[speaker001:] eighty nine, I mean nine ninety one. I'm ninety one,
[speaker002:] And
[speaker003:] and I'm born the last day in April.
[speaker002:] And whereabouts were you born?
[speaker003:] On Street.
[speaker002:] And er, could you tell me a little bit about your family? What did your father do for a living?
[speaker003:] Me father was a showman.
[speaker002:] And how did he come to be that?
[speaker003:] He went to er College, and he used to wear a mortar board, cos that's the tassel hanging down, and this here thing. And me mother, she lived at, that's not far from Peterborough, and she er Me father used to go to this here farm, me mother lived, and of course they got in with each other, then they got married and then they wanted to buy a caravan. He wanted to be a gypsy, what they used to called them, then. And er on the road. He used to go to Goose Fair, and all the fairs, whatever they was, but it was only for three days.
[speaker002:] Did you do a lot of travelling around the country?
[speaker003:] Oh, miles,mil Never stop anywhere, only three days, so we got no time for anything.
[speaker002:] So what about your schooling, then?
[speaker003:] Schooling? Well to tell you the truth, I went to own school, when it was er winter, when it comes the winter, they bate somewhere for the winter, do you see? And I went there for a little bit, and then we moved on, moved off from there, do you see? And er when I did go to school, er all the bottom of er Mill there used to be all sand banks, and me and the other girl, we we came from this school, to look at this here man with a bear, a big bear. He'd got a pole, with a bear dancing round it. And I know the little tune, what he danced to, [singing] tiddly-om-pom-pom, tiddly-om-pom-pom,, tiddly-om-pom-pom []. And another with a German band, he'd got everything on him. And you know what that tune was? [singing] Dee- da-dee-da, la, la, la, tiddle-diddle-liddle-liddle, da ah ah []. I don't kn
[speaker002:] And can you tell me a bit about your mother, did she ever work, at all?
[speaker003:] Well she Me mother, she worked, she had to work. Everybody had to work, and them show people could take a er big machine down and put them up. Do you see?
[speaker002:] ?
[speaker003:] Everybody'd got to work, and know and something. Everybody.
[speaker002:] And did you have many other brothers and sisters?
[speaker003:] Mm?
[speaker002:] Did you have many other brothers and sisters?
[speaker003:] Well, they had about twenty.
[speaker002:] And y all involved in doing the show-work?
[speaker003:] Ch eh, everybody'd got to do something. On yes.
[speaker002:] What what did you do then?
[speaker003:] Pardon?
[speaker002:] What did you do? How did you help out?
[speaker003:] Well, I was like the rest, I'd got to help out standing at the stalls, like. Roll up my lads, roll up my lads. Come on,
[speaker002:] .
[speaker003:] my duck, try your luck. Come on you, try your luck. Eh, that's a good lad. Hit him at top of his head. See? And all that kind of thing..
[speaker002:] And what what stalls did yo?
[speaker003:] Eh?
[speaker002:] What stall did you have?
[speaker003:] What had er boats, we had hoopla, and er a coconut shy,, what you call it. Now what did we use to say to that? [singing] I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts, they're all standing in a row, big ones, small ones, one's as a big as head, oh give a twist, of the wrist, the showman said. I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts [] Roll up my lad, roll up. Penny a ball, penny a ball. Roll.. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker002:] Erm d so what el Did you go to church at all, or anything like that?
[speaker003:] Oh, I went to church, oh yes. And we used to have a little card, when we went to church we'd got put a little star, in the squares, and if we didn't go we got a good hiding. See? So we'd got to take the card and show her the Mother, we'd been. Now erm let's see, now you know at er bottom of Lane here? On the opposite side, on the l on the left left hand side? All fields. Where where am I? D down there, all fields they were. And on this side, erm corn, cornfields. And er that ain't been long been built on, that hadn't, nineteen er twenty nine those houses were built, do you see? And er let's see, oh and here in Street, there used to be a little. And at the corner there was a, and at the back of that, this, there was a little pub. You used to have to go down three steps, and they used to fetch the beer in a jug. Then it er it er came on Lane, do you see?... Take it off, again.
[speaker002:] Now er Now could you tell me a little bit about your school life? Do you remember any teachers?
[speaker003:] Well I don't li er I was in one class each time I went. [LAUGHTER] [LAUGHTER] I never got out that number one class [], you see? But I could do it, I could do me sums and everything, but er I never always in number one class. Wherever I went, I went school, I was in number one class, do you see? But I should have got higher if I'd been stopping.
[speaker002:] Do you remember any teachers?
[speaker003:] Pardon?
[speaker002:] Do you remember any teachers?
[speaker003:] Ah, only Miss, and Miss, and I can't remember the others. I remember going to 's school, and er they put in front of us, I were very young, put in front of us a lot of s colours, cottons. So when it had come playtime I went home. I said, They've put this here for me to eat, Mam, and I'm not going to eat cotton. She said, Well, you're not going there any more. So, we when packed off and went somewhere else, do you see? That's how it was, I never went to school proper.
[speaker002:] And did you have any other friends? Did you have any friends from school or any friends from your neighbourhood?
[speaker003:] We didn't stop for neighbourhood, we used to be, it was r everybody mixed up.
[speaker002:] So how did you make any friends? Through the through the show people?
[speaker003:] Oh yes, mhm. We er You always made friends with people, could talk to people and if they want to miserable they can be miserable, you'd got to tell them a tale, whether you know it or not. See? And that's my trouble,i it comes out like that?
[speaker002:] Mm. Did you remember of the things you did with your friends? Any things you did when you played? Any games?
[speaker003:] Hopscotch, when we'd got a pavement, we'd more fields than er [LAUGHTER] pavements [].. And we used to have er we used to have some donkeys, and we used to have to get those ticked. Push them along, you know? And er horses Oh I could saddle a horse and r I can ride a horse,no not racing horses, you know, but I can just ride them. We used my sister used to shove me one side, my Dad used to say to her, Go fetch them horses, out the field. She says, Alright. So my sisters er When we was coming down the lanes, now them country lanes, weren't all done nice, they were grass, where the carts used to come through. And I used to like the gates, where because sit on it, get on the gate and get on the horse's back. You see? And er I remembering Dad, once he bought a cherry tree, and went up to get all these here cherries off the trees, and when we got them we used to wipe them and put them in a bag, and sell them at the fairs. Do you see? Er a coconut, erm brandy snap, and all that kind of things. And we used to have skittles, and what you'd got to do, for skittles you got to throw to knock them down, do you see? I used to have to shove them up, they used to get knocked s, if they won, a few little ducks, you see? And er
[speaker002:] So how old were you when y you left school? Or wh wh when you started working
[speaker003:] Oh.
[speaker002:] proper?
[speaker003:] Let's see, you ain't got it on here.... Ah, I'd be er, when I left school? I don't know.
[speaker002:] What was your first job?
[speaker003:] Well me first job was d er down lace market, and I worked in Street, Hill, and at the back there was all lodging houses, do you see? And at dinnertime we used to look through this window and we could see all the lodging houses, and under the beds You could see them in bed. And under the bed there was a basket, and we used to see the chap [phone rings] come down and wash these, what was in the mass it was kippers, and conga eel. It's true. Then they used to come down the street, I've got some lovely conga eels, stinks a bit, but not a deal. They're awful, the were what was under the bed. And then I used to have t er a wicker basket with three wheels on, taking parcels to different firms. And er we used to go down, and you could er shake hands with each other from each bedroom window, down there. And what they used to sell a er er at er in the lace market at dinnertime, they used to make a big roly pudding, like that, with jam in it and sauce on it, white sauce, it was more water than sauce, you know? Them was used college puddings. And er it you get? Oh we used to have to get hap'orth of the er this j this er r er jam roll, you see? And
[speaker002:] Can you remember your first wages?
[speaker003:] Yes, I can. Four and six a week. Yes, four and
[speaker002:] How many? What were y? What hours did have to work?
[speaker003:] Er eight o'clock at night, eight in the morning. Now when er when I was coming down er, coming from, I lived on the Green then, to go to work, we used to met er a person and we used to call her Rosie. And she'd got a big black hat on, and a big black cloak, and all er crosses down here, and she's got a boot on her arm all laced up, and nobody'd know whether she were a man or a woman. And she used to live er in, in the lace market. Then there was another one, outside the church, they'd made a hole for a man to sit in there, and he used to sell papers. Then there was er
[speaker002:] .
[speaker003:] another one, what do we ca? What did we call her now? Oh, she'd got a relia religious mania, and she used to sing beautiful.
[speaker002:] Mm.
[speaker003:] All of them. Now what else was there?... As I'll have to fetch it off, I've got
[speaker002:] Did you do a any other jobs at all?
[speaker003:] [LAUGHTER] jobs? I got no end jobs. [] You know, when I used to take my parcels, well I used to say to him, How much would you give me if I come and work for you? Sixpence. I says, I get four and six. Alright, we'll give you five shilli I left. I went to another.
[speaker002:] And how many different places do you think you worked at?
[speaker003:] Oh I remember when I was when I was on the Green, there were two ladies, there used to be a pub called the er erm What was that pub called, now? Anyway, it was on the Green, and she says to her, I'd like a drink. She says er, Alright, let's go and have one., is that it?. And er when they got er they went on a little whisky, well there weren't much about threepence, do you see? She says, You know what our Joe wants for his dinner, tea? He wants herring. She said, Can't afford it, can you? She says, Can't. So you sup up, and have another whisky. [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] What were your bosses like?
[speaker003:] Eh?
[speaker002:] What were your bosses like at work?
[speaker003:] Oh, they were alright. Now I remember the boss Mr, oh won't tell you his name. Er well his Mr and Miss er n forgot her name, but I do remember that when the Titanic went down, these two persons, well they were going away together. See? But they got down. That were nineteen eleven, when that went down.
[speaker002:] Do you remember any any of your different bosses? Wha what they thought about you? How did they treat you, you're different foremen
[speaker003:] You what?
[speaker002:] and things?
[speaker003:] You what?
[speaker002:] How did your different bosses treat you?
[speaker003:] Oh, they was alright. Yeah, they were alright. I er I were very active, you know, I was. [LAUGHTER]. They used to have the Years ago, they used to have er big and lace, like this, and I used to make all that bandage, for the lace. And I was downstairs and they used to be up upstairs was the man what cut all the stuff up, do you see? And er tt there used to be whistle, you know, like a telephone is? We used t er we used whistle, we used to blow this whistle and tell him what material we wanted, do you see? And that were exciting. He used to shout at me, and I used to shout at him. [LAUGHTER]. Oh they was alright with me, everybody were alright with me. And er
[speaker002:] ?
[speaker003:] I'm just trying to remember that j Oh erm down on Road, here, where the vicarage is, it used to be a pub, because the vicarage were over here at once upon a time. And then it went down there, and then it was er er a registerer, and then the vicar come from this place, here, down to that one. You see? And er just round the corner on Street,, there were two two houses, that was a prison. There. And the cellars were there, where the men used to be, but they're all down now,y so you can't say anything about all that lot now. And er
[speaker002:] Can er Tell me a little about your friends you had at work, going back to your talking about work. Can you tell me about any friends you er you made at work?
[speaker003:] Oh I were making up friends I was. I can make friends with anybody.
[speaker002:] Do you remember any any funny stories you that can tell us?
[speaker003:] Eh?
[speaker002:] Do you remember any funny stories?
[speaker003:] Oh eh, and not half. I. I remember my mother saying to me once, she says er, I've got a lovely dinner for you today, my duck. I never used to have much to eat, you know? I says, Oh, alright then, I said I can see everyone checking the er basins in the big oven, my duck. I says, Alright. And when it come time, you know what it was? Mashed potatoes and turnips. Have you got a dinner today,? I says Aye. You see? And sometimes I walked down lace market for me dinner and m And er we used to have to go on er on green, for three penn'orth a breast of mutton, to make stew and hap'orth of mixed potherbs, and do together and it were lovely. That's how they used to live there, at them times.
[speaker002:] Did you have many many friends outside of work?
[speaker003:] Yes, our mother used to says to me, she said erm, Now this here's, my duck. This is when we settled down, from show business. And she says b and be careful with it, I says, Alright. So that's all we got threepence. So be careful with it. I says,Al alright then, I will, Mam, and out of that threepence er I used to save a penny a week, well a penny was lot then. And i I got er twelve shilling saved up, well that was a lot of money. And er she says, Where did you get that money from? I said I saved it Mam. She says You're a very good girl, she says Now will yo we shall have a nice Sunday dinner, you see? And we used to go, she used to go down er down the, down town i and fetch er er a fish what were left, threepenny cod for about tuppence, you see? And er there might be some sausage, a it, it was alright then. And er oh, we used to have plenty of er stews, and dumplings in it, or er spotted dick, what we used to call it, with a c sauce on it. And er I'll have to knock off a minute.
[speaker002:] Can we take it on a bit now, could you tell me when you got married?
[speaker003:] Nineteen thirteen, when I got married, and me husband was a lace trader. And he worked at, up. And he got me a house at, two shilling a week, and eightpence for coal.
[speaker002:] And how big was the house?
[speaker003:] Oh, one up, one down, you go down the entry, round the back for the water, and the lavatory was round the back, and in this lavatory [LAUGHTER] somebody hung themselves []. And I said, I'm not going to that lavatory no more, he said, [LAUGHTER] Where yo where you going then? [] Yes, and then er What did I do?
[speaker002:] Did you carry on working when you got married?
[speaker003:] Oh, I had to do. And when I started children I used to go out scrubbing, and cleaning. Taking me children with me, too. One at each end of the carriage, for one and six.
[speaker002:] And how much did your husba?
[speaker003:] A day.
[speaker002:] How did your husband get for?
[speaker003:] He got twelve shilling a week. Twelve shilling a week, he got. And after that he was er T B and he had to go in hospital.
[speaker002:] So how did you manage to pay for that?
[speaker003:] I had to go to work, go get another job. Anything. There were no er, there was no assistant, then. If you got, so what I got. Up and down the Green, selling selling it. I'm us I were used to selling things. [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] And what type of thing? How did you? What type of food did you buy, because it must have been difficult stretching your money out?
[speaker003:] Well, to tell you truth, up Deadman's Street, there used to be a big er meat shop, and we used threepenny wrap up, we used to get two chops, piece of liver, three pieces of sausages, for that, threepenny wrap up.
[speaker002:] And did you used to make cheap
[speaker003:] And we used to get the fish flaps, but nobody else would have them, you know? Two pairs of flaps.
[speaker002:] Er how many children did you have?
[speaker003:] Ten. I've got six living. I've got four sons and two daughters. And there's
[speaker002:] Ho?
[speaker003:] three on them, on the pension. [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] Ho? How did you manage to look after them on such a small wage?
[speaker003:] Oh, I looked after them. I used to wash at night, and get them all dry, get up in the night, iron them, and take them to the pawn shop.
[speaker002:] Did you have to take a lot to the pawn shop?.
[speaker003:] They used to take flat irons, women's corsets, or anything. And if you'd got a good suit, you'd take that, then fetch it out for the weekend, so they'd looked decent, and when you took it back on Monday and he said I'll have to drop you on that, Ah, so you won't this week. You see? This d That's true, my duck. Yeah.
[speaker002:] Now, what about at home,h how did you do your cooking? What did you cook on?
[speaker003:] Fire. And I lived in a back-to-back houses, and concrete floors, no no carpets on. that them back-to-back and on Saturday night were the, when our mother, when they used to go out. Next door, they'd got a lot of kids and they used to play marbles, and they used to bounce on these concrete floors. And if they'd had a row, you could hear him. I wouldn't half. And was used to have to er I'm talking about on the Green, now, we used to have to go er right out the gate, half way up the street, for water and the lavatory, it was hard to pull up. And you'd got to take a knife, in one hand [whispering] paper in the other [] paper in the other for business. [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] Well, must have been hard doing your washing, then. What
[speaker003:] Well we did it.
[speaker002:] your washing.
[speaker003:] We did it. Oh aye, boil them on the fire, oh aye, we. I always kept the kids cleaned.
[speaker002:] And can you think of any ways you you managed to spin your money out?
[speaker003:] Well, when I went to live at, the kids are growing up, do you see? And er one of the daughters used to work at Lane, Ah, that's it. Lane. Now,tha this place at Lane, they used to make typewriting machines, and that. And she'd got to say whoever er work for least money, got the job. Now they used to call er black sheep, Players, angels. But the other place, Barlop, er anybody who worked for less, they did. While we were bad off she had to take that job, my eldest daughter. And when she come back, her had were covered in splinters with er bits of stuff of the machine. But she left there and got another job in. And er the other daughter, when we lived up, she had to go there for six er, and I used to ge had to get up, and bring her right down the lane, and then I'd got to walk back, up that lane meself, you see? I'm still here.
[speaker002:] Well, thanks very
[speaker003:] Eh?
[speaker002:] much Mrs,
[speaker003:] Eh?
[speaker002:] Thanks very much.
[speaker003:] [LAUGHTER]. [LAUGHTER] I ain't bore [] [recording ends]