| Description | Summary
Side one
Family background
Born 1904 in Rochdale. Mother had ten children - two died as babies, one died at twenty five of appendicitis. Father worked on the railway as a lorry man - cllected finished goods and brought them to the railway. Mother was a weaver. Parents married at twenty one. Grandmother lived with the family until she died. Mother started work on the 'jennies' when she was eight years old and continued to work after she was married. Gran looked after the children. Father worked a fifty hour week. Father would mend family shoes - mother sewed their clothes. Mother went out cleaning and took washing in when she was on short time at the mill.
Family all went to the Baptist Chapel. Father not politically minded until the Labour Party appeared - father a union man - attended meetings and a member of the Labour party. Parents never went out at night - might have some friends in. Children would play games in the street with other children. Very neighbourly - open house.
During the depression, husband unemployed for eight years - she went out to work in the mill - he drew dole money.
Mother taight boys how to sew, boys how to darn and cook - father tauhjt boys how to mend shoes.
Education
When to school when three years old - left when she was thirteen. Liked school. Taught to respect elders, property and to be neat and tidy. Learned to read, do arithmetic and sew. Later went to night school to learn cookery.
Started work part time while still at school - worked in the morning and went to school in the afternoon or vice versa. Did this for a year and then went to work full time. Could have gone onto secondary education but had to go to work. Sister got her a full time job. Left the cotton industry in 1934.
Side two
Housing
Parents'first house was a two up, two down - no toilet or bath. Cooking was done on the fire or in the scullery. They moved to a railway house and then on to a larger one. In the end they got a corporation house - had more amenities - bath and toilet. Further out of town. Neigbourliness lost to begin with but soon built up. When she got married in 1925, lived with her mother until they got a house of their own in 1927. Was a corporation house and had a gas cooker and electric light.
Husband had just finished in the army when they met - got a job as a mule spinner - got the sack - then got a job building roads and then another as a mule spinner when he had an accident that kept him out of work. She went out to work cleaning. Had to move to a smaller house because the council house was too expensive. Eventually moved to a new housing estate - not as friendly.
Husband tried all sorts to get a job. Voted Labour - do right by the working class.
Remembers grandmother getting the first pensions and also the first National Insurance. Had belonged to sick clubs, clothing clubs and there was also a tally man whom you would pay so much every week - pilot clubs - saw collectors as friends - knew them for years.
When she got married, lived with mother - they used orange boxes for furniture - uncle gave them money when they moved to their first home.
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