THIS TAPE HAS BEEN RECORDED ON THE 7TH OF SEPTEMBER 1978 AT 14 STONEYBANK ROAD, EARBY. THE INFORMANT IS FRED INMAN, TACKLER AND THE INTERVIEWER IS STANLEY GRAHAM.
The first ten minutes of this tape are blank, owing to the fact that your interviewer made a stupid mistake and was recording for ten minutes with no input but I've left things exactly how they are and gone over some of the questions again without telling Fred actually what had happened until we finished the tape. So from here if you wind on about ten minutes you'll come to the beginning of the tape.
(132)
(9 mins)
R - We used to put it on and then we used to polish it off, wipe it off and polish it up. It were all elbow grease.
Aye.
R- And then there used to be the old ornaments, horses, bronze figures of horses of various descriptions. If you only had 'em today they'd be worth a lot of money.
Yes.
R- The old silver photo frames. It were a hard life for a woman there were no doubt about it because I’ve seen her many a time, she’d be all night, you know, mending me fathers overalls. Not at Sunday of course, happen at Saturday, she didn't go to the pictures. She couldn't go to pictures she had me father’s overalls to mend or sommat like that.
Aye.
R- They had to be just so for Monday morning.
Aye.
(150)
R- Because they wore like overalls and waistcoats and a blue jacket in them days. Sometimes they'd have fustian pants, fustian waistcoats and you got these fustian pants. If it were fine me mother used to lay 'em down in yard and get long brush and scrub 'em, get a reight lather on. [Fustian is corduroy]
Aye. But like all the other washing would be done, well in the old days with a dolly tub and posser.
R- That's it.
And when she got her patent washing machine.
R - Oh aye.
They'd be done in there, She'd think it were a great day when she got that machine, wouldn't she?
R - Oh it were a marvellous thing wore that aye.
Aye. Cast iron frame were it?
R - yes.
Aye.
R- I can remember, things come back to you don’t they.
Yes.
R- The kitchen window pushed up at the back, me mother washing at the sink under window. I stood on a buffet in back yard, that's why I never like standing on a buffet now. I fell off it and I bit me tongue and she had to leave her washing and take me down to doctors. It were just at the bottom of the street, there were a doctor. And I always remember he said “Well I can’t sew it.” It must have been badly cut. He put some nasty stuff on, I can remember that and I hadn’t to have any dinner and I hadn’t to have any tea and I hadn't to have any breakfast. And I had to just wet me lips or me mother had to wet me lips for me. It healed up and me mother said it bled a lot and I can remember going down with a hankie on and it were all full of blood.
Aye.
R- Now today like, I suppose they’d have just popped a stitch in it.
Aye.
R- It weren’t long of healing up though.
You say you were stood on buffet outside window. What were you stood on the buffet for, taking 'em through to wring 'em?
R - No, I were just watching me mother.
Yes, I see.
R- Just watching her.
Oh, she wouldn't have you in the kitchen, there were too much going on?
R- Well, I suppose it were a grand day and I were playing in the yard and I must have climbed on this buffet and were watching her.
Aye, and Stephenson’s polish, nobody else has been able to remember the name of that you know.
R- No.
M0 1
R- Yes. It were Stephenson's, it were in a bottle and the neck went up and it had like a mushroom cork on.
Aye.
R- Yes.
Aye, and funnily enough, you know you were on about irons. There must have been more sorts of flat irons than I've had hot dinners. Everybody had a different sort.
R- There were some, they had a heaters, blocks of iron you put in the fire and then you put them into the iron.
(200)
That's it aye. That's what, when I say a box iron, that's what I think of as a box Iron.
R- Mm, oh yes, aye.
You know, they had a little door on back.
R- Aye that's it and you just shoved ‘em in.
And you just had a, well, you could have 'em in oven couldn't you, blocks of cast iron and just pop 'em in.
R- That's it, cast iron. They used to sell 'em at hardware stores, like ironmongers, ‘cause they used to burn away eventually.
Aye, yes.
R- Keep getting red hot.
Did you ever used to keep a couple of bricks in the oven for putting in bed.
R- No, we never did that.
No. My grandma used to always have some in and she used to scrub these bricks and she used to have these bricks in the oven and she used to wrap 'em in a piece of cloth and put 'em in bed you know. They were in the oven all day.
R- Aye.
With the cat. The cat used to be in oven and all. I can always remember that. Anyway, so your mother used to think a lot about her sideboard.
R - Oh yes.
That's it. And did you and your brother ever have any jobs to do round the house?
R- No, we never had a lot to do other than, me father had an allotment and we used to have to go on there. That were the main thing.
Aye.
R- That were all. As regards same as getting coal in or chopping wood, we never did owt of that.
Running errands?
R- Well we used to run errands but not a reight lot cause when me mother went shopping she, well they used to put a shopping order in and they used to fetch it round. She used to go and happen leave it at Monday and it would come at Monday night would the shopping order.
(15 mins)
What were that, Co-op?
R- No, it were what they called Albert Bailey's, a village store at the bottom of Stoneybank.
Aye.
R- We did used to go to the Co-op occasionally. Like we were members there but we used to get main of stuff at Bailey’s. You could get shoes there or clothes there owt you wanted, a little village store. We used to call there when we were going to school, have you any broken biscuits.
Aye that's it. You don't get them now. You buy 'em now in a packet don't you.
R- Aye that's reight.
In the old days you used to get 'em cheap after. [When I had the shop at Sough we sold biscuits loose out of the tin and there were always some broken bits in the bottom.]
R- Happorth (Halfpenny worth) of broken biscuits.
Aye, modernisation Fred, you get 'em in packet now.
R- Aye it were a twist were’t packet job weren’t it.
Aye. We were only talking about that the other day. In the old days you used to get all whole biscuits and broken ones used to get sold afterwards.
R - That's it.
But now if there's any broken ones they’re in the packet. You know yourself you can open a packet many a time and half of ‘em’s broken.
R - Aye you do.
Anyway, course you and your brother, there weren’t a lot between you so you wouldn’t be helping each other to dress or anything like that because you were about the same age. Did your father do any work in the house, you know, like mending and decorating or anything.
No. No he didn't do owt.
He never did anything in the house.
(250)
R- No. In them days they'd happen have Pratt. He were like a painter and decorator. He’d come up and he’d knock at doors, so and so wants painting, back and front, and are you owt in the way? And he’d get, we'll say there were fifteen houses up the row. He might get ten houses what were all in a mind to have it done. And then you know, they used to burn it off, they were all grained in them days. Burn it off and work up the street and then back you know. It took a lot of time did graining, didn't it. And then probably the following year he’d come round. “Do you want it varnishing?” And you used to get it varnished, it lasted ages. Back, when he used to do the back, well it were just green paint or sommat like that. That were a popular colour weren’t it.
Aye. Still is.
R- I don’t think me father ever painted at all and never did any papering.
And did he ever do anything like cleaning or cooking or…
R - No.
Bring coal in or owt.
R- He’d light the fire of a morning when he got up you know.
He’d be up first.
R- Oh, five o'clock or sommat like that.
Make your mother a cup of tea would he?
R- Well he’d leave the kettle on the bar.
Aye.
R- He had a little pan, it’d just hold about a cup full and a half of water.
Aye.
R- Measure three quarters of a cup full into it and put it on the fire. By the time he’d getten washed and ready it were boiling.
That's it, yes.
R- And then he’d fill the kettle and then that would be put on the hob.
Yes, ready for your mother when she come down.
R- Aye, when we got up, me mother got up and we got up. There were a kettle nearly boiling for breakfast.
Aye. That house in Lincoln Road, did your father own that?
R- Yes.
Have you any idea what he paid for that house when it was new?
R- Yes. I've heard him tell. They were only £195 and he got a vestibule put up and it might have been that cistern cupboard doing, it were £200.
When you say a vestibule, you mean like a partition in the hall between the front door and house like.
R- Aye well front door opened straight into the house.
Yes.
R- And they just got another extra bit of a partition fit in.
That’s it yes. Just to stop draughts and what not aye.
R - Aye well..
£195..eh.
R- Aye £200. When they sold it houses had gone up. What did they get, about £350, sommat like that.
Aye.
R – After the first war.
Yes. Course 1 mean he’d have more to pay for the one he were buying so it makes no difference.
R- Oh yes.
(300)
Did your mother ever do any work in the house to earn a bit of money like taking sewing in or anything?
R- No, she used to look after a youngster now and again.
What, a bit of child minding?
R- When his mother went to work me mother would happen go into the house, you know. She'd go to work at may be seven o'clock and me mother used to go in about quarter to eight and get him up and fetch him into our house and make his breakfast and off to school.
That's it, off to school. Aye.
R- And then at four o'clock when school loosed he’d come to our house while half past five while his mother came home.
Yes. And of course it were fairly common weren’t it Fred in those days for children to go to school a lot earlier than they go now. [at a younger age]
R- Oh yes.
For that reason, for parents that were working in mill.
R- Aye and at one time they [weavers] started at seven [usually 06:30] didn't they and then they finished at half past eight, half an hour for breakfast. Started again at nine and some parents, if they were handy, they used to run home and get their children up and wash 'em and feed 'em and off to school and then…
(20 mins)
Back into the mill.
R- They’d no time to get any breakfast themselves.
Aye,
R- But I mean it were only about a shilling a week like. Doing all that. Going and getting 'em up. Sommat like that.
Yes, that's it. Well it were only about half a crown [2/6d.] for child minding for a week weren’t it.
R- Yes, that were it aye.
That seems to have been the usual rate you know. I mean really I should be asking you but I mean we've got that far on now that you know. It seems to have been about the usual rate that, half a crown a week for child minding. Can you remember any other women in the neighbourhood doing anything like taking in washing or sewing?
R- Oh yes, aye. Aye there were one women up street she used to take sewing in. I forget her name now but she used to, you know, make shirts and plain sewing, nowt fancy.
That's it aye.
R- Biggest part of 'em, same as me mother, she’d a sewing machine and when we were youngsters she used to make us suits and all that. It were later on afore we ever got a suit from shops.
Aye, what sort of a machine were it, can you remember?
R- It were an old German one. It weren’t a fancy machine, it were just a plain sewing machine.
Aye, Frister & Rossman.
R- I couldn't remember. No.
No. And that house on Lincoln Road.
R- Lincoln Road.
Is it still standing?
R- Oh yes, aye.
What number were it?
R- We lived in twenty one that were like a four roomed house.
Yes.
R- Oh yes they’re still standing. They've been modernised and they’re like owt else now, two up and two down. They’re worth more than big ‘uns.
Yes, aye.
R- Oh they’re selling for £5,000 now.
Make your dad laugh wouldn't it.
R- He’d have a fit, he would.
Reight, favourite subject with you Fred now, food.
R- [Fred laughs] Food.
Aye food, ‘cause I know you like your food. That’s why you’re so healthy. Now, what did your mother cook on. Well, I know that questions on here, but I mean, in the early days she were cooking on the range weren’t she.
R- On the fire. She cooked on the range until she got a gas oven.
That's it. That would be on the top bar for pans.
R- Yes.
And in the oven.
R- And oven.
Aye.
R- Aye you put, there were a thing fell down you know, over the top of the fire.
That's it. [This was a cast iron grate hinged at the back or the side of the fire which could be folded down for cooking. There was often two round grates which were pivoted on the front bar, these could be swivelled round so they were over the fire. My grandmother used to put pans straight on top of the fire.]
R- And they used to put the frying pan on there.
Tell me sommat. Something that's struck me, there was a back boiler wasn't there?
R- Yes.
And there was a side boiler as well was there?
R- Yes.
So did the side boiler ever get used?
R - Well mostly for fire wood.
That’s it Aye.
R - To keep it dry.
Yes that’s it. It just struck me, you know, with having a modern boiler, which it was then, a back boiler were a fairly modern thing to have then.
R- Aye. Because you’d have to fetch a bucket out of what we called the kitchen and teem it into the boiler.
Yes.
R- So we never bothered with that with water.
And when did she first get a gas stove? Can you think? When can you first remember a gas stove?
R- Oh I’d be about eight happen. It were a big clumsy second hand thing what me father had bought.
So that's cast iron.
R- Cast iron, it weighed a ton, took two of ‘em to fetch it.
How did Ernie describe it, wait a minute, Ernie described it, they had one just the same. Bow legs on it, I could just see the thing you mean. He said “It stood there in the corner with its bow legs and it looked as if it would take any amount of punishment.”
(400)
R - Aye, it did, aye.
That would be about it wouldn’t it.
R- Oh aye they were a solid job, I mean but when a woman had baked in a side oven all her life up to then, they took a bit of getting used to did a gas oven.
Yes.
R- But eventually she got used to it and then I think we got the oven door done up. You know, they used to blister with the heat and I think we got it done up and it were like a lovely range then because we gave up using it and used the gas oven.
That's it aye. And them old ranges, every so often you had to take all the little doors off and brush all the flue's out on ‘em didn’t you.
R- Oh that's it aye.
Who did that, did your mother do that?
R - Me mother aye. Aye me mother did that before she started baking.
Aye. Did she do that each week before she started?
R- Yes. Every week they were done.
Brush all the flue’s out aye. Do you know I can remember me grandma doing that.
(25 mins)
R- Aye.
There’s no question about that on here. I’ll have to speak to Elizabeth! And did she make her own bread?
R- Yes.
Always?
R- Always.
Yes.
R- Aye and sad cakes.
How much did she make at once?
R- Well I don’t know, she made enough to last all week anyway.
Yes, that's that I mean, did she like have one good do of baking for a week.
R- One good baking day.
You said, that were Thursday weren’t it.
R- Yes.
Thursday were baking day, aye.
R- They used to be left out for so long and then put into th’old stone earthenware bread mug. Aye. And they used to keep while, you know, it would keep a week.
Where were the bread mug, in the kitchen?
R- Pantry.
Pantry.
R- We had a pantry.
That Would be a stone floor an all.
R- Yes.
Stone shelf?
R - Yes.
Aye. Did she bake cakes, you know, sweet cakes.
R- Yes.
What sort?
R- Oh sometimes they were them there, I never did used to like them but me father and mother did. Caraway seeds in.
Seed cake aye.
R- Eh, I could never stick them.
Aye.
R- She’d make some of them for herself and me father and she'd make me brother and me just ordinary happen. A few currants in sometimes and sometimes just plain ‘uns.
Aye. Fruit loaf?
R- Fruit, and what is it, Eccles Cakes, scones. Oh it were a real baking. It were nearly a crime to buy owt like that when you were at home, that were your job when you wore stopping at home.
It were thought so weren’t it. Bought cakes were…
(450)
R- Oh aye.
It was an indictment...
R- Oh yes.
Bought cakes aye. Did she bake pies?
R- Yes.
Fruit?
R- Tatie pies in the oven you know, and just what...meat and potato pies. But when we were having a meat and potato pie she allus used to have to make a small one for me brother. He didn't want any meat in.
Aye?
R - He were a vegetarian reight from being a child, he didn't like meat. And she allus made him one, potatoes and onions in a little dish wi’ a crust on. On his own.
Aye.
R- And then he’d only eat tongue, that were the only meat he’d eat. You know, when we were having us dinner at Sunday he’d have roasted potatoes from round the meat, mashed potatoes and gravy but no meat. Sunday tea time if were having cold meat he’d have some sardines, aye.
Aye.
R- But he were called up into the last war like and when he come back [laughs] he’d eat owt. Aye. He were no vegetarian then.
There were no vegetarians in the army! Did she make jam?
R- Yes aye, and I can remember one time, jam pan [on the fire]. “I’ll just give it another few minutes.” She'd been stirring it and testing it. I’ll just give it another few minutes and then pop!, soot. A soot fall. All her strawberry jam spoiled. It were a tragedy were that.
Aye it would be. What were that, a brass jam pan?
R- What wi’, you know, the price of strawberries and sugar, it set her back a long way did that.
It would, it would, that would be a disaster.
R- Aye.
How about pickles?
R- Aye they used to make pickled cabbage mostly, red cabbage.
Did you dad grow cabbage?
R- Yes. And onions, you know, sliced up in vinegar. We used to get a lot of them to cold meat.
Aye. How about little onions, shallots, did you used to pickle them.
R- Yes, aye.
Who topped and tailed them?
R- Me mother did all that.
Oh, she did it! Aye, your dad were bringing you up the reight way, he didn't have you, [Stanley laughs] I can see it.
R- Although I will say this, we used to watch me mother a lot, it stood us in good stead. I could have done it.
(500)
Yes.
R- After we got older we could do it.
Yes. Did she ever make any wine or beer? Home made wine?
R- Aye she used to make home made stout.
Stout?
R- Aye. But she never made any wine or beer as we know it today.
No.
R- It were some kind of stout. It were very lively stuff and you'd only to have a drop and I think meself she'd happen make it more for a medicine for us you know. Not as we ailed owt, but for a bit of kick into you.
Yes.
R- Oatmeal stout it were.
Well you see, the next question on here is did she make her own medicines, and if so, what kind. Well I mean that's…
R - That were one of 'em.
I mean it's like making egg nog, you don't make that to drink, you know.
(30 mins)
Like you make that for a medicine don't you. I used to make that when I were down at the shop. Did she make anything else like, you know as a medicine?
R- No, me father used to do that. Boil liquorice and aniseed., aniseed it were. A drop of aniseed in.
Aye.
R- Linseed, liquorice and a drop or two of aniseed drops in. He used to warm it up on the fire and mix it all up and then he used to strain it into a bottle and that were cough mixture.
Yes and good stuff an all.
R- Good stuff an all aye. And then he used to chuck the linseed ower to the hens at bottom of street, he didn't waste it, he used to chuck it to the hens. They used to gobble it up.
Aye. It wouldn't be bad taking either that.
R- No.
Linseed, aniseed and liquorice, it would be alright that. What did you usually have for breakfast during the week.
R- During the week. Porridge to start wi’ and then happen a couple of slices of toast.
Porridge. What were it, were it salt on it or..
R- Sometimes oatmeal and sometimes Quaker Oats.
Yes, but did you put salt on it or did you…
R- No, milk...
Milk.
R- Milk and sugar.
Oh you were doing well. Scotsmen would say you were ruining it you know.
(550)
R- Aye. Then, happen at Saturday, me brother wouldn't eat eggs, but me father would happen have a boiled egg and he’d knock the top off and he’d give me the top. He’d knock a big top off it like and I’d get that. I'd done well, I thought it's a good job me brother doesn’t like 'em.
Aye or else your dad would....
R- Aye, 'cause he only had one every fortnight.
Aye. And what did you have for Sunday dinner?
R- Oh It were allus a real dinner, mostly sirloin and potatoes done round the sirloin, you know, in a meat dish. Yorkshire pudding. Finish off with rice pudding. There was no such thing as finishing off wi’ a cup of tea or biscuits or owt of that. You'd finished when you'd had that. And you'd had enough, you didn't want anymore when you’d had that.
Yes.
R- And then at tea as I say, there were happen cold meat and stewed prunes and custard.
How about dinners during the week? Well we’ve heard about Monday dinners haven’t we. It could be resurrections.
R - Aye, that were resurrections mostly.
Washing day aye.
R – Aye. We might have had a bit of fried bacon and some fatty cakes at Tuesday. And then at Wednesday it would be stewing meat. Then at Thursday, sometimes it were a bit of steak. Then at Friday it were sausage. It were fairly consistent all the time,
Aye. Any particular sort of sausage?
R- Eh, it didn't matter whether they were pork or beef, thick uns or thin uns. They were all alike.
Aye, of course sausages were sausage in them days weren’t they.
R- Aye they were. They were a meal weren’t they.
Aye, aye they were that alright.
R- And teemed the fat what came out of 'em on to your potatoes. You know, mashed potatoes and teemed fat on 'em.
(600)
Have you noticed nowadays you've to put fat in with sausages?
R - Aye.
It doesn’t come out of 'em.
R- No.
No. There’s something funny somewhere about...
R- I mean, the skin's is that thick you can’t get through 'em.
There’s something funny about sausages nowadays Fred I think. I can tell you a little tale about that. You remember I used to have that shop at Sough, you know, next to the mill there, next to Sough Mill.
R- Did you?
Aye. And I once sold a woman some sausages one day and she come back a couple of days later. She said “Them sausages you sold me t’other day". I said “Did you like 'em'?” She said the sausage were alright but by God the sins were tough!” I said “Hold on a minute, which sort did you get?” And she got these frozen sausages, I said “You daft beggar! They were covered with plastic! You're supposed to take that off. You didn't eat it did you?” She says “Aye. We ate them, I ate most of mine. I don't know what Jim did with his!”
[Laughter from Fred]
Aye. Complaining about the skin being tough, they were covered with plastic, she'd eaten the lot. Anyway, yes, what did you usually have for tea during week? I don't mean Saturday or Sunday.
R- Well it were mostly treacle butties and jam butties.
Aye.
(35 mins)
R- At tea time. There were nowt special prepared.
And Saturday and Sunday ‘ud happen be a bit better do.
R- Oh yes aye, you got a better do then. That were weekend. But through the week, as I say, it were mostly that. Unless it were new potato time you know. Digging potatoes up off the garden, happen have some new potatoes with some butter on. It were allus butter when they could get it, it were butter.
Aye.
R- She didn't use margarine.
Aye. That’s one of the things later on actually, about margarine. Anyway, we'll get round to that. Did you have supper before bed time.
R- If we did it were pobs.
(650)
Aye. Well, I know what pobs are but you'd better tell us what pobs are because other people might not know.
R- Well it were crusts of bread broken up and scalded with the water squeezed off, sugar put on and some warm milk.
That's it.
R- You had a pot full of them to go to bed off. And they didn't do you any harm.
That's it, do you know I still like ‘em. I still like bread pobs.
R- Aye.
I do. I’ll tell you how I like them, me mother used to do them. She used to toast ‘em.
And then put ‘em in milk and they make the milk taste a bit nutty you know, when they’re toasted.
R- That's it, aye.
Aye. I still like ‘em toasted, but I were greedy, I used to butter 'em before I put ‘em in.
R- Aye. Well, if there were any bread left at tea time and it, you know.
Yes wi’ t’butter on...
R- Butter on. It used to lie on top of the milk aye.
That's it aye. I’ll tell you what, it doesn't do you any harm. I still like it. I do. I don't know.. I’ll tell you when they used to give me bread pobs, if I'd been poorly you know. If there were owt wrong with me.
R- Oh yes aye. Build you up a bit.
Aye, that were it aye. And pepper on an all. I used to put pepper on. Of course I've always been a bit of a bugger, I put sugar on potato pie! I’ll tell you what Scotsmen do, I’ve seen 'em many a time. Scotsmen will get a bowl of soup, and what you really should do is sprinkle oatmeal in it, but if they were getting a bowl of soup in a cafe or anywhere, they'll have a couple of digestive biscuits with it and break them up into it and then a bit of sugar on an all and mix it all together. And I’ll tell you something about it, soup with sugar in like that, by God it can warm you up. It can get you a sweat on Fred, it can.
R- I love soup.
Oh aye. Anyway I shouldn't be telling you about that because we're trying to find out about you. Well you've already said that you had an allotment haven't you. That your dad had an allotment.
(700)
R- Yes.
And what sort of stuff did he grow on there?
R- Well it were mostly sommat to eat, happen just a few flowers to just set it off a bit but potatoes, cabbages cauliflowers, Brussels, beetroot, all the popular things and he were fairly successful wi’ it an all. He spent a lot of time on it. Potatoes, he used to get 'em up and fetch 'em home and they used to last us a long while. We’d have one of them old apple barrels, he used to put so many potatoes in and then scatter some flower of sulphur on them.
Aye.
R- And then some more and some more flower of sulphur in. He said it kept 'em, they didn't go foisty. [fusty, mouldy]
No I can believe that.
R- They lasted us a long while.
You’d say he were a good gardener then your dad.
R- Oh yes, aye he were extra good.
Aye, did they have a horticultural show then in Earby?
R - Yes.
Did he have a do at them?
R- He used to do a lot of winning.
Aye that's it. Had he a favourite for competitions.
R- Onions. Onions, them were his favourite.
Aye.
R- He could grow onions, and I don't know why. I don't know owt about gardening to mean owt but that's my favourite. There's nobody grows a better bed of onions, just ordinary, as what I do.
Aye.
(750)
R- I don't make a fuss of ‘em like somebody what's showing them and all that. You know, make a special do of a few of 'em and like that, but I allus have a good do. But last year sommat went wrong with them and they nearly all split and they went mildewed inside.
Aye. There were a lot of bad onions last year.
R- 150, I had 150 and I don't think I got 40 out of all lot.
Aye. No, I remember, ‘cause I'm no gardener. I think actually I might get round to gardening later in life. I can see the point in gardening. Did you eat all the stuff that come off the allotment, or did you sell any of it?
R- Oh he used to sell a lot of pea swads. [Pea pods]
Aye.
R- Aye and lettuce and he used to give part away to folk you know, what weren’t happen in reight good circumstances.
That's it aye.
(40 mins)
R- Give 'em a bucket full of pea swads and half a bucket full of potatoes and they were reight then for a good meal.
Aye, yes.
R- Beetroot, I never used to touch beetroot and carrots then. And now I love ‘em.
Aye.
R- Aye. It were funny, I wouldn't eat beetroot.
It's been a bad year for carrots this year an all. I don't think I've had a good carrot this year.
R- No.
No. And last year I thought it were a good un for carrots, by God there were some nice carrots. I’m talking about carrots you buy like, you know. But this year I don't think I've had one good one. And Vera can cook vegetables you know, she just chucks 'em in, warms 'em up and pulls 'em out and that's how they want to be isn't it.
R- Aye.
They don't want boiling for three hours. Anyway, did you have any hens or anything like that. Goats or…?
R- We once had about three hens in the back yard. I think it were when 14/18 war were on but I think somebody must have said, you know, one or two of 'em had 'em in the back yard. Somebody must have said sommat and we had to clear 'em out, they hadn't to keep them.
No. Public health.
(800)
R- Probably aye. But I had a laughable do with Mr. Hartley what were the manufacturer. He had a garden aside of us and they lived in a big house, nearly aside of this allotment and he had some hens in a pen at the end of his house. And he were going on his holidays one time so he says “I have a job for thee.” He said “Look after my hens next week and you can have all eggs you get and sell 'em to your mother, tha’ll be well off.” So, a good do were this, he only had about ten hens and there were six eggs first day, happen five next and back to six. Six days I were taking these eggs home, I weren’t selling them to me mother. Me mother were getting them and then when he came back, “Well how many eggs?” I'd to put it down on a piece of paper. “My, tha’s had a good do hasn't ta! Tha’ll have made a bit of money?” I says “No, I didn’t I gave me mother ‘em.” He said “Tha’rt a good lad.” Well time comes round again, he says “I’m going on me holidays, I want you to look after the hens, same terms.” Oh I were rubbing me hands, yes. When I went after school at four o'clock. He’d gone at Friday and I went to 'em. School loosed at four o'clock, there's no eggs. I thought, oh well he must not have gone while about dinner time and he's picked 'em up. Morning following I goes, no eggs. I ran home from school at dinner time and
had a look, no. I went to Sunday School, that were it. When Sunday School loosed I dashed up, no eggs. No eggs at night. He come back off his holidays. He says “Hasta been marking t’paper?” I says
(855)
“There hasn't been any eggs.” “Wasn't there? That's funny isn't it? Been a poor do hasn't it? Tha’rt sure there's been none?” I says “No.” He says “I’m going to learn thee sommat. They don't lay when they’re in moult!” [Fred laughs] He give me a tanner. He says “I'll give thee a tanner.” I got a tanner off him.
(laughter from Stanley)
R- But as I got older like I could see the joke.
Yes.
R- Probably he’d tell me father about it and some of the other fellows at work and they'd had a reight...
Would that be Joe Hartley’s father?
R- Aye, Joe Hartley, that's it.
Is he still going Joe?
R- No. No he died not so long since.
Is that right.
R- Yes, think they found him dead.
I remember we once went to a do at the Albion Club [Conservative Club]and there were me and Eddie Lancaster.
R- I'll put the light on Stanley.
No you’re reight, you don't need to bother about light no because this tape’s nearly finished. I’m just trying to think, we were stood in this queue, that's it, and Joe Hartley walked to the front. Because he were a big man at the Con. Club like.
R- Oh he were.
Aye. He walked to the front of the queue and as he's walking up to the front of queue somebody said something and Eddie Lancaster chimed in and said sommat about, you know, bloody hell, Joe queue jumping. And he turned round did Joe Hartley, he said Lancaster
(900)
(45 mins)
He said “I heard that” and then Eddie says “Hartley, there’s handle to my name! Use it!” I've never forgotten that.
R- Aye...
Aye he says “Lancaster!” Aye, going back to th’old days you know. Well that weren’t the old Hartley, that were Joe. Where did he have his looms, Hartley’s?
R - They were on New Road.
When you say...
R- Where Johnson's are now. '
Not Brook Shed.
R- Yes, Brook Shed.
Brook Shed, aye.
R- Yes. There were his brother had the end place, you know, where the 200 loom shop were, reight at far end. His brother had that, Thomas Henry Hartley. And then there were, B&W. Hartley, that were Bracewell and William, two brothers.
Aye.
R- And he paid Willie out and then Bracewell were there and Thomas Henry next to him.
Aye.
R - They were decent folk you know. They weren’t stuck up or owt like that.
Yes. Oh now it were just one do that Eddie had that night.
R- Oh but Joe. Oh he were a bugger were Joe. I've no time for him.
(950)
Well he always seemed a bit that way but he spent a bit too much time in pubs for my liking.
R- He once did it on me. He seemed to take a fancy to me, old Bracewell, even after me father left. Me father left there and went to the Albion. He still took a fancy to me did Bracewell and they’d been moving a lot of looms, getting some thirty six's made into forty five's and there were a lot of work going on at Saturday. And he used to let me work at Saturday morning and don’t tell anybody th’art working he used to say, but work till twelve o'clock. Well, it were about a shilling an hour and they paid from half past ten at Saturday morning. Then one day he says, “Does ta think thee father will let thee come back?” I says “Oh I dare say.” Well we worked till about three o'clock and then it were dark. Well it were a good do were that and I didn't take it meself like you know, it went on to the wage I give me mother.
Yes.
R- And I got a penny in the shilling spending money. And then at Christmas all the other tacklers got fifty cigarettes apiece....
Yes.
(1000)
R- For this extra work they'd done. And Edward Duxbury, he were one of tacklers he says “Hasta getten thee fags Fred?” I says “I don't smoke.” He said “Did he offer you them?” I says “Who?” He said “Did Joe fetch thee any?” I said “No” He says “I know there were fifty fags for all t’lot on us.” You know, fifty apiece.
Aye.
R- He says “He'll have getten 'em his self will Joe.” So I never got any fags and he says “I’ll have a do with Bracewell.” I says “Oh no don't. He’s alright is Bracewell.” I weren’t bothered about fags as long as I were getting a bob now and again.
No but it's funny, you don't forget them things do you.
R- No you don't forget, they stick in your mind.
No.
SCG/09 April 2003
6,967 words.