"Sonner" North and Pam Haseltine, 1992

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This page includes recordings of interviews of "Sonner" North by Pam Haseltine as part of her research for "Reminiscences of Twentieth Century Hungerford", published in 1993.

"Sonner" North was born Alfred William North on 11th June 1898 in Eddington. He worked as a stable lad at Templeton House before joining Alexanders, the grocers, of Hungerford as a delivery boy. Having tried unsuccessfully to enlist in Newbury in 1916 while under age, he joined up in 1917 at Reading Barracks and was initially drafted into the Somerset Light Infantry with whom he did his training. After landing in France, he was transferred to the 5th Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment, and served with them throughout the remainder of the war. "Sonner" North was awarded the Legion d'Honneur in 1999, aged 99 years.

This is Part 1 of 6:
- Born Myrtle Cottage, Eddington, 1898
- Father a blacksmith
- Wesleyan School
- All-Age Council School
- Paper boy
- Work for TW Alexander, grocers
- Meeting his wife (nee Pike, who worked for the Pinkney's)
- Joined the army - Battle of Somme
- Life in the regular army
- The Hermitage, Eddington
- Why "Sonner"

This is Part 2 of 6:
- Left army 1922
- Married 1922
- Moved to Atherton Crescent
- Bricklayer (and all the family)
- Atherton Green farmed by Mr Macklin
- Tarmac on the roads
- The first cars
- Upper High Street (west): Cannings, Batt, Wells, Caswell, Parsons, Adnams corn mill,
Alexander, Gingell, Nicol, Crown, Barnards, Bartholomew.
- Lower High Street (west): Dr Barker, London & Central Meat Co, Killick, Alright

This is Part 3 of 6:
- Lower High Street (west): Post Office, Hutchins, Hawkins, Mills, Cash & Co, WH Smith, Tyler, Bushnell, Kerley, Gardner
- Bridge Street (west): Wooldridge, Borlass, Batchelor, Town Mill, Rumball, Freeman, Brown, Taylor, New, Smeeton
- Upper High Street (east): Dawes (Salisbury Arms), Borough Arms, Gosling, Clifford, Craven Arms, Bodman, Plume

This is Part 4 of 6:
- Lower High Street (east): Bell PH, Cokers, Swan "tap", banks, Alexander, Manor House, Champ, Pratt brewery, laundry, Loheat, fish & chip, Higgs, Wallington, Bingham, Post Office, Earl's Stores, Dickson, Frewin, Munford, Froome's school, Astley
- Bridge Street (east): Blake, Barley Mow, John o' Gaunt, Caswell, Board 'n Carriage, Barnes fish & chips, International Stores
- Charnham Street: Tannery, felling the chimney, fire station, Townsend

This is Part 5 of 6:
- Charnham Street (east): Faulknor Square, The Lamb, the manse, Gibbons, the barracks
- Barracks west of Hopgrass Farm
- Charnham Street (west): Stradling, Jessett, Nebstett, Batchelor, Col Willes, Hill, Hancock Bull, The Sun, Bennett's yard
- Eddington Mill (Hofland, changed from Hogsflesh)
- Congregational churchyard (Bodmans)
- Football Club

This is Part 6 of 6:
- Football Club (Hungerford Swifts)
- Water sports on the canal
- Gym at the Corn Exchange
- The British Legion
- Life as a bricklayer before the welfare state