Business was flourishing

My grandfather Sam and his brother Don were now the proud owners of one of the largest Timber Yards in the UK. They were shipping trees from all over the UK and were working around the clock to build the business. It was around this time that the first of my Uncles was born - and there were 12 offspring in all. A Family workforce was being assembled. Large families were normal in those times and my Grandfather and Grandmother were no exception to this rule. Each of the children studied at the local schools and worked in the yard at the weekends learning their future trade in the forestry industry.

This ancient surname, of Olde English origins, and came from one who lived at one of the villages called Brook, or who lived by a brook. Many nameholders their origin was job-descriptive, deriving from the post 1066 Norman French "broc", a word which translates as "pitcher" or "ewer" for one who delivered fresh water from such a vessel.

By September 1929 around 600,000 acres were managed in 152 forests in the UK, and more than 138,000 acres had been planted. In the private sector 54,000 acres had been planted with Commission grants. Public concern regarding blanket conifers led to the first amenity planting: it became standard practice to plant hardwoods alongside roads, and where possible straight edges were avoided. Timber was big business.