As part of the Heritage project 2009-2010, we have recorded the memories of various local people who have had connections with Bore Place, including local residents and people who have worked and lived here. Below are edited clips and resources from an interview with Charlie Nichols.
Charlie Nichols
Dairy
Brickworks
Brickmaking
Methane
Charlie Nichols (b. 23/12/1937 - )
Date (s) of recording: 06/07/2009
Location of recording: Staff office at Bore Place
Charlie Nichols was employed by Neil Wates in 1978 as an all round mechanic / maintenance worker. He still works at Bore Place in 2010.
Charlie was born and brought up in Ham Hill in Medway, Kent which is now part of Snodland. On leaving school at 15 years old he started as an apprentice mechanic at a local firm. He married at 21 years of age and moved into the next village, subsequently moving to East Malling, Kent where he has lived since.
During the interview Charlie recounted his memories of working for Neil and Jenifer Wates, founders of Commonwork and owners of Bore Place from 1976 - 1985.
Our thanks to Charlie Nichols for generously contributing his time and knowledge to this project.
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Charlie recalled the process of building the new Dairy Unit in the late 1970s.
Built on the site of an old corn field, Charlie explains how various materials already on site, such as dead elms and old Dutch barns were re-used to build the new dairy unit.
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Various evidence points towards a long history of brick making at Bore Place. Tithe maps from the 1800s show field names such as Kiln field. The earliest reference to this is in a land assessment of c.1594AD when it was called brick-clampe field. (source: “Reading the Landscape” notes; 1980s at Bore Place).
A brickworks at Bore Place was set up by the Wates following excavation of the building site for the dairy unit. This excavation had produced a lot of clay and making bricks was one way of re-using and maximising the potential of this natural resource.
Charlie described the moment when Graham Bradley Smith who was working on site, suggested to Neil Wates that the clay be used in this way and how they went about finding and refurbishing second hand brick making equipment.
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Charlie describes how this equipment was used to make the bricks.
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Charlie described the construction of the methane digester and how it was used to supply power to the dairy unit. He recounted the interest this generated from others working with similar technologies from the dairy industry, universities and utilities companies. However, ongoing problems around the reliability of the power supply eventually forced them to cease using it at Bore Place.
