Good afternoon rowlandwells, I remember 'tattie howkin' with a gang of Polish disposesed persons. A bottle of cold tea and a cheese sandwich in the bag. The length of each persons section was marked out with twigs or branches stuck in the soil.
Grasping our wooden swills we set off, by lunchtime I was beat, but refreshed off we set again and towards the end of the day the Polish ladies were slowly reducing my section by moving the twigs. As you say, part of the payment was a bag of spuds, and as small/young as I was the farmer was always amazed how much I could lug away after a hard days 'tattie howkin'. It was always sunny weather!
Cheers, Tony