Cambridgeshire Fens, combining oral history, local dialect, countryside knowledge and recollections from the Isle of Ely.

Exhibition: “One, Two, Three…”

This exhibition explores the distinctive culture of the Fen Country through:

• Words and expressions
• Memories of earlier life
• Rural work and countryside knowledge
• Childhood and storytelling

Compiled by Lorna Delanoy and Maureen Scott, it forms part of the Fen Words series and draws heavily on oral history and local knowledge.

 

 

1. The language of the Fens

Language is one of the most distinctive features of Fenland life.

The booklet opens with a rich collection of local expressions, including:

• “Fair to middlin” – feeling reasonably well
• “Gotta goo” – time to leave
• “On the huh” – slanting or uneven
• “Slub” – the watery winter mud of the Fens

These phrases reflect:

• Practical rural life
• Strong local identity
• A shared cultural understanding

Local speech also included distinctive pronunciation, such as dropping letters or using double negatives, giving Fenland dialect its unique character (see pages 4–6).

2. Words shaped by landscape and work

Many Fenland expressions come directly from:

• Farming practices
• Water and drainage
• Tools and materials

For example:

• Terms linked to horses and farming equipment
• Words describing mud, water and soil
• Expressions rooted in everyday labour

Language becomes a record of how people interacted with their environment.

3. Memory and place

The exhibition moves from language into memory.

Recollections describe:

• Village life
• Work routines
• Social customs
• Changing landscapes

These memories are grounded in specific places across the Isle of Ely and surrounding villages.

4. The countryside as lived experience

The Fens are not just a landscape—they are a working environment.

The booklet highlights:

• Farming techniques
• Tools and machinery
• Traditional skills such as basket-making and wheelwright work

Museum references (pages 7–10) connect these memories to objects in the Farmland Museum collection.

5. Learning through objects

A distinctive feature of this booklet is its link to museum interpretation.

Sections encourage visitors to:

• Identify tools and equipment
• Understand how objects were used
• Connect artefacts with lived experience

This creates a bridge between:

• Oral history
• Physical objects
• Educational storytelling

6. A Fenland “world tour”

One of the most striking sections describes a circular journey through the Fens using place names that echo global locations.

Travellers pass through:

• Prickwillow (Farith/Earth)
• Little Downham (“California”)
• Pymore (“Dunkirk”)
• Wardy Hill (“Jerusalem”)
• Wilburton (“Australia Farm”)

A sketch map (page 12) shows this imaginative geography, where local places are linked to global names.

This reflects both humour and a strong sense of place.

7. Ely Cathedral: the “Ship of the Fens”

The exhibition includes a poetic reflection on Ely Cathedral.

Described as:

• A landmark visible across the flat landscape
• A symbol of endurance and identity
• The “Ship of the Fens”

The cathedral anchors the landscape visually and culturally (page 13).

8. Fen skies and landscape

Another section captures the visual experience of the Fens:

• Wide, open skies
• Dramatic light and colour
• A sense of space rarely found elsewhere

As one visitor observed:

“You got a lotta sky.”

These descriptions highlight how landscape shapes perception and identity (page 14).

9. Sayings, advice and humour

The booklet preserves a wealth of sayings and informal wisdom.

Examples include:

• Practical advice for farming and daily life
• Humorous observations
• Reflections on change and modern life

These sayings reveal both:

• Practical knowledge
• A distinctive Fenland sense of humour

10. Childhood and growing up in the Fens

Later sections recall childhood experiences:

• Learning practical skills
• Fishing, poaching and gathering
• Exploring rivers and fields

One account describes catching ducks and pigeons using improvised methods, showing both ingenuity and survival skills (page 20).

11. The role of the museum

The Farmland Museum plays a central role in preserving this heritage.

The booklet links:

• Objects
• Stories
• Demonstrations
• Education

It shows how museums can bring together:

• Language
• Memory
• Landscape
• Material culture