Venues where we will be performing

Ruby and her Horses during 2010

Stories from true life as told by Neil's mother, Ruby Alleston

(born 27th December 1905)

Of her love and continuous involvement with horses through the agricultural depression at Red House Farm Kersey, in a time when she said 'if you did not have anything you were lucky because you had not the worry of it for sooner or later you would loose it. A time when it was driving honest to goodness and hard working farmers shanny and they were being turned out of their homes and sleeping under hedges. It was said that farming paid when a sack of wheat paid a man. A man earned 21 shillings a week and wheat was 21shillings a sack but it got down to 18 and then down to 10 shillings a sack and finally bottomed out at 8/6d. You could walk on land from Cambridge to Clacton that nobody would take and you could have almost any land you liked for three years rent free.’

Against this backdrop of no money there was the added hardship of losing two fine horses unexpectedly poisoned at Sampsons Hall West, losing Smart the Suffolk Mare, who alone would pull the thrashing drum. Losing a fine Suffolk colt at the hands of the ‘professional’ Vet. How Tishy the four year old filly that she had reared on a bottle was gored by the bull through to successes in the Show Ring, Hunting, Point-to-Pointing with Swanee the fast but nappy mare, who like Sparks was one of the 2.5 million horses that went to the 1914-1918 War and was one of the one in a hundred that came back. How ‘the old man’ went to buy a heavy horse at Lavenham Horses Fair but came back with an 11 hand 2 trotting pony and then paid for it in a wager. To the final joyous outcome of buying a lame foal for a maiden bid at Tattersalls Newmarket Auction.

All stories interspaced with ten songs relative to each tale: Sparks, Granny's Old Recipe Book, Roxanne the Trotting Mare, the Old Fashioned Waltz, The Huntsmen Ernie Nunn, Stepping Up to the Joson, When Seagulls no longer will follow the Plough, In Seventh Heaven, Newmarket's Favourite Son.

To be commenced with a short prelude and interval of button accordion music of tunes of the period.
This is the authentic retelling of Ruby's stories as passed on to her family through anecdote and story-in-song as sung by Andrew in his true nut-brown Suffolk voice.

This is not a theatrical, staged or microphoned reproduction by ‘actors’ or ‘professional’ storytellers but true Suffolk stories authentically told in the same way as they were all told from life’s hard experiences by Ruby.
Illustrated with photos of the period taken by Ruby, now digitalised on the big screen.

Time: approx one and a half hours plus interval

For bookings and more information on Ruby and her Horses please contact 

Neil Lanham on 01379 890568

There is also a DVD of the Show priced £12.95 plus £1.50 P&P

Some Reviews   'Thank you for a wonderful show last night.  I do not think there could be a greater tribute to Ruby who really comes alive in your show as does early Suffolk.  I hope you continue to do these shows and inspire, amaze and provoke people into thinking about their ancestors and their work, their practicality and their fun too.  I loved the horses and I learnt so much as well.  A unique evening and a privilege to be witness to how extra ordinary so called ordinary lives actually were'.  Liz Wright, Editor The Smallholder Magazine   ‘An excellent show. The Bumpstead Boys gave us a full evening of stories, humour and local songs, accompanied by a wonderful range of photos projected onto a screen with themes to match the songs. Full of personal touches, the technical quality was excellent. To provide a perfect balance to the evening, Andrew has a fine voice whether singing unaccompanied or with the 2 squeeze boxes in action. We are hoping to attract them to Lavenham again soon.’ Jim Keohane LAVENHAM LIFE   ‘An evening that many decribed as quite brilliant’ ‘a magnificent range of photographs all taken at the time by Ruby on her box brownie now digitalised and shown on the big screen took us back to the ways and attributes of the period between and before the two great world wars. These produced a range of emotions from sadness to side splitting laughter.’ ‘This should not be missed - excellent entertainment.’ Eddie Kench THE BOX RIVER NEWS   ‘A special evening - delightful’ Barry Peters Editor WEST SUFFOLK NEWSPAPERS 'Thank you so much.  Ruby and Her Horses was one of the few things I got to see at the festival and I'm very glad that I did'  Chris Lambert Director of the Festival at the Edge - the leading Storytelling festival where Ruby and Her Horses received a standing ovation

 Please also see the article Experience Teaches Wisdom under our Press and Articles section