Yet if children had far less formal education a century ago, this was counterbalanced by a set of proverbs and local sayings handed down the generations as a sort of distilled country wisdom which was meant to act as a practical and even moral framework. The following sayings are a selection from the appendix to Stanley Dickens' moving autobiographical journal "The Life and Experiences of a Farmer's Fourth Son", part of which has been transcribed on this CD and can be found by clicking here.

In today's more urban culture, we have become somewhat disconnected from the rhythms of the seasons and the closeness to nature which our forefathers had. If today's children set more store on being "street-wise", their counterparts a century ago were taught to be country-wise and acquire a rather different set of lifeskills. Sayings such as those below were there to teach and reinforce some of the lessons their forebears had learned the hard way.

• Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery

• Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise

• If mother has the oldest head, the children will never want for bread

• Do the work that's nearest, though it's dull awhiles - helping when you meet them, lame dogs over stiles

• You can only obtain the exercise of your rights by deserving them, through your own activity, and your own spirit of love and sacrifice

• It's not what we have, but what we do with what we have, that counts

• A rolling stone gathers no moss

• Neither does a sitting hen grow feathers on her breast

• People living in glass houses shouldn't throw stones

• You can't catch old birds with chaff

• In love and sausages only one thing is required - perfect confidence

• Ladies who dress to kill usually cook the same

• When poverty comes in at the door, love flies out of the window

• If you know a good thing, pass it on

• Forethought will often save afterthought

• When anticipating a new enterprise, think of the things you can manage without

• Empty barrels make the most noise

• Sympathy without relief - is like mustard without beef

• A good dinner sharpens the wit and softens the heart

• Diet cures more than a doctor

• Laugh, and the world laughs with you - weep, and you weep alone

• Industry is the parent of success

• Better hear the lark sing than the mouse cheep

• Robins and wrens are God's best friends

• Cut your garment according to your cloth

• Economy is not how little one can spend but how wisely one can spend it

• A stitch in time saves nine

• A penny saved is a penny gained

• Copy the kettle - tho' up to its neck in hot water, it still continues to sing

• Money is horrible when you haven't enough

• Make provisions in times of plenty

• Let plain living and light thinking go hand in hand

• Rain before seven - fine before eleven

• Button to chin till May is in - never cast a clout till May is out

• Ice in November that bears a duck - nothing after but sludge and muck

• A green Christmas, a brown summer and a full churchyard