I think the best way for me to write about the Post War years is to take each year at a time and try to remember any matters of interest. When the war ended in 1945 it was so nice to be finished with the blackout. We were still rationed and it took several years before all those in the armed forces were demobilised. During the war, a large majority of people wore a uniform and it was strange to see men and women eventually walking about in civilian clothes. Europe was full of Displaced Persons and the Encyclopedia describes them as “Originally a refugee left without a home country by the border changes arising from World War II. Also used to describe the millions of refugees who had been uprooted by war and transported elsewhere, so that they had no home to which they could return”. Truly, so many people were suffering. Some had lost all contact with relatives, cities were raised to the ground and there were refugee camps all over Europe. I have since read of terrible atrocities which went on. You would not believe there could be such cruelty in the world. Here, in England, we had prisoner of war camps containing German and Italian men who, gradually, over the years, were returned to their own countries. The BBC have made a documentary showing German prisoners mostly worked on farms but were not allowed to fraternise until December 1946. That Christmas, some were invited to spend Christmas Day in people’s homes. Most prisoners returned home to Germany by 1948. Some chose to stay here and make a new life. In November, the trials of major war criminals opened in Nuremberg.

Eileen and Colin were living at Hilton with Colin’s mother and father at Park Villa which was beside the Green. I loved it when we went to see them. Dad must have got his Morris 8 going, which was black and maroon, Reg. No. ARO 734, and I don’t know where the petrol came from. Red petrol was about which was for people who had a business. Eileen and Colin used to come and stay with us sometimes, probably at Christmas. I was busy with school work and helping Mum with Jimmy and Ruthie. School leaving age was 14, so the other girls in the village had left school and gone out to work. I felt like the odd one out but had friends at school.

When the war ended, I was allocated a French pen friend which was arranged by the school. Her name was Janine Tridard and she lived at Nimes. We wrote for several years and I always enjoyed receiving her letters which contained post cards, greetings cards and souvenirs. I reciprocated with the English equivalent and I was fortunate to have such an interesting friend. I think she was very clever and studied for her Baccalaureate. I was still writing to her in 1951 but we gradually lost touch.

We now come to 1946. I was 15, still very thin and undeveloped and when not at school I felt neither a child nor grown up. Difficult years, which eventually go away. Dad decided that summer, to take us all on holiday to Clacton. We stayed in a boarding house quite near the sea front. The weather was awful, even I was hungry and Mum found a flea in the bed. The five of us were in one room. I could have had a room by myself at the top of the house but preferred to be with the others so slept with Jimmy who was 4. We tried going out

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in the evening to the pictures but Ruthie made it a misery so Mum, Dad and I took it in turns to babysit. I think we were all glad to come home. When the landlady asked if we had enjoyed our holiday, Dad said “No, we hadn’t”. She said “No one else has complained” and he said “You should hear what they said behind your back”. You couldn’t use the bath, there was an old piece of lino laying in it.

Eileen and Colin had moved to Galley Hill, the nursery where Colin worked. Colin was Foreman and a nice bungalow went with the job. It was my greatest delight to stay with them. Eileen and I cycled everywhere and went to St. Ives most days. They made me laugh so much, I had a job to eat my food. Colin had to pump the water every night into a tank and tilley lamps were used for lighting. We listened to the wireless a lot, Housewife’s Choice, Workers’ Playtime, Stand Easy, Up the Pole, Sandy McPherson and the Electric Organ from Blackpool and much more.

Bread rationing started on 22nd July, 1946. It wasn’t rationed during the war. These are called the Years of Austerity but I didn’t remember anything much different. I used to knit and sew and decided to knit a fair isle jumper as they were all the rage. I went to Marjorie Jolland’s wool shop in Saffron Walden and asked for a pattern and she showed me children’s patterns!! I was upset and asked for ladies size and made a very nice fawn jumper with a fair isle pattern size 32” bust. You needed clothing coupons to buy wool. You did not need coupons for yarn but things would have hung like a sack.

* Life continued as usual. Apart from school, I went to GFS, Church and anything going on in the Hut. Life was not very exciting but it was the same for most people. The cinemas were always full and sometimes I was able to go.

Looking through an Encyclopedia, I see that Goering committed suicide on 16th October 1946. The Nuremberg trials were still going on. Goebbels, another of Hitler’s circle, also committed suicide when Berlin was taken by the Allies in 1945. Hess, another Nazi leader, was sentenced to life imprisonment and died in Spandau Prison, Berlin in 1987. He was 93.

I think it was 1946 or 1947 that Eileen took me up to London for the day. This was a wonderful experience and my first time on the Underground. We went into a room with a lot of other people and the floor began to move. I screamed - I did not know we were in a lift. We went to a theatre and saw Tessie O’Shea singing Money is the Root of All Evil. I think we went to Madame Tussaud’s. Even though the war had ended, there was still a lot of bomb damage about and it was quite a number of years before all buildings were either repaired or re-built.

When the American Service Men came here during the war, they were a great attraction to the girls and some got married. After the war, these Gl brides, as they were called, plus any

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babies born to them, went to America to join their husbands, who had returned earlier, and started a new life. They were very brave to take such a big step but America was believed to be as shown in the films - a land of milk and honey. Most couples settled down to a new life together and have returned to England from time to time for a holiday and to see relatives. Sadly, some girls were disillusioned and their expectations were not all they were lead to believe. They had been “taken for a ride” and returned to England if they were able to do so. It must have been terrible for those who could not afford to come back and had to live in an unbearable situation.

We now reach 1947. The first pantomime I ever went to was on 21st January 1947 at the Arts Theatre, Cambridge. I went with the family and we parked the car in the Market Square - impossible today. I don’t remember what it was called but they sang the song “How do you feel when the bells begin to peel? Everso Goosey, Goosey, Goosey”. We enjoyed the pantomime but had an horrendous journey home because of thick freezing fog. Dad had to open up the windscreen to see and I was in the back of the car with Jimmy and Ruthie covered in a fish meal sack to keep us warm. At one stage, someone with a hurricane lamp led the line of cars. When we reached the Memorial at Great Shelford, the fog had almost cleared and we made the journey home. To cap it all, I read in my diary, that I got into trouble at school the next day because I had taken time off to go to a Pantomime. Fortunately, the Head Mistress relented as I had never been to one before.

The winter of 1946/47 was very harsh. We had lots of ice and snow and coal was in short supply. I had no fur boots so suffered from chilblains as we got cold cycling to Newport to catch the bus. The buses had no heaters and the double deckers had no doors. (I have previously mentioned this). When the thaw came in March, there were terrible floods and the fens were badly hit with large areas under water.

On April 1st., school leaving age was raised to 15. I was very busy with school work as I was taking exams for School Certificate in the summer. We had the results in August and I was so pleased that I had enough Credits to obtain my Certificate. Sometime during that year, I went with the school to see Lawrence Olivier in Henry V at the Regent Cinema. Another school visit was to the Gas Works in Bishop’s Stortford. We learned how gas was made from coal and the bi-products were coke, creosote, benzene etc.

After exams, we relaxed a bit at school and I remember going to Takeley Forest to have a picnic and poke about in the lake. We also learned a bit of Greek and Book-keeping which wasn’t much like it really Was. (Everything is now Computerized!!). I left school at the end of July, stayed with Eileen and Colin at Galley Hill and started work on 18th August 1947. I left home at 8 am and returned at 7 pm as we worked until 6 pm. Also Saturday mornings 9 - 1 pm but had one Saturday morning off a month. Even though I did not get home until 7 pm, I had no homework to do, so had finished my day.

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Now I had left school, I was starting to grow up. I had a little bit of money to spend after paying bus fares and dinner at the British Restaurant. I sometimes went to the pictures and dances were held in the Hut. Sometimes there were social evenings. I enjoyed playing the piano and bought sheet music which cost one shilling. I still went to the GFS and at some point, Nanny Payne moved away to Greenstead Hall at Ongar and Miss Binckes took over.

The summer of 1947 was very hot and sadly there was an epidemic of Infantile Paralysis now called Polio. Several people in our area caught this terrible illness. One of these was my cousin Joyce Chipperfield, who lived in the village. She worked at Spicers Paper Factory at Sawston and one day she didn’t feel very well. She played a game of tennis and the next morning she could not move. Because she had tired her muscles in playing tennis, the paralysis was worse. She was taken to an isolation hospital at Brookfields in Cambridge and put in an iron lung - the first time it had been used. She was only 21 and was left paralysed for the rest of her life. I shall write more about Joyce as she was an inspiration to us all. Fortunately, today, people can be immunised against polio and I think this was started in the 1950s. At first there was the Salk vaccine given by injection and then a vaccine given by mouth which is much kinder when immunising young babies.

When Guy Fawkes day was near I was able to buy Jimmy and Ruthie some fireworks from Crisps Toy Shop at Bishop’s Stortford. These were in a bag costing about 2/6d and you were only allowed one bag and had to accept what was in it. It was nice to be out at work earning something so I could buy a few things. Some of the shops sold ice cream but it wasn’t as nice as it is today and I remember buying some cherries. My best friend at school was Raymonde who lived at Sawbridgeworth. She stayed on at school and eventually went to University at Bristol. Several of my friends and I went to tea with Raymonde at Sawbridgeworth just before I left school. I remember this because her mother had made a cake which looked like a water lily and I had never seen such a beautiful cake. Raymonde’s father was still in the Air Force. We lost touch as we went our separate ways.

The people at work were very nice but much older than me. I still keep in touch with Audrey who started working at L.H. Benten & Co. just before I did as she had just returned from America. She had been a Gl Bride, gone to America but was divorced and returned home to Bishop’s Stortford.

Sadly, whilst I was still at school, Uncle Horrie died in 1947. I do not know the date but cousin Alan has done a family tree so will know all the exact dates of our family. Uncle Horrie was the first of my relatives, whom I had known, to die and it was very sad especially for his family. Auntie Doris had three children (my cousins) who were then Mollie aged 18, Rosemary aged 15 and Alan aged 4. Auntie Doris was living in Red House Cottage at the time and Uncle Horrie had been working with Dad at Mrs Medley’s in the garden.

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On 20th November 1947, Princess Elizabeth married Prince Phillip, the Duke of Edinburgh in Westminster Abbey and this caused great excitement. I remember listening to some of the celebrations on a radio in the cloakroom at work. One of the men had brought his radio but you weren’t allowed to leave your desk for any length of time. Especially as I was supposed to answer the switchboard.

During all these years, Granny and Grandad lived up the road near The Square and I could always go up to see them whenever I wanted. Sometimes Aunt Ruth was there but she worked as a cook in various large houses in the village. Also she suffered with what was termed as a “nervous breakdown” from time to time and spent long periods, once at Colchester and then at Fulbourn Hospital. She always got better and was her old self once again. As Jimmy was now 5 he would have started Widdington School which would make things a bit easier for Mum.

As Mr Court had retired in 1947, we had a new vicar called Mr Albert John Pearman. He was about 40, very nice and a lot of people went to Church. He wasn’t married but had a housekeeper and the Rectory was still next to the Church. I attended his Confirmation lessons as Mr Court had been a bit forgetful when I went to his lessons. It was not his fault - he was getting old. Mr Pearman was only with us for about 3 years and then went to the I. of Wight in 1950 and Mr James Thomas Stevens came.

Two school teachers from the Herts and Essex High School lived in a furnished cottage in Widdington, only a few doors away from us, next to Pa Salmon. Their names were Miss Scott and Miss McGuiness. Sometimes, if they were away in the winter, I used to make sure their pipes didn’t freeze by seeing to paraffin heaters. In return they loaned me some of their books as I liked to read. We were studying Pride and Prejudice at school and they loaned me other books by Jane Austen. Miss Scott had been my form teacher when I first went to Herts & Essex and I think they both taught Maths.

It was 1947 when I first heard of a biro. Someone at school had one and of course today we could not imagine a world without biros. When I first went out to work, we did our Audit ticks with coloured pencils but when we could buy coloured biros, we used those. The early ones used to make a few blobs but improved over the years. Another invention at this time was the plastic mac and I remember looking at one hanging in the school cloakroom. I was able to buy a three cornered plastic head scarf at this time. The plastic mac came later and was invaluable when riding home on my bike on a dark rainy night.

I have now reached 1948 and I was 17. It was 20th February 1948 that Grandad died. (I found the entry in my old diaries). He was taken to St James Hospital, Saffron Walden and Mum and Dad were called. It was during the evening and I was baby sitting when Jimmy woke up with one of his nightmares. He used to cry and scream and you had to sit with him

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until he woke up otherwise he would get out of bed whilst still asleep. Meanwhile, Ruthie had woken up, gone downstairs and found Mum not there and had hysterics. She wanted to sit on her pot and be sick at the same time. I brought Jimmy downstairs and when Mum and Dad came home, I was sitting in the chair with both of them on my lap. Grandad was born 30th September 1868 so was 79. A good age in those days.

I mentioned earlier that Mrs Taylor, next door, had a shop but she hardly sold anything and it may have been closed as she was old and eccentric. Her niece, husband and their daughter Pam Rowlands moved next door to look after her and opened up the shop. Pam was a year younger than me and we got on like a house on fire. I was so pleased to have a friend next door and someone to go out with. We went to the pictures together and any other social events. We still keep in touch at Christmas and Birthdays, (she is one year and one day younger than me) after all this time.

At work, Jessie, the Secretary, got married and we all went to her wedding at Clavering. I wore my first pair of nylons and had to look after them as they cost about 10/- which was a lot of money. In the summer I went to stay with Eileen and Colin at Galley Hill. One day we went on the train to Kettering and visited Wickstead Park. We went on the water chute and laughed until we cried. I loved staying with Eileen.

I was getting on fine at work and loved doing Auditing and Accounts and they taught me each stage of the work. I went back to the Herts and Essex High School in the Spring to receive my School Certificate and met my old class mates which was nice. At work, another girl called Frances came to see to the telephone and general office work. As she was my age, I was pleased about this and we got on well even though we were chalk and cheese.

I see in the Encyclopedia that Price Charles was born 14th November 1948, so I had better record that event. Bread rationing ended on 29th July 1948. I remember going to two 21st Birthday parties in the Hut. One was for Joan Hoy and other for Margaret and Alec Campbell who were twins. I did enjoy these evenings and was getting used to going to social occasions. I found adjusting to growing up a bit difficult especially as I looked about two years younger than I really was. I got there in the end and was more confident by the time I was 18. I had filled out, as they say, and clothes fitted me. Clothes were made for children and adults with nothing for the in between years. Today, teenagers are well catered for. There were some nice films made about this time, some black and white and some in Technicolor. I knew most of the film stars by name and there were two cinemas in Bishop’s Stortford, both with a balcony. The Regent, which had the best films and The Phoenix. There was Great Expectations, Spring in Park Lane, Oliver Twist, This Happy Breed, The Way to the Stars, Gone with the Wind and many more made in these post war years. Stars were Anna Neagle, Richard Attenborough, John Mills, Jean Simmonds, Michael Wilding, Rita Hayworth, Judy Garland, Betty Grable, Fred Astaire, Stuart Granger, Elizabeth Taylor, James Mason, Vivienne Leigh, Lawrence Olivier and so on.

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When I was 17, I decided I would be interested in learning how to type and do shorthand. I did not need to do this at work as I was working with Accounts which is a different kettle of fish. I went once a week to evening classes, after I finished work, to Miss Lawrence who lived near Northgate End and the classes were held in her house. The typewriters were the sit up and beg machines which worked perfectly well. I went for about 18 months but, as I didn’t use shorthand at work, I didn’t get enough practice, so gave it up. I used to come home on the train to Newport as there wasn’t a suitable bus.

I think Pa Salmon is worth a mention as he was such a character. He lived near us in a cottage by the green and the one next to that was where he kept his Second Hand “Funiture” for resale. I can picture him wearing an old coat, cap and leggings. He had bright eyes and was as sharp as a needle. He lived with his wife and they had four sons, all married. As well as furniture, Pa sold all sorts of things and our dog Toby was bought from him for 8/6d. He used to go shooting rabbits and other creatures, with Dad and often came round our house for a chat. He talked non-stop and one day said “Some people would rob Christ of his shoelaces”. This fascinated me as I always thought Jesus wore sandals, not a pair of lace ups. He also had other various expressions which I won’t mention!!

In 1948 there were big social changes because this year was the birth of The National Health Service starting on 5th July 1948. People no longer had to worry about Doctors’ fees if they were ill. Everything was free - hospital care, visits to the Doctor, prescriptions, spectacles and dental treatment. A weekly stamp was purchased, called National Insurance which also covered Unemployment and Pensions. As the years have gone by we all know that there are now charges for prescriptions, spectacles and dental treatment apart from children and people on low incomes. It was a wonderful idea and although the National Health Service is struggling today to keep up with all its commitments, think how awful it was when you had, say toothache and you had no money or having complications whilst giving birth. Also, as the years have gone by, medicine and operations have become much more sophisticated.

We have now arrived at 1949 and this was the year when I had my new Raleigh bicycle with 3 speed and hub dynamo which cost £18. I flew like the wind on this and cycled everywhere. It served me well for years and after I married, David used to cycle to Hatfield Broad Oak on it to work. Eventually, I didn’t do so much cycling as I was pram pushing. It was about this time that I had my first perm. Previously, we wound our hair up in hair curlers when we went to bed and combed it out in the morning. The weather, humidity and other circumstances played a big part in the success or failure of this chore. Anyway, the perm took all afternoon and consisted of winding lumps of hair round curlers which hissed when a clamp was put on. The result was that there was a mass of frizz, so tight I had a job to get a comb through. Eventually, the ends of the hair looked as if they had been burnt. I said “Never again” but a year or so later cold perms came out. This was a lotion put on the ends of the hair and wound round curlers and was not so drastic especially if you had fine hair. I

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found this acceptable and of course perms have improved enormously over the years. Once I tried having straight hair which would be so much easier but I looked like a boiled egg with a sweeps brush on top. I had very fine dark brown hair. When describing this, my friend wondered why the egg had to be boiled!!

I mentioned that I loved playing the piano and used to provide the background music for a group of youngsters in the village who did acrobatic routines. I usually played Sleepy Lagoon and we joined up with a Concert Party from Newport and entertained people in villages in the surrounding area. Sometimes they were at British Legion Social Evenings and at one village, which could have been Hempstead, the piano was so damp, the keys wouldn’t play and they had to find another. In the opening chorus, we all used to sing “Here we are Again “ I loved amateur dramatics and wished there had been more opportunity to do this.

It was in 1949 that Dad bought our TV. It was a cabinet style with a 12” screen and two doors on the front to close it up. The make was Murphy. It cost 100 guineas and I think the licence was £2. Not many people had TVs in those days. When Dad was contemplating buying a television, the retailer at Saffron Walden invited him to view a play, which was being screened one evening, at his house. I accompanied Dad as Mum didn’t want to go and I thought it was wonderful to see a play televised in a sitting room. The play was a school story on the lines of “Goodbye Mr Chips” - I cannot remember the exact title. The lead part was played by Jack Hulbert but I could be wrong. Dad was impressed, so bought the set. Programmes were only televised for a few hours in the evening at first. There was the news and weather and if a play was being shown there would be an interval mid¬way. A pleasant scene would be shown together with appropriate music and a bell was rung when it was ready to start again. Of course, there was only one Channel and ITV didn’t come on the scene until 1955. BBC2 came many years after that. Aerials were very large in the early days and we had one which looked like a huge H attached to the chimney. As the years went by, broadcasting times gradually increased until we have the situation today where programmes are on 24 hours a day with many channels and it keeps expanding all the time.

In these post war years, there were wonderful musicals being shown in London at the theatres in the West End. Titles which come to mind are Oklahoma, Annie Get Your Gun, Carousel and South Pacific. Most of these were written by Rogers and Hammerstein and were first seen in America. The lead parts were played by Mary Martin, Ethel Merman, Lena Horne, Howard Keel and Edmund Hockridge. The music and songs are still popular today especially with those of us of more mature years. The only live show I saw was South Pacific in 1952 but many of them have been made into films.

In the summer of 1949, Pam and I had a holiday at Clacton and stayed at a Guest House which was very nice and a great improvement on the one in which I stayed in 1946 with the family. Dad took us to Clacton in his car and Pam’s father, Mr Rowlands, fetched

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us home. We enjoyed our holiday and spent our time sitting on the beach, looking round the shops and going to the pictures and probably a theatre. We had three cooked meals a day which people don’t seem to want today and it made a lot of backwards and forwards to the Guest House. We were young and walking didn’t bother us.

During the war, clothing, textiles and furniture had a Utility Mark which specified how much material could be used in making the garment or article. Clothes rationing ended 15th March 1949. In the late forties, The New Look came into fashion which consisted of a dress or coat with a longer skirt reaching about two-thirds or more down the leg and a much fuller line using more material. Clothes began to look elegant and fashion came into its own once more. Young ladies looked very smart wearing a nice dress with a full skirt, handbag and high heeled shoes. Quite often hats were worn for special occasions. During the war, headscarves were made into a turban and worn at work for practical reasons. Headscarves folded into three corners have been worn for years and there is nothing warmer when riding a bike but these days are considered frumpy. Nevertheless, the Queen and I still wear them on a cold day.

On February 20th 1950, Eileen and Colin moved to Bourn and had their own smallholding. Colin had left Mr Price’s Nursery. They lived in a bungalow along the road which branched from the main Cambridge to Bedford road and went into Boum village. They lived near Bourn Airfield and people were living in the vacated huts nearby and were called squatters. There was a shortage of houses for newly married couples and people often had to start married life living with relatives which isn’t easy. They were at least on their own if they were able to set up home in one of these huts and eventually they would get a Council House as there was a vast building programme in progress everywhere. Pre-fabs (prefabricated houses) were being built as they were quick to erect and contained all modern conveniences such as fridges, cookers, fitted kitchens and bathrooms. They lasted for many more years than originally planned. There was a field next to Eileen’s and Colin’s bungalow, also a two roomed bungalow from which they obtained rent and they kept chickens and also had a goat. They worked hard to make a living. On 1st August 1950, Linda was born in Mill Road Hospital, Cambridge and we were all delighted as well as greatly relieved that the birth went well. Linda was induced at eight months so she didn’t get too big and weighed 6 lbs which was good. Mum went and stayed at the bungalow whilst Eileen was in hospital to keep things going and Colin cycled from Bourn to Cambridge in the evening to see Eileen in hospital. Not many people had cars in those days. Petrol rationing ended on 26th May 1950.

Points rationing ended on 19th May 1950. We had been allocated points to enable us to buy tinned items and other groceries. Shopping was getting easier but the war had ended five years previously so the years of austerity, as they are called, had dragged on. Soap rationing ended on 9th September 1950 and detergents started to appear in the shops. Tide was the first, I think, followed by Daz. This made washing up easier as previously, soda was

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used plus a bar of green or yellow household soap. Scouring was done with Vim or Pulvo (Co-op). This was a gritty white powder. I can remember having Spaghetti on toast for the first time which was a change from baked beans.

During the summer of 1950, Pam and I had a holiday at Worthing. We went by coach from Victoria and travelling was no problem. We got back from the theatre one evening and the proprietors of the Guest House said there had been a phone call for me to say Linda had been bom. I was over the moon and the rest of my holiday was made more enjoyable. There was another Royal birth in 1950. Princess Anne was born on 15th August. When Linda was a few weeks old she was Christened in Bourn Parish Church on 10th September 1950. The families attended the Service and I was one of the Godmothers. Jack and Doreen were the other Godparents. I loved to stay with Eileen and Colin and sometimes went for the weekend as well as staying for one week’s holiday in the summer.

Regarding my work, I quite often had to do Audits in offices in other towns. It was easier for us to visit the client instead of the client having to bring books to our office. I went to Hoddesdon, various places in Bishop’s Stortford, including the Herts & Essex Building Society, once to Cambridge and spent a while one summer at Hayters, the lawn mower people at Spellbrook. We went by Public Transport or were taken by car. I preferred to work in our own offices as I was on home ground. Sometimes I went over to our Harlow office. All this travelling about was during 1950 until 1955 when I married. It made life a bit more interesting and of course, I met a lot of people.

My social life was getting better. In the Autumn of 1950, I started going to Madam Black’s Dancing classes which were held in the Baptist Church Hall in Portland Road, Bishop’s Stortford and later on in the Empress Ballroom which was near the back of the Post Office in South Street. We did ballroom dancing, Victor Sylvester style and there were no wall flowers as she made everyone get up and dance. During the interval, we could buy a cup of lemonade for 2d and the girls were not allowed outside. She had no hanky panky going on so her dance hall had a good reputation. She charged 2 shillings for each class. When I mentioned wall flowers, this involved a row of girls sitting on chairs along the sides of the dance hall. The boys used to stand around the door talking and if they felt like it, they would ask a girl to dance. Of course, it was better if you went with a boy friend. If you didn’t get asked, you felt ugly and conspicuous but girls could dance together. Usually things livened up after the interval when all the boys had returned from the pub. I am referring to Saturday night dances which were held in the local villages and towns and I usually had a good evening especially if I went to Bishop’s Stortford. There were no drugs about in those days and the worst that happened was some boy being sick because of too much beer. I often used to stay with friends as I couldn’t get home or several of us would hire Hoys taxi. If I stayed with friends, I would take my breakfast in my overnight bag, which consisted of an egg and a piece of margarine. I had to do this because of rationing as people did not have unlimited food for

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everyone. You cannot imagine doing that today but we do tend to take flowers or a little treat when visiting. There wasn’t much to take years ago and flowers were usually picked from the garden. I also liked Old Time Dancing and in the early 50s American Square Dancing became popular. At Madam Black’s, we danced to records but there was usually a band at Saturday night dances.

There was a war going on in Korea in 1950 with the North Korean troops fighting South Korea. USA troops supported South Korea and on 6th September 1950 British troops were in action. The worry of another war was never far away and people were apprehensive about Nuclear War and that the Korean situation could explode into something bigger.

About this time, there was talk of building Council Houses up Hamel Way. This was a field and reached by a cart track from The Square, going between Mr Wright’s thatched cottage and Granny’s house. There were various meetings as the cart track would have to be turned into a road and a slice of Granny’s garden would be needed to widen the track. Aunt Ruth got very upset and said she didn’t want a main road going past her lavatory door. The road was built, Aunt Ruth moved from the house and things settled down.

In 1950, our Vicar, Mr Pearman, left Widdington and moved to the I. of Wight. I went to see him the next year as I was on holiday on the island. I seem to remember that he did not have good health and was resting in bed. Mr James Thomas Stevens was our next Vicar and lived at the rectory with his wife. The rectory was still next to the Church but some years later, it was sold and a new rectory was built near Miss Binckes’ bungalow between Pond Mead and Spring Hill. Mr Stevens used to walk through the village wearing his long black cape and Dad used to call him Mr Sanderman who was in the adverts at the time.

In the 40s and 50s, everyone used to knit and I always had a short sleeved jumper or cardigan on the go. Some had a pattern knitted in - I remember butterflies and a row of horses heads and some had a fancy pattern. We also did sewing and made blouses and summer dresses. I used Mum’s Jones Sewing Machine and later on in 1954, bought my own Singer hand machine which is still in use today and works perfectly. It is a real Rolls Royce type of machine with superb mechanism. Later on, I got interested in embroidery and made table cloths, tray cloths and chair backs which came in handy for my bottom drawer. I am sure girls don’t have bottom drawers today!! I used to buy a periodical called Stitchcraft which contained all sorts of patterns, ideas and items you could order by post. Transfers for embroidery were the vogue at that time. I used to buy the Daily Mirror which cost 1d and magazines such as Home Notes, Womans Weekly and Womans Own. The problem pages were on a different dimension to those you read today.

I thought it would be interesting to write about the cosmetics we used in the early 1950s. Foundation cream was applied followed by face powder. Ponds products were popular

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and I went on to use Yardleys. Lipstick was in great demand, thickly applied to make bright glistening lips. Sounds awful now. Eye shadow and eye make-up was about but this came into its own in the 1960s. Cold cream was used at night and there was Ann French cleansing milk. I can remember Ruthie covering her feet with nearly a whole jar of my face cream. We used to share the back bedroom. There was face make-up called pan stick which was a beige colour and applied to the face making a thin film on the skin. I never used this as my skin was a beige colour anyway. In the middle of winter, people often ask me if I have been on holiday and I say “I wish I had”. I shouldn’t think the pan stick did much good as it would clog the pores up and I remember seeing someone whose skin looked like orange peel because she had used too much make-up for too long. Nail varnish was used, either red or transparent. Deodorant was in a small bottle called O-Do-Ro-No, white for normal strength and pink for stronger. Hair shampoo was liquid in a bottle and I remember one called Drene. You could also buy a powder in a packet which was mixed with warm water. Popular perfume was Evening in Paris and Californian Poppy but these used to give me a sick headache feeling. I have since heard that some perfumes can do this. I did, however, like Goya perfume especially Gardenia. There was talcum powder which was nice and bath salts, probably coloured scented soda, which were a bit of a waste of time in our tin bath in the shed.

It was during 1950 that Dad had the shed modernised into a kitchen. The walls were lined, the old copper taken out, a sink unit installed and water was heated in a Burco Boiler. Mum also had an electric Cooker and an electric Kettle so life was made easier for her. She still had to walk from the back door across the yard to the shed as this was not joined to the house until many years later. The yard was now concreted with nice paths and a lawn made in the back garden. The old privy was sealed up and an Elsan Chemical Closet installed. Dad had to dig holes to bury the contents until a man came weekly with a tanker lorry to collect this and charged 1/- to perform this valuable task. He was worth his weight in gold.

Granny died 10th February 1951 of bronchial pneumonia and was buried 15th February. After she lost Grandad, she found it hard to cope. Her life had been spent looking after him especially in the latter years. Aunt Ruth tried to cheer her up and I think she stayed with Aunt Hilda for a while. She also came to stay with us so Mum could look after her but the house was full and there wasn’t much peace. Granny told me she enjoyed watching me doing up my Christmas presents which must have been Christmas 1949. One day she decided to go home but she didn’t get better and eventually went to Fulbourn Hospital. I remember visiting her and the ward was so full it was a job to reach her bed. Today, she would probably be given anti¬depressants and would perhaps have lived a few more years. She lived to be almost 73 which was quite good considering she was worn out and frail.

In 1951, I have mentioned before, that I had Mumps which I caught off Ruthie. I did not ail much and if I needed advice or medicine, I used to see Mr Calder, the Chemist in Bishop’s Stortford. To me, he was like an elderly, friendly Doctor and was very helpful. I didn’t have

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many headaches in those days - the migraines came later on but my eyes used to get tired which is not surprising considering the work I did. When I was 22 I went short sighted and had to wear glasses most of the time. I had a pair of rimless spectacles which were fashionable and not so obvious. It was wonderful to see distance in focus again but I could read without glasses. In the last couple of years or so I am no longer short sighted but would be unable to read and write without my glasses. I think we kept fit because the rations were low in fat and sugar and we walked or cycled everywhere. Tea rationing ended 5th October 1952, Sweet rationing ended 4th February 1953 and all food rationing ended 3rd July 1954. We then started to hear brand names such as Stork Margarine.

In 1951, we had the Festival of Britain which was opened by the King on 3rd May 1951 from the steps of St Paul’s. This was held at the South Bank, London and consisted of the Dome of Discovery, The Skylon, The Shot Tower, Battersea Funfair and the Festival Hall. The Festival Hall is still there today. I didn’t go to the Festival of Britain but wish now that I had paid a visit. It ended on 30th September 1951.

It was around 1950/51 that Dad kept pigs and chickens. The chickens were kept in a corner of the meadow behind our house. I think Dad had an arrangement with Mr Campbell, the owner. The pigs were kept in Mrs Medley’s sty and one day she asked him if he could make room for her pigs!! He then bought a piece of ground near the allotments called Smallcroft which he gradually turned into his own Smallholding business. Sometimes there was a runt in a litter of pigs. A runt is a small weak pig which probably would not survive but Mum used to bring these up by bottle feeding them. They became quite tame and she never had a failure.

On 11th June 1951, Dad received the Deeds and Documents of the purchase of Granny’s house and Dullers, next door. Granny had died so the house was empty. Aunt Ruth spent many months in Fulboum Hospital and when she came home, she had a wooden chalet in our garden. She also got a job being a companion/help to Miss Binckes and had her own bedroom there so it all worked very well. She was very popular and was asked out to tea most days and of course spent a lot of time with us. Dad had the two houses done up and then let them. Granny’s house was let furnished.

My cousin Mollie married Tony on 1st December 1951 in the Catholic Church at Saffron Walden. Dad gave her away and Mum and I also went to the wedding. The reception was held at The William the Conqueror Public House in Widdington. Mollie then moved away to Sunbury-on-Thames where Tony’s family lived.

At Church, I always loved the Harvest Festival and we went as a family. Extra chairs were brought in as the Church was always full. When I go to Harvest Festival at the present time, I can still hear Dad singing “We plough the fields and scatter the good seed on the land”.

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At Christmas, we now had the mid-night service on Christmas Eve when Holy Communion was celebrated and Carols were sung. I used to buy a Christmas tree for Jimmy and Ruthie, decorate it and fill their stockings. I loved doing this. When I cycled home from work on Christmas Eve, in the dark with rats and other creatures scuttling in the ditch, it seemed such a special time. The stars would be shining brightly and when I got in there would be a smell of Mum’s cooking. Christmas only lasted for two days and then it was back to work but it was a real family time. Jimmy and Ruthie used to attend Sunday School in the Church on Sunday afternoons. I cannot remember who took the classes but it may have been the Vicar.

Television was expanding and was being broadcasted for longer periods. It was only black and white as colour didn’t come for a long time. There were children’s programmes which Jimmy and Ruthie watched especially Annette Mills with Muffin the Mule. I bought the song book and Jimmy and Ruthie used to sing whilst I played the piano. Ruthie used to sing “Here comes Muffin, Silly old Fool”. We also had other songs in our repertoire such as “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer” and “I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus”.

There were a lot of good British films made in the early fifties at Elstree and Pinewood Studios. Many were stories about the war such as Rommel - Desert Fox, the Cockleshell Heroes, Odette, The Bridge over the river Kwai, The Cruel Sea and a Town like Alice. There were comedies with Norman Wisdom and films about inventors such as Marie Curie, William Friese-Greene and John Logie Baird. Film stars were John Mills, Richard Attenborough, Jack Hawkins, Richard Todd, Alec Guinness, Kenneth Moore, David Niven, Margaret Lockwood, Virginia McKenna, Diana Dors, Marilyn Monroe and many others, some of which I have previously mentioned.

I used to take Jimmy and Ruthie out for little treats. Sometimes we went to the pictures and I remember taking Jimmy to open day at Debden Aerodrome about September 1952. We went on our bicycles. We had a day at the sea-side because the coach came to Widdington to pick us up one Sunday. Just as we were going to catch the coach to come home, Ruthie pushed her toy boat into the middle of the boating pool and I had to wade in on the green slime to retrieve it. I also used to buy them a comic each week. Jimmy had The Eagle and Ruthie had The Girl and I vaguely remember Sunny Stories but it wasn’t written by Enid Blyton. I always loved going for walks in the countryside and there was something to see each time. Blackberry picking was very popular and hazel nut picking in the woods. We were lucky to have such fresh air and all that flora and fauna around us.

On 2nd January 1952 I was 21 so became of age legally. I had a little party in our front room in the evening which was attended by my family and my friends. Dad bought me a cake which was made at Pearsons at Stansted.

On 6th February 1952 the King died at Sandringham and he was only 56. Princess 62

Elizabeth, who was on tour in Kenya with the Duke of Edinburgh, returned home as she was now Queen. All forms of entertainment closed down until after the funeral on the 15th February at Windsor and only serious music was played on the wireless. I was going to a St Valentine’s Dance which was cancelled, so was disappointed. Identity cards were abolished on 21st February 1952.

Each year I had a holiday at the seaside in the summer and went with a friend. Later on, usually September, I had a week’s stay with Eileen. I used to take Linda out in her push chair across Bourn Airfield and on the bus to Hilton to see Mrs Britten. Later on, when they lived in Cambridge, we went to the Botanic Gardens. I remember going to Bedford on the bus with Eileen when Linda was about two and we went to Clacton on the train from Cambridge. We got a lift from Cambridge to Bourn in the evening in a pigs van - someone whom Eileen knew. Eileen and Colin had to give up their smallholding at Bourn and went to live with Mrs Britten at Hilton for a short while. They then moved to Burrells Field Cottage at Cambridge and Colin was chauffeur/gardener to Canon Hulbert-Powell who lived at Burrells Field, Grange Road. This would be about 1953.

In the Autumn of 1952, I went to the Motor Show with Dad at Earls Court, London. Laurie Monk, Dad’s friend and my friend Violet also went. Soon after this Dad had his Morris Minor VHK 191 850 ccs. This car was ordered before the war so he had to wait a long time to receive it and was told when it would be ready. Most cars were black in those days.

I remember listening to The Archers on Violet’s portable radio. I cannot remember exactly when the programme started but it is still going strong after all these years. Sometimes, on a Sunday afternoon, Mum and Dad would go to see Eileen. I would look after Jimmy and Ruthie, give them their tea and put them to bed. When I announced “Bedtime”, that was Ruthie’s cue to run across the green and up towards the Church. I could also run like a hare and used to catch her by the school playground.

1953 was the year of the Coronation of H.M. Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Abbey on June 2nd. This was a marvellous occasion and was watched on TV by most people as those with televisions invited friends and neighbours to their houses. People talked of the new Elizabethan era. On 29th May 1953 E.P. Hillary and Sherpa Tensing reached the summit of Everest and the news came through at the time of the Coronation. On the Eve of Coronation Day, I attended a Coronation Ball in Saffron Walden County High School with Jim Hoy. We were friends and enjoyed Old Time Dancing. A song was written for the Coronation which started “In a Golden Coach”. I bought the sheet music and used to play it on the piano.

During that summer, I had lots of outings with Violet and we had many laughs together. Pam had moved away and was courting Derek.

On 24th March 1953, Queen Mary died at Marlborough House aged 85. Sugar rationing 63

ended on 26th September 1953. Around this time, I bought Mum a Hoover Cylinder Vacuum Cleaner. I think Dad and I paid the Deposit between us for a present and the rest I paid by Hire Purchase. Purchase Tax was added to the cost of luxury items. Previously to this, Mum did her cleaning with mops, brooms, brush and dustpan and an Ewebank Hand Carpet Sweeper. The Vacuum Cleaner would make life easier. Jimmy left Widdington School in the summer of 1953 and started at Saffron Walden County High School in the September. Before he started, Mum and I visited the school, which was fairly new and we were quite impressed as there was so much to see. Ruthie attended two years later and there was an opportunity for her to do pottery and art work.

The most important date for me in 1953 was 21st November when I met David. We had both been invited to a 21st Birthday Party in Bishop’s Stortford, which was held in the Empress Ballroom and Madam Black was the MC. I had hardly got into the room and sat down when Madam Black grabbed me and grabbed David, who was talking to his brother and friends and said “You two can dance”. I thought he seemed very nice and was easy to talk to. He told me he was a Lance Corporal in the Beds and Herts Regiment, stationed at Bedford and was on leave for the weekend. We danced quite a bit together that evening and he wanted to see me home. I laughed and said “You don’t know where I live” - it was quite a performance getting back to Widdington and I was sharing Hoys taxi with some other young people. We exchanged addresses and met the next week and went to the pictures. From then on, we never looked back as we seemed made for each other right from the start. Sometime during December, we went up to London on the Green Line and then to the West End. I always refer to this outing as when we went to Fairyland as everywhere was lit up with Christmas lights and we were so happy together. We went to a play “Seagulls over Sorrento” which was being shown at one of the theatres in Leicester Square. It was very popular at that time. When we got back to Bishop’s Stortford, David brought me home in his father’s car. We wrote to each other, sometimes he telephoned me at work (too many private calls were frowned upon) and he came home on leave whenever he could. National Service was still in force and when the boys reached 18 years, they had to serve two years. As David had been an Apprentice Carpenter and Joiner for five years, he didn’t start his time in the Army until he was twenty. He signed on in the Regular Army for three years and had already served one year when we met. He loved it and was an Instructor in Small Arms. Sometimes they went out on Schemes and he would lead the men up sewers and suchlike. He told me he was nicknamed Errol Flynn and when he saw my face, as I was thinking of Errol Flynn and his womanising, he quickly assured me it was because of his (David’s) escapades such as retrieving a home made raft from a lake, in the middle of winter. In films, Errol Flynn was always up front leading men through goodness knows what. Conscription ended in 1960.

We now come to 1954. I had met David’s parents and the rest of his family. He was the eldest and had two brothers and two sisters. He also had a Grandmother who was widowed and was a great character. She spent the summer at Yarmouth as she let two caravans. David and I got engaged at Easter 1954. He chose the place, which was beside the lake at Amberton

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Hall up Cornells Lane. We bought the rings at Otto Wehrle’s in Cambridge, the same shop as Mum and Dad and Eileen and Colin got their rings.

When David and I decided we would like to get married, he felt it correct to ask Dad’s permission even though I was over 21. Mum and I cleared Jimmy and Ruthie from the front room and left David and Dad to talk. Of course Dad agreed and asked when we were thinking of getting married. David said “In about eighteen months time” and Dad said “That is a good time as I have got some pigs going then”. He was thinking from a monetary point of view but I like to think I went with the pigs. Another time, when David came home on weekend leave, Dad and I met him at Audley End station with Mrs Medley’s Hotchkiss. Dad pretended to be his chauffeur and as David stepped off the train Dad said “Over here Sir” in his best voice. Another time, when David only had a few hours off, we met in Cambridge one Saturday afternoon. I came on the train from Bishop’s Stortford after working during the morning and David came by train from Bury St Edmunds. We met on the station and spent the afternoon sitting on Parkers Piece. We then had to go our separate ways - a bit like Brief Encounter. Young people don’t have those problems today and can meet up whenever they can and most have their own transport.

On 20th May 1954, David’s baby brother Vernon was bom in the Herts and Essex Hospital. His youngest brother Barrie was 13 so there was quite a big gap. His mother had knitted some lovely baby clothes. David’s sister Janet got married on 3rd April and I was a Bridesmaid, also his sister Thelma. I was also a Bridesmaid to my friend Joan, with whom I worked, on 30th January 1954. The other Bridesmaid was Valerie who was the Secretary in the office. I seemed to go to a lot of weddings in those days as I had a lot of friends.

The Korean war was still going on and David thought that he would be sent abroad to Korea. Fortunately, this did not happen and he was moved around from Bedford to Bury St Edmunds, Colchester, Hythe and back to Bedford. He became a Corporal and then a Sergeant so did well.

Roger Bannister ran a mile in under 4 minutes on 6th May 1954. Previously Chris Chatterway had run a mile in 4 minutes. When I used to run for the bus, I used to say I had done a Chris Chatterway. At this point, it might be a good idea to record how difficult it was to have a social life whilst living at Widdington apart from attending functions in the village. The last bus from Bishop’s Stortford to Saffron Walden was 8.15 pm and I had to cycle from Newport as the bus only went along the main road. If I went to second house cinema, there was a bus leaving at 10.30 pm to Quendon. I then had to cycle up Holly Road past the chalk pit and in the dark was not a nice experience. Also the field at the bottom of Holly Road used to flood and with the ditch containing something nasty running alongside, you can guess what happened. David found out about this when returning to Bishop’s Stortford one night and was running to catch the bus from Quendon. I was always prepared for obstacles and carried a torch. I have even cycled home from Bishop’s Stortford with Violet after a dance and would

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not wish my offspring to do so today. Fortunately, I quite often stayed with friends or shared a taxi with others from the village. It is good that young people today have their own cars.

Recently, I visited Widdington Churchyard to identify some graves. Emily Ketteridge died 5th June 1949 aged 68 and I think this was Aunt Mag, one of Granny’s sisters. Maybe she was Emily Margaret. Aunt Mag lived up Wood End in a very nice bungalow with her brothers Vic and Fred and kept house for them. Eileen and I used to go up and see her when we were children. They had a piece of ground beside the bungalow and kept chickens. Uncle Fred died 18th February 1953 aged 63 and Uncle Vic married Annie Renfrew 1st April 1950. When Aunt Hilda (another of Granny’s sisters) retired from working in Muswell Hill, she moved to Uncle Vic’s bungalow where an extension had been added. Aunt Hilda was born 3rd February 1887 and lived to be 74. Uncle Vic was born at the turn of the Century and lived to be 77. Aunt Hilda was a nice lady and she looked a bit like Granny. She never married and worked for a family referred to as “The Lewises”.

About 1953, a Cricket Club was started in Widdington probably by Leslie Dennison. The cricket was played in a meadow behind one of the big houses on the right hand side of Cornells Lane. I remember going to watch a game with Aunt Ruth. About 1954, there was a dreadful epidemic amongst the rabbit population called myxomatosis which destroyed them. You saw rabbits sitting in the middle of the road with runny closed eyes unable to move. This disease wiped out most of the wild rabbits but after some years, they were back and we are again hearing of this terrible affliction.

New foods were coming onto the market. Some which come to mind are instant coffee, instant whip - we previously had Blanc-mange where you boiled the milk. Packet soups. I remember Mum describing Chicken Noodle soup and saying that the noodles were already in the packet. Previously, we had a block of soup which was mixed with water and milk and heated up. Flavours were Tomato, Oxtail and Green Pea. Frozen foods were beginning to appear and I remember Birds Eye Peas and Fish Fingers. Fridges were luxury items so people tended to buy food as an when they needed to eat it. Washing machines were also a luxury item. New materials were being invented and products made of plastic and nylon were coming onto the market. Decorating materials were improving all the time and I made some bathroom curtains out of plastic material when David and I were getting our home together.

1955 was spent preparing for our marriage. We need somewhere to live and wanted a place of our own. Private house building was getting underway and previously a permit had been needed with rules and regulations regarding materials used. Boyd Gibbons started building an Estate in Bishop’s Stortford with fairly affordable prices. To buy and older property, you need a deposit of around 20% and Mortgage Interest was 41/2%. The wife’s earnings were not taken into account and monthly repayments should not exceed one week of the husband’s earnings. We found an older property at Bishop’s Stortford in Bartholomew Road,

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which was at the end of a terrace. It had two bedrooms and a bathroom had been recently added. It cost £750 so we went ahead and bought it. There was no hot water so bath water was heated in a gas boiler. However, it was wonderful to have a tap with cold water and a plug for the water to drain away. As David was away in the Army, Dad was very good to accompany me when viewing property and a lot of the cheaper houses needed modernising. When we walked up the stairs of one house, you could see the sky.

Preparations for the wedding were going ahead and I went up to Oxford Street with my friend Eileen Pluck, with whom I worked, to buy my wedding dress and two bridesmaids dresses. Eileen was one bridesmaid, in blue and David’s sister, Thelma, was the other one in yellow. (Ruthie didn’t want to be a bridesmaid). It was easy to get to London on the Workmans’ Train from Newport to Liverpool Street and the fare was very cheap. As we went through Whitechapel, a clock on a large building used to read 8 am. We then went up the West End by tube. I went again that summer with Mum to buy her outfit and we had a nice day together.

We got married on September 3rd in Widdington Church, with Mr Stevens officiating the Marriage Service. A reception was held in The Hut for family and friends. The wedding cake had been made at Pearsons of Stansted. The best man was David’s brother Tony. When we signed the Register, there had been 26 weddings since Mum and Dad got married. They also had been married 26 years and had celebrated their Silver Wedding the previous year. As I sit here writing my memoirs, we are at Ross-on-Wye on holiday and have just celebrated our 45th Wedding Anniversary.

The wedding went according to plan. We had the bells rung and two hymns which I always associated with weddings from the days when I was a child. Namely, Love Divine and The Voice that Breathed O’er Eden. The next day we went to Jersey for our honeymoon travelling by boat from Southampton. At the end of the week, David had to go back into the Army until he was demobbed a few weeks later. He then returned to the Building Trade. My friend, Eileen, lived with me during the week whilst David was away. I had started a new life after living at Widdington for 24 years. I was now a married woman, living at Bishop’s Stortford and I still kept my job at Benton, Price and Bailey. It was lovely not to have the long journey to get to work.

Meanwhile, at this same time, Mr and Mrs Medley retired and left The Red House and moved to London, Dad left that job and worked for himself full time on his Smallholding. He had been planning for the future and had bought a deep litter house for a rotation of chickens. After about a couple of years his health began to deteriorate and he was unable to cope with all that he had planned to do but that is another story. As some of the members of my family are no longer with us, I am going to record my memories of them. The newer members of the family will not have even known some of them and they must never be forgotten as they played such a big part in our lives.

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MEMORIES OF MEMBERS OF OUR FAMILY

DAD

Dad was born James Alfred Stalley on 7th April 1906 and was Granny and Grandad’s third child. He went to Widdington School until he was 14 and worked for Mr Nordon at Newport in a garage but I am not sure when he actually started. Dad was left handed but wrote right handed because, at school, they tied his left hand up to make him write right handed. A cruel thing to do. Dad was fairly tall - 5’10” or 5’11” and average build. He had light brown hair and blue eyes. He was a mild tempered man with a great sense of humour. He married Mum on 14th September 1929 and I shall record this in more detail when I write about Mum’s life story. My special name for Dad was Jasper. His initials are J.A.S. and Jasper seemed to flow from this and the name suited him. Even today, some members of the family refer to him as Jasper. As well as being my Dad, he was my Godfather.

Dad had many interests when he was a young man and I shall recall some of them. He was a Boy Scout Leader with the Scouts at Newport and Mr Nelson, who lived opposite was also a Scout Leader. When I was small, the Scouts used to walk from Newport, probably the Sunday before Bank Holiday Monday in August and attend a picnic tea, which Mum had prepared, in the meadow behind our house. I think they then went to Evensong which was held on the Vicarage lawn and the village Brass Band played the hymns

He used to keep Angora rabbits and I have come across one of his notebooks where he has listed the Bucks and the Does. There is no date but I would guess at 1929 or 1930. When I was a baby, Mum knitted me a bonnet using wool which came from his Angora rabbits. Also in the notebook it says “Cottage let to Mr Pavey from 21st October 1933 at 9 shillings per week. Cottage let to Miss A Renfrew 6th October 1934”. He bought this cottage as an investment and I remember Agnes bringing the rent each week. I have also come across a Certificate showing that he became a member of the Band of Hope dated 14th April 1913. He would have been 7 years old.

Dad could turn his hand to most things. He repaired wirelesses run by batteries and accumulators. People used to come to the back door and say “Would Jim come and look at our wireless?”. He could also repair bicycles and this was another sideline. He grew all sorts of vegetables and was an expert with tomatoes, cucumbers and melons. He had a cold frame in the garden where the melons grew. He built a lean-to greenhouse for the tomatoes which was at the top of the garden. A rabbit’s tail on the end of a piece of wire hung in the green house and this was used to pollinate the tomato flowers. He grew cabbage, broccoli and lettuce plants to sell, as well as for his own use and people used to come to the back door to purchase a score of this, that and the other. He also had an allotment and there is nothing to compare with fresh picked peas or dug up new potatoes.

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I can see him now, working in the greenhouse, pricking out seedlings. He was a very neat worker and used to take little intakes of breath whilst working which whistled through his teeth.

I don’t know how old he was when he learned to drive a car but driving was second nature to him. I expect working in a garage had something to do with it but I have already recorded that he had to leave the garage work and take up a gardener’s job for health reasons as fresh air was better for him. Another job he did was to mend our shoes especially during the war. He had a Hobbin Foot (last) which was kept in the cupboard under the stairs. It was made of metal and had three feet to fit different sizes of shoes. (Looked like the I. of Man Symbol). Dad was good at wood work and made a lovely chicken house. He also built a coal shed with breeze blocks.

Another different side-line was being an Insurance Agent for Saffron Walden Friendly Society, I think it was called. People paid 2d or 3d a week for various covers and he used to visit Mr Stacey at Saffron Walden who was in charge. We used to sit in the car while he talked to Mr Stacey and it took ages or so it seemed.

For recreation, Dad used to go to the Men’s Club Room in the village to play billiards and he liked to play Bridge. He used to smoke - most men did but hardly ever went up to the pub. He worked hard and during the post war years, had pigs and chickens and used to go shooting with Pa Salmon. When we had TV he found it relaxing to watch and loved the news and weather.

From the age of about 50 onwards his health wasn’t good and he had several spells in hospital. He had to give up his small-holding and worked on a turkey farm and various other jobs when he was well enough. He had so many things physically wrong with him, heart attacks, cancer of the colon, ulcerated legs, problems with circulation as well as a nervous breakdown. When he was well, he used to take Mum on lovely holidays to the West Country and Scotland staying at Bed and Breakfast establishments. Once he took Carol and me with them to Scotland when I was expecting Christine. He loved to prepare the food when we stopped for a picnic.

During April 1968, Dad had a big operation for cancer of the colon and fortunately he recovered enough to be able to give Ruthie away at her wedding on 1st June 1968 when she married Roland. The reception was held at Chesterford Country Club and when we sat in the grounds of the Club in the afternoon, he seemed to gain some inner strength and was his old self. Sadly, he wasn’t so well with his nerves during the summer and finally suffered a stroke and was sent to the Herts and Essex Hospital at Bishop’s Stortford. He was there for several weeks before he died. He was able to speak and his movement returned but gangrene started to appear in his feet and sometimes he was confused. I visited him on Friday evening 1st

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November and was able to have a conversation but his mind was muddled. Soon after that, he slipped into a coma, pneumonia set in and he died on Monday 4th November 1968. Mum and Jimmy sat with him until the end. I had to leave the hospital a little before this to see to Carol and Christine. He is buried in Widdington Churchyard and there is a stone to mark his grave which is at the right hand side near the lych gate. When I used to visit Mum after Dad died, I imagined he was working in the greenhouse and would walk through the back door any minute. Of course, he didn’t.

MUM

Mum’s early life was not the usual run of the mill and someone with more ability than I have could write a marvellous novel recalling her life and experiences. She used to talk to me a lot and I shall record her memories just as she told them to me. This will cover the time from when she was born until I was born as her life after that is already recorded in my memories of Widdington.

Mum was born Queenie May Collier at 8 Fortescue Road, Mitcham on 14th April 1906 and was the youngest of a large family. She used to think she was born 1st May 1907 until she obtained her Birth Certificate at the beginning of the war. She had a brother George, whom she called Fred and who was three years older than her and they used to visit a dairy which was like a corner shop at the end of the street. When she left the area at the age of six, the family had moved to 5, Northwood Road, Thornton Heath, Croydon. The houses were in a terrace and had bay windows and one family lived upstairs and another downstairs. Mum said they came down a staircase at the back of the house and there were open fields but when we visited the area in 1964, it was built up. Mum said her Mother, whose name was Annie, was a tall lady with dark hair and she remembers walking up the street with her. She loved her mother and I remember there were times when she felt very downcast because her mother had died when she was a little girl and she didn’t know where she was buried. Her father’s name was Charles and he was a Bricklayer Journeyman. It is said that he had ginger hair and Mums’ sister Nellie was the only one who looked like him. Charles Collier and Annie Barnes lived in the same street in Croydon and were married 6th May 1889. Mum had two older brothers, Bert and Charles. One was in the Army and he used to hold out his swagger cane for Mum and George to jump over. Mum was told that one of them (I cannot remember which) helped to build Wembley Stadium. She had three older sisters, Rose, Daisy and Nellie.

Her final memories of Croydon are seeing her mother laying on the floor in the house and she knew something awful had happened. The blinds were drawn. Mum and George were taken to a Children’s Home in May Day Road, Croydon and were split up and Mum was upset. She remembers the smell of a Christmas Tree. One night she was made to get out of

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bed to fold up her clothes and put them in a basket which she should have done when she went to bed. As she stood on the cold stone floor, her nose began to bleed.

Her mother died on 26th December 1912 in Croydon Union Infirmary of Septic Pneumonia age 43. I managed to find this out in 1964 and I also traced her grave which is in Croydon Cemetery. Jimmy took Mum, Dad and myself to visit the grave and Mum’s places of abode and I think it helped to settle a few things in her mind.

After Mum’s experiences in the Children’s Home, her next memories are being on a train with other children and getting off at Newport Station. This would have been 1913. There were ladies waiting on the platform to foster these children and Mum took one look at Little Auntie and flew into her arms. The children did not appear to be allocated to a definite lady and the person in charge said to Little Auntie “And which one are you going to have, Mrs Rust?” and Little Auntie looked at Mum and said “It looks as if I shall have this little girl”. How fortunate Mum was to be with such a nice lady who looked after her so well until she grew up and what a lovely village in the country to be brought to. Mum always called Little Auntie “Mum” and she was a mother to her. Mum’s brother George (called Fred) was fostered with Mrs Fish at Newport and her sister Nellie was fostered with someone in Widdington. Nellie was older than Mum and she never said much about her. Her sister Rose, who also was older, was in service at Debden but how she got there and what happened to her, Mum never knew

Mum went to Widdington School until she was 14 but she was really 15 as she was a year older than her Guardians, who were now in charge of her, thought she was. Her teacher at school was Miss Perks and she was friendly with Aunt Ruth. She also said that she and Dad were childhood sweethearts. She was a Girl Guide and we have her badges which she won for doing various skills. She was in the Red Rose Patrol and she stitched all of her badges onto a piece of brown paper for the Boy Scouts to see when they came for their annual picnic at our house before the war. When Mum died, my daughter Carol, asked if she could have these badges to keep in Mum’s memory. I think Mum also belonged to the GFS and the Band of Hope and of course she went to Church and Sunday School and was Confirmed. Other friends at school would have been Floss Chipperfield, Florrie Banks and Cis Duller.

When the First World War started in 1914, Mum would have been the same age as I was when the Second World War started. She told me about Zeppelins coming over and that word sounded very awesome to me. She told me about the bad ‘flu epidemic in 1918-1919 when many people died. She spoke of all the young men in the village who went away to serve in the war and probably went to France and we now read what a hell hole the trench warfare was. In Widdington Church there is a Plaque listing the names of the men who gave their lives in that terrible war. Their names are Charles Banks, Frank Barrett, Frank Canning, Sidney Canning, George Cox, Frank Pallett, Sidney Pallett and George Wright. Underneath

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it is written “Their Glory shall not be blotted out” Eccles. XLIV 13.44. This is Ecclesiasticus Ch 44 v 13 from the Apocrypha. All of the surnames are familiar Widdington surnames to me. There is also a Roll of Honour listing 39 men who returned from the war, 10 of which did not go overseas. This shows that 47 men from Widdington served in the First World War which is a lot of men from such a small village.

I have an Illustrated New Testament which belonged to Mum. Inside it is written “Queenie Collier. A Gift from Widdington Congregational Sunday School 25.6.1916”. Mum would have left school about 1921 and she wanted to be a Nurse. However, she had no say in the matter and a job was found for her doing domestic work for Mr William Stride and his wife Sarah at Priors Hall. She was given a trunk for her clothes and a uniform was provided. And so she went into service. I think she lived in but of course still visited Little Auntie as that was her home.

She told me of one or two incidents whilst working at Priors Hall. One day she was walking across the yard with some broken glass in her hand, she tripped and fell and cut her hand badly at the base of her thumb. A large piece of material was wrapped round it and she was taken by pony and trap to Dr Brown at Newport. She said he plunged her hand in boiling water, it was stitched and blue stone was put in the wound to bum out the dead flesh. No antibiotics in those days.

She was given a piece of yellow kitchen soap to wash herself with and one day Mrs Stride said “You do not seem to use your soap Queenie”. Mum replied “I buy my own, I have not been used to using that sort of soap”. She was a very spirited young girl. She said the walls of Priors Hall were very thick and it was said that a secret passage ran from Priors Hall to Widdington Hall and went under the Church. Monks used to live there and there was a small room called The Powdering Closet which had a bulging ceiling. All this intrigued me as a child as I was into reading Enid Blyton and the Famous Five and their secret tunnels.

When Mum was about 16 or 17, Dad went into hospital to have his appendix out. When he came home, he went all moody and wouldn’t speak to her. She was so upset that she left her job at Priors Hall and went to work at The Copper Kettle Restaurant at Saffron Walden. I don’t think she liked the job very much especially as when she shelled peas, she was told to put the maggoty ones in as well. This would go against the grain as we never did that. Meanwhile, Mrs Stride from Priors Hall died and Mum wrote a letter of condolence to Mr Stride. One day, when she was cycling back to Saffron Walden, Mr Stride met her on the Railway Bridge near the main road and thanked her for her letter. He then asked if she would be willing to work for him again as his Housekeeper. She considered his offer and decided to take the post so came back to Priors Hall. Mum was a beautiful young woman with black hair and brown eyes. She was only about 5’ tall, average build but I expect she was quite slim in her young days and had small feet. Mr Stride fell in love with her and married her. They had

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one daughter who is my sister Eileen. Eileen was born in a Nursing Home at High Wycombe and when Mum was in labour she thought she would have to be cut open for the baby to be born. The nurse cried because Mum had no idea how babies were born naturally. Mum vowed and declared that any children she had would not be brought up in ignorance and she told each one of us the facts of life, as it was termed in those days, as and when she thought the time was right. She told me to beware of signs and suggestions but she didn’t say what they were so I was always on my guard!!

Her years married to Mr Stride were short but she appeared to be happy and he cared for her very well. He used to go shooting in Debden Park with his friends and she would walk across the fields behind the Church to meet him. He bought her a pianola and she started to leam to drive the car. Sadly, Mr Stride became ill and went to Harrogate with my mother to stay in a hotel so he could partake of the Spa Waters. He became very ill and Mum looked out of the hotel window and saw a man whom she recognised from Newport so she asked him to help her. A Doctor was called and they stayed there until Mr Stride could be taken home. He didn’t get better and had a nurse to see to him during the day and Mum did the night nursing. She used to read the paper to him as I think he was interested in Stocks and Shares. He died about 1927 and Mum was left a young widow with a small child. She always referred to him as “Eileen’s Daddy”.

Mum moved from Priors Hall to The Cottage with Eileen and bought the furniture from Fishpools which I think was near Waltham Cross. Aunt Ruth, who was her friend, stayed with her some of the time. Soon after she moved to The Cottage, a man visited her who said he was her brother Charlie. He took her by surprise and she didn’t quite know what to say. He said that he had promised his mother that he would see that she was all right but he had waited about 15 years before he visited her as their mother had died in 1912. She gave him a cake which she had just made and he went on his way and she never saw him again. She has a photograph of her sisters Daisy and Nellie dated 11th November 1921. I think Daisy used to write to her when she was a child and Mum thought she worked in a school at Streatham. She has a photograph of her brother George who was a good looking young man. After he left Newport he worked in Biggleswade and then went to Brixton. He visited Mum about 1930 to ask her advice about his girl friend and after that she didn’t see him for over 40 years even though we tried to trace him.

After Mum had been widowed about eighteen months or more, Dad comes onto the scene again. Aunt Ruth was the go-between and gave her a message from Dad which said that on a certain evening at a certain time he would be across the road and would flash his torch. If Mum was in favour of seeing him again, then he hoped she would let him know. I don’t know if she flashed her torch but they got together, became engaged and were married in Widdington Church on 14th September 1929. It sounds so romantic, just like a Barbara Cartland novel. Mum wore a beige silk dress with flying panels and a hat to match which had

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a high crown. (This hat was kept in a box in the big cupboard upstairs and l used to wear it walking round the bedrooms until Mum came flying upstairs). As Mum didn’t have a bouquet, Auntie Doris picked some Asters from the garden for her to carry. Aunt Ruth looked after Eileen while they were in Church where Mr Court officiated at their wedding. As they were being married on that September day, Mum said a shaft of sunlight came through the window and shone across them. There was a small reception at Granny and Grandad’s house and they went to Hove, Nr Brighton for their honeymoon.

One morning, soon after they were married, Mum woke up and the bedroom became filled with a bright light. A lady drifted in and came to Mum’s beside and said “There dear, you are happy now”. She then drifted away and the light went with her. Mum was convinced it was a vision of her mother.

I was born in 1931 and I have already recorded the next 24 years earlier in this book. When Mum was in her 50s and early 60s, her time was spent nursing Dad during his various illnesses. Ruthie was away nursing but Jimmy was still at home. Thursday was her day for visiting me at Bishop’s Stortford when Dad went to the Market. I also visited her with Carol and Christine and sometimes they stayed with her, one at a time, or we all stayed for a week. We could go on the bus and walk from the Bridge. After Dad died 4th November 1968, Mum was never really well for the next ten years. After Jimmy married Hilary in 1970, she lived on her own but spent quite a bit of time staying with each of her children and often had friends to stay with her. Her life was centred around her family and home. She belonged to The Mothers’ Union and Women’s Institute and would always make a cake or knit a pair of socks for a stall. She attended MU Church Services but was shy about attending functions in the Hut. Aunt Ruth was completely opposite and used to bring her all the news so Mum lost a dear sister-in-law and friend when she died in 1972. Mum was a very religious lady who used to read her Bible, pray and was pleased to be a member of the Church of England. She liked to attend the 8 am Holy Communion and also enjoyed accompanying me, when she was staying at Bishop’s Stortford, to the Morning Eucharist at Holy Trinity Church. She also loved to have people to dinner and found the cooking no problem. Of course, we, as a family, loved this, talking and laughing round the table.

About 1973 or 1974, Mum’s brother George visited her at Widdington. For years she longed to see him again but we didn’t know where he was. It appears he hadn’t been all that far away and was then living at Colchester with his second wife, Gladys. He had five children by his first wife whom he had divorced. He had one son, Terry who, I think, lived in Canada. His four daughters are Jackie, Julie, Ann and Brenda. We visited George and Gladys at Colchester and I met one or two of his daughters and saw photographs of them. Mum also stayed at their house. Sadly, Mum did not see George for long because he became ill and went to hospital in Colchester. He died about 1975 and Gladys eventually moved to Southend. I never had a chance to speak to him about the Collier family. Once, Gladys came

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to stay with Mum at Widdington.

After Dad died, Mum’s heart trouble got worse and she had several heart attacks. She became diabetic and suffered with arthritis. She used to get a terrible pain in her chest and I would get phone calls where I would have to drop everything and get to Widdington as quickly as possible. I was never quite sure what I would find when I got there but we coped. Sometimes she had a bad turn when staying with Eileen and once went to Addenbrooke’s. The terrible pain turned out to be gall bladder trouble and stones in her liver and she had a big operation in April 1978 followed by another in November. Her heart trouble was getting worse and while she was staying with Eileen, it got so bad, Eileen had to call the Doctor. She died in the ambulance on the way to Addenbrooke’s on 10th February 1979 aged 72 years. We received a phone call late at night and went rushing up to the hospital and I was expecting to see her but was shown into a room where Eileen sat, who told me she had gone. Even though you know that one day it would happen, you are never ready when it does and fall into a state of numbness and shock. There had to be a Post Mortem because she died in the ambulance and the weather became atrocious with ice and snow so the funeral was delayed. We were in a state of No Man’s Land until after the funeral when the situation really hit us. She is buried in Widdington Churchyard in Dad’s grave, so they are together.

Eventually, the house was cleared and put up for sale. When it was finally sold, I walked round the empty rooms for the last time recalling in my mind all that had happened there. I had to close that chapter of my life but for a while, I used to go back in my dreams. I would be in the house and knew I shouldn’t be there. I could hear the new owners returning and they would find me but then the dream would fade and I was never caught. Eventually, I had to let go and the dreams stopped.

EILEEN

My sister Eileen May Stride was bom 30th October 1924 in a Nursing Home at High Wycombe. She weighed 7 lbs, had dark brown hair and brown eyes. She lived at Priors Hall Farm with her father, William Stride and our Mother. Sadly, her father became ill and went to Harrogate to partake of the waters as it was a Spa Town and they thought the minerals in the water would help. Eileen went to stay with Auntie Effie, her father’s relative, at Newport while they were away. Her father did not get better and returned to the farm where he later died. Eileen was only about two or three at the time so would not remember much about him. He was not a young man and is buried in Widdington Churchyard on the left hand side of the path going to the Church door near the lych gate. He has a stone but the inscription has worn away and is difficult to read but could be April 1927. It also says James William Stride but I think he was known as William.

After Eileen’s father died, she moved to The Cottage with Mum and Percy Stride, her 76

father’s son from a previous marriage, moved to Priors Hall Farm. Eileen and Mum lived at The Cottage and eventually Mum married my father, James Stalley, on 14th September 1929. Dad was a good father to Eileen and then I was born in 1931 so we grew up together. Eileen was 6¼ years older than me. She was a wonderful sister and very protective towards me. I have already recorded all the things we did in the 1930s and 1940s until she went away to work in 1942. She taught me to knit and do joined up writing and encouraged me to eat up my dinner. When she was at work, she bought me lovely books and two nice dresses when I was about 14 which actually fitted me. When she was 14 and I was 8, I must have been a right pain.

* I misread my notes. Eileen’s father’s name is William James Stride * I have also recorded that after she married, It was my greatest delight to stay with her. She had a great sense of humour and once we went into a toy shop in Huntingdon because I wanted to buy some toy soldiers for Jimmy. An elderly lady was serving and I asked if I could have one on horseback and as the lady bent down to get one out of the box she made a rude noise. The door crashed as Eileen fled from the shop and I found her up the road, leaning against a wall with tears streaming down her face. Another time, we sat on the bus and a woman got on with a french stick in her basket. Eileen whispered “That woman buys her bread by the mile” and we couldn’t stop laughing. Once we went into Robert Sayle’s to buy Mum a cardigan and we laughed so much we couldn’t ask for what we wanted. All of the assistants were laughing as well and it was a wonder we completed our purchase. The silly thing was, we didn’t know why we were laughing.

The years went by. Eileen and Colin moved from Burrells Field Cottage to Burrells Field, a large house which she rented from Trinity College. She let the rooms to students and worked extremely hard for a good number of years. Colin was a Gardener and then Head Gardener for Trinity College. Linda grew up and married Brian 29th August 1970 in Trinity College Chapel. I lived in Bishop’s Stortford and Eileen and I kept in touch and visited each other whenever we could. In 1974, for health reasons, she gave up her business at Burrells Field and moved to Great Shelford. She said to me “When are you coming to live near me?” and I said “When I can”. I was able to do this in 1976 and lived only a mile away from her house. This was lovely as we met up whenever we could and were able to do things together. Eileen was a busy person and very popular and hospitable. She was a good needleworker and made most of her own clothes, her knitting was of high quality and she was a good cook. She was also very good and diligent in caring for Mum in her latter years.

When Colin retired in 1987, they moved to the Annexe at Linda’s house in Great Chesterford but she still came to see me each week and it was my delight to spend the day with her. She had problems with her health but never the less it was a great shock to us all when she died in the early hours of November 1st 1992 after suffering a heart attack. She had enjoyed the previous evening with Colin, Jim and Hilary when they shared a meal together

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to celebrate her 68th birthday which was on 30th October. I won’t dwell on this sad time as it goes without saying how much we all miss her.

GRANDAD STALLEY

Grandad’s Christian name was Walter and he was born 30th September 1868 at Thaxted. His father was James born in 1829 and mother was Mary nee Townsend bom 29th March 1834. In 1861, their address was Trundles End, Thaxted. His siblings were Joseph, Martha and Alice. Alice married John Chipperfield and Annie Stalley, his cousin, married William Chipperfield so that is how we are related to the Chipperfields. I think Grandad’s father was a tenant farmer and Prouds Farm, Thaxted comes to mind. Grandad married Granny 24th July 1897 and they had four children. Mary born in 1898, Horace 27th August 1899, James 7th April 1906 and Ruth 29th August 1908 and they lived at The Square, Widdington. Grandad worked at Priors Hall Farm. Grandad had retired from farm work when I first remembered him but I think he did a bit of gardening for Mr Fawcett. He was average size, had white hair and a moustache and also suffered badly with arthritis. He had several interests, one of which was bee-keeping and the hives were at the top of the garden. I remember seeing him with Mrs Duller, next door, wearing straw hats with veils over their faces and we had to get into the house quickly because the bees were flying about all agitated. Another sideline was hair cutting. There was a wooden shelter in the back garden where he did this and it also contained the chair and hair cutting utensils. He used to cut my hair when I was a child and also Eileen’s and his hands used to shake a bit. He grew vegetables and got very frustrated in later years when he couldn’t do his garden. He had bought his seeds, one Spring but was unable to sow them himself and said “I expect I shall have to “bun” them”. Aunt Ruth was very helpful so I expect she sowed them. He also had soft fruit trees in the front garden, a plum tree at the top of the back garden and a Cricksy tree near the back door. These were very small yellow fruits - a cross between a plum and a greengage. (I cannot find anyone who has heard of a Cricksy tree). He used to supervise Eileen’s latest boyfriend with the picking of the larger plums and kept pointing to plums, with his stick, which were almost out of reach. It is a wonder they did not fall off the ladder.

In his latter years, Grandad slept in the front room and there was a shelf behind his bed which looked like a Chemist’s Shop. He had several things wrong with him and Dr. Salaman was a regular visitor. He may have had bad legs and I associate Ucal Ointment and TCP with him. He was crippled up with arthritis or rheumatism and walked with a stick. Granny looked after him and was always going up and down the garden with pails. He loved to listen to the news on the wireless and we had to keep quiet while that was on. (It was war time). H e used to sit in an armchair by the kitchen range in the back kitchen. He was always nice to

me but once said a silly thing. When Jimmy was born, we took him up to see Grandad and he said to me “Your nose is out of joint now” as he placed half a crown in Jimmy’s hand. (The

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coin was bigger than Jimmy hand). I didn’t know what he was talking about as the thought had not occurred to me. I was 11 years old.

Once, when Granny went to stay with someone, I went up to see to his breakfast. He had a boiled egg and the bread had to be cut exactly the right thickness. He was very particular. I must recall one amusing story which Aunt Ruth told me. It was Sunday teatime when they were children and were sitting round the table in the front room. Dad made a rude noise and Grandad banged on the table with his fist and shouted “Jim”. The lamp went out and Granny cried. You can picture the scene.

Another piece of information is worth recording and I shall do this as told to me by Aunt Ruth. It would be about 1907 and Grandad went to Saffron Walden Hospital as he had a burst bowel. This would be very serious today, so imagine having an operation nearly 100 years ago. He would have been almost 40. I was told that the nurses had to clean all the muck out of his wound and as he lay in bed, the death- throes started to creep up his body and when they reached his heart, it thumped and banged away and then things subsided. He must have been a strong man because he survived this terrible ordeal. When he was due to come home, Granny was waiting in The Square with Dad, a small child, in her arms. Some lady admired him and Granny was all of a twitter as Dad had filled his trousers. I don’t know what means of transport was used to bring Grandad home.

Grandad died 20th February 1948 when I was 17 at St. James Hospital, Saffron Walden. He was almost 80 and considering his ailments he had reached a good age for that time of day. He is buried in Widdington Churchyard with Granny but there is no stone to mark the grave. It is a little way back from the front wall, left hand side of the lych gate, somewhere near the Ketteridge graves which do have stones. Grandad loved his Grandchildren and I shall always remember him with affection.

GRANNY STALLEY

Granny was born Alice, Millicent Ketteridge on 26th February 1878. She was the eldest of a large family and the names of her sisters are Blanche, Eva, Dora, Mag born 1881 (? Margaret or Emily), Hilda Rose born 3rd February 1887. Her brothers are Fred born 1890 and Vic bom 1900. Grade and Archie died when they were children. I do not know which years Blanche, Eva and Dora were born. Granny married Grandad 24th July 1897 when she was 19 and Grandad was 10 years older. Granny’s mother was called Ellen, referred to as Grandmother Ketteridge, who always sounded a strong, capable and dominant woman. She was born 19th August 1857 in Union House, Dunmow and her name was Ellen Turner and she lived at Broxted. Her mother’s name was Eliza Turner. Ellen Turner married Alan Ketteridge from Debden 29th June 1877. Alan Ketteridge, who was my Great Grandfather, was born 20th March 1853 and he died in 1908 aged 55. It is said that he became mentally ill and was

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sent to an Asylum at Brentwood. They hit him as part of the treatment!!. It is also said that he

had been working on a roof in the hot sun so the poor man was probably suffering from sun

stroke or something similar and wasn’t mentally ill at all.. When he died, Grandmother had the

children to see after who were not out at work, also she fostered children and was the village

mid-wife and layer out of the dead. She was a hard working woman. Amongst her foster

children were Auntie Doris and her brother Jim Raw. Also Ruby and Dot Potter who I have

mentioned earlier in the book. There was also someone called Kath. Grandmother Ketteridge

died 19th November 1925 aged 68 so I never knew her. It is said that she drank some cocoa,

went to bed and died in her sleep. A wonderful way to go. I think Vic and Fred were still living

at home.

Granny originally lived at Broxted. Later, her mother and father lived in the house next

to the Post Office, Widdington. As you face the Post Office, it was on the left hand side. I do

not know when they moved there. As I have previously mentioned, Granny had four children,

the last being Ruth born 29th August 1908 and when she was born, someone said, very

tactfully, “she’ll never live” which must have cheered Granny up no end.

Three of Granny’s sisters were married. Aunt Blanche was married to Bill Wilton and

they lived at Sutton Bridge, Nr. Kings Lynn. He was a Customs Officer and they had one

daughter called Grace. They had a car and sometimes used to visit Widdington before the

war. Aunt Eva was married to Mr Kirby but I do not remember his name. They had a pub

at Portsmouth and had two children, Gwen and Ken. I think they kept in touch with Uncle

Vic. Aunt Dora’s surname was Ketley and they lived at Great Leighs, Nr Chelmsford. I have

already written about visiting her whilst recording my childhood memories.

As I try to picture Granny, she was average height, rather thin with white hair. She

was a gentle person, very kind, worn out and had a job to keep up with what she had to do.

Grandad needed looking after, housework and washing was done the hard way and cooking

was done on an oil stove or kitchen range. She had no sink until the 1940s and drinking water

was fetched in a pail from a tap in The Square. There was a pump outside the back door

which she shared with Mrs Duller for washing water.

Granny was quite religious and had a box of little rolled up texts and each day she

undid one and read it. She liked to listen to the Daily Service on the wireless and used to

make noises of agreement with what was said. She looked after the chickens and I can

picture her stirring up their food in a pail. When washing up, she would wipe the jug about

25 times and we would get impatient waiting to take it to fetch the milk. When baking, she

could make wonderful oat cakes. If I think of groceries, I associate her with Edwards Soups,

Mazawattee Tea, Enos Fruit Salts, Sanatogen, Hoys Bread and Lux soap flakes. Granny

suffered a lot with headaches and spent a lot of time in bed. She probably had migraines but

we didn’t know about them then. She didn’t move far from the house but sometimes we went

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for a walk to the woods. She had a small dog called Mickey, who did a lot of yapping and its

lead was tied to the table leg. She had various cats, one of which was named Kaiser Bill by

Aunt Ruth. I loved going up to see Granny as she didn’t mind what you did. Sometimes I slept

in one of the bedrooms if we were full up at home when Mum had visitors and needed my

bed. I usually had the back bedroom which was Aunt Ruth’s room really.

After Grandad died, Granny wasn’t very well and seemed to go into a decline. Aunt Ruth

tried to cheer her up but she didn’t improve. Sadly, she had to go to Fulboum Hospital and she

was probably there about a year and died 10th February 1951 from bronchial pneumonia.

She was buried in Widdington Churchyard 15th February 1951 and Dad went to the funeral.

In my diary of 1951, I have recorded that there were a nice lot of flowers.

After I was married, I lay my wedding bouquet of red roses on her grave before leaving

Widdington to live at Bishop’s Stortford.

AUNT RUTH

Aunt Ruth was born Ruth Martha Stalley on 29th August 1908 Granny and Grandad’s youngest

child. She was a bright young girl, with fair hair and blue eyes who attended Widdington

School and was also my Mother’s friend. Miss Perks, the Headmistress, wanted her to sit for

the Scholarship but Granny and Grandad could not afford the expense involved in attending

High School and Granny wanted Aunt Ruth to help her in the house when she left school.

Her first job was Nursemaid to Nancy Stride, Gladys and Percy Stride’s daughter, who lived

in The Cottage where I was bom.

As a young woman, Aunt Ruth played the violin at dances and Grandad taught her

to do this. She also played tennis with other young people on the Rectory lawn. She was 22

when I was bom and was one of my Godmothers. She worked for Mrs Wall, in a domestic

capacity, who lived up Cornells Lane. Mrs Wall taught her how to cook and she was always

in great demand because of her skills. She could make home made mayonnaise and knew

how to carve meat. Goats were kept at Weft House and when I was a small child she told

me she road up Cornells Lane to work on the back of a goat and hung her case on its homs.

She was wonderful with children and a marvellous story teller. Her repertoire consisted of

Mrs Beak-Duck and Silas Fox, Nancy the Naughty and a Tale of a Bold Bad Mouse, the

characters being Peterkin Mouse and Dame Margery Mouse. She gave me the book, which

I still have, containing these stories but her version was much better and full of imagination.

There are many children who remember these stories including my own children and children

in the village when she did baby sitting. She worked at one time for Mrs Dillon-Robinson as

parlour maid and/or cook, living in, also Mrs Maxwell-Scott and Mrs Tugendhat. About 1938,

she went away to work at Epping for a while. I did not like it when she went away as she was

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my favourite Aunt and I loved being with her and got excited when she came to tea. She had

a kind, cheerful personality with a great sense of humour and everybody liked her.

When I went up to Granny’s, as a child, I loved it if Aunt Ruth was there as she used

to let me look in a trunk which was in her bedroom. It was full of china ornaments and I used

to take them out and look at them. She used to play her wind -up gramophone and one of

the records was “We all go up up up the mountain and we all come down down down again”.

I thought it was wonderful. She could make the most boring of walks interesting and used

to poke about in hedges and ditches to find things. She gave me another book called “The

Mistress of Lydgate Priory” with a sticker inside saying “Awarded to Ruth Stalley, Widdington

School, St. VI Jan. 20 1922, James W. Court. When I was 11 she gave me her tennis racquet.

Aunt Ruth bought a piece of ground, 1/5th acre, from Mr Campbell of Priors Hall and

it was situated on the corner of the road going up to the farm on the right hand side. She had

fruit trees, a filbert nut tree and grew lots of vegetables. There were various sheds and she

spent many happy hours working on her piece of ground. She eventually sold it when she

could not manage to do the work.

Aunt Ruth had a sister, Mary Ellen, bom 1898, who died 19th August 1933 aged 34 so I

do not remember her. I have seen her photo and she was a pretty girl with dark hair and bright

eyes. She was 9 or 10 years older than Aunt Ruth and she sounded a nice person. She went

into Saffron Walden Hospital - I do not know why but I seem to remember she had fallen from

her bicycle. She picked up an illness whilst in hospital which may have been Enteric Fever

and died. She never married.

I have come across a Marked Testament which belonged to Mary Stalley and came

from Widdington Sunday School Chapel. A Marked Testament has important scriptures

underlined and marked in red. Aunt Ruth gave me this book 19th July 1941 when I was 10.

When she was well, Aunt Ruth worked in many of the houses in the village and her last

job was Cook for Lady Rowley at The Red House. Previously she had been Companion/Help

to Miss Binckes and lived at The Bungalow. Sadly, every few years, Aunt Ruth became ill from

about the age of 36 years onwards. She would find everything too much to cope with, have

a terrible pain in her head like birds’ feet scratching, wear dark glasses, become melancholy

and stayed in bed. Granny would look after her and later on it was Mum and eventually she

would go to Fulbourn Hospital. She would be there for months and have electroconvulsive

therapy treatment which eventually got her better. I read in an Encyclopedia that today it is

given under anaesthesia and with a muscle relaxant. In the 1940s, she told me she had to

climb on the bed, a gag was put in her mouth and the treatment started. Sounds horrific. She

was very resilient because she made friends, went for walks round the fields and attended

therapy classes where she made soft toys. My needlework basket came from Fulbourn and

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Aunt Ruth arranged for it to be made. Mum and Dad were very good visiting her and also

Eileen went, in the latter years, when she lived at Cambridge. Aunt Ruth was very thin when

young but as she got older, she put on a lot of weight. She did not over-eat, so it may have

been due to her medication. When she was well again, she was her old self and you could

not equate with her depressive state. As she got older, her depression followed on from

contracting the ‘Flu. She would cough a lot which made her head bad and then her mental

illness would start up again and eventually she would go to Fulboum. In her latter years, she

got better much more quickly as medication improved.

I have already mentioned that after Granny’s house was sold, Aunt Ruth had a wooden

chalet in our back garden which was like a bed-sit. She lived in it when she was not working

as a Housekeeper or at Fulbourn and had her meals with us. She was popular and often

invited out to tea and spent a lot of time visiting Aunt Hilda. She attended the Congregational

Chapel in the village and had a busy social life. She belonged to the W.l. and went to Whist

Drives. One Christmas she won first prize at a Whist Drive in Saffron Walden Town Hall and

someone said “Who is this Ruth Stalley?” and the reply was “I think she is a sort of Dealer”.

This tickled her pink. After I married, I loved it if Aunt Ruth came to stay with us and my

children loved her too. Aunt Ruth used to know about everything that went on in the village

and told Mum all the latest news.

Aunt Ruth didn’t get married until she was 60. When she was young, she had boyfriends

and was getting quite friendly with one young man in the village but sadly, he got killed on a

motor bike. In her late 50s, she went to be Housekeeper for Mr Tom Rust, a Widower, who

lived up Hamel Way. They decided to get married and Jimmy and I went to their wedding at

Saffron Walden Registry Office on 14th September 1968, just after her sixtieth birthday. (She

was looking forward to being 60 because she qualified for the Old Age Pension). Their was a

small reception at their bungalow and Jessie and Jack Lindsell were in charge of the catering.

I have a nice photo of this occasion.

They were married just under 31⁄2 years when, sadly, Aunt Ruth died. She had gone

to Fulbourn again, the second time since her marriage, and died of physical causes. She

had contracted the ‘flu again around Christmas time and her chest was bad. This, in turn,

made her head bad and she had to go to hospital. She died 19th February 1972 of bronchial

pneumonia and weight problems. After all her suffering, her body could take no more. Uncle

Tom Rust was left on his own once again. 63 is too young to die and I still miss her but if alive

today would be 92. My memories of her are still fresh in my mind. She is buried in Widdington

Churchyard in her sister Mary’s grave which is near Granny and Grandad but there is no

stone.

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LITTLE AUNTIE

Little Aunty was Mum’s Foster Mother and she was born 22nd November 1871. Her

name was Katie Smith and she lived at Rickling Green. Her first husband was George Rust

and they got married 25th December 1912 and they lived in a house opposite Bishops,

Widdington. As it was unlikely that Little Auntie would have children of her own, she decided

to foster and Mum was the first who probably came in 1913. Little Auntie’s mother died 30th

July 1888 and I think her father lived with her. He died 3rd November 1928 aged 83. She

was not married very long to Mr Rust as he died 11th March 1916. I have gleaned all this

information from a little book called Birthday Scripture Text Book which has been handed

down through the family. It says “Lucy Reed. In Loving Remembrance of her dear Aunt Emma

March 12th 1894, from her Uncle John, Widdington. (Aunt Emma died March 11th 1894).

Katie Smith, Rickling Green. In Loving Memory of dear Aunt Lucy who died September 28th

1905.” (Katie Smith is Little Aunty). Mum had this book when Little Auntie died 25th March

1959, buried 28th March 1959 aged 87 years. I had this book when Mum died 10th February

1979 aged 72 years.

Little Auntie had several foster children and the names I remember are Little Arthur

(who stamped on Mum’s harp!!), Ethel Ives born 3rd March 1918 and Harold Martin born 24th

September 1909, who, I think, Auntie fostered but he may have been a relative.

Little Auntie was a good mother to Mum and looked after her well. She was dressed

nicely and Mum had Guardians who checked that she was being cared for. A Mrs Grouse

was one (the name sounds quite formidable) who was followed by Miss Midgley from Saffron

Walden. Mum kept in touch with Miss Midgley and we used to visit her in a large house called

Larchmount opposite The Hospital. Little Auntie was a small lady, very neat in appearance

with her hair drawn up into a bun. She had damaged one eye and had to go to Moorfields

Hospital in London. The pupil was left flowing out a bit as if it had leaked. She had been

working on a rug, hurried to finish it and the pegging tool slipped and went into her eye. I think

her sight was all right. Mum lived with Little Auntie until Mum went into Service but of course

still went to see her on her days off.

When I was Christened, Little Auntie was one of my Godmothers. When it was decided

what I should call her, they chose Little Auntie, as she was quite petite and I already had

Granny Stalley. She married Thomas Wilson 23rd September 1933 and lived in a house at

Spring Hill. I called him Uncle Tom and they always had a tin of boiled sweets and I loved it

when he said “Give Daph a sweet”. He worked at Priors Hall Farm until he retired and just had

to cross the field behind his house to get there. I remember he used to work in his garden with

Little Auntie and they grew lots of vegetables and they also had gooseberry bushes which we

could share if we picked our own. When visiting, I had to sit on a chair but if I could get outside

I used to walk round the paths in the garden and inspect all the sheds and chicken houses.

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Auntie’s house was always very clean and tidy.

Uncle Tom had been married before and had a son called Ernie who was very clever.

He was bom 6th January 1906 and when he retired, he moved back to Widdington and later

died in 1990. Uncle Tom died 22nd July 1946 and Little Auntie lived alone for many years.

Mum kept and eye on her and Tom’s brother George visited her. Also Ethel used to visit from

time to time and brought Peter when he was small. Eventually, Little Auntie had a fall and had

to go to St. James’ Hospital, Saffron Walden. She died 25th March 1959 aged 87 so Mum

was able to tell her, whilst she was still at Widdington, that Carol was born and she clapped

her hands with joy. Carol was born 29th January 1959. Little Auntie is buried in Widdington

Churchyard.

JOYCE CHIPPERFIELD

Joyce was born 5th June 1926 and named Joyce Rose. Her father’s name was Edgar (called

Eddie) and her mother was Florrie. They had a Building Business in the village with the

Timber Yard next to The Square. Joyce told me that our fathers were cousins, probably

second cousins - you have to work it out. Joyce has a brother called Jack, three years older

than her and he still lives in the village with his wife, Joy.

Joyce was a happy pleasant child with a round face, blue eyes and fair hair. She

was friends with Eileen and I remember the three of us went for a walk and picked some

mushrooms which we cooked at Joyce’s house. We also used to ride three on a bike. Eileen

cycling on the pedals, Joyce sitting on the seat and me sitting on the back mudguard. It was

painful when we went over a stone and Eileen used to ride into a bank so we could get off.

Perhaps the brakes were no good. Joyce used to take me to Widdington School until she

was 11 and then she had to leave and go to Newport School. She was ill when she sat for the

Scholarship to go to the Herts and Essex High School so of course did not pass. This was a

shame as she was very bright. She left school at 14 and went into service in one of the big

houses in the village. I think it was The Red House (Mrs Medley). Eventually she went to work

at Spicers Paper Factory at Sawston and used to cycle to Newport early in the morning to

catch the bus. In 1945 she was Eileen’s Bridesmaid and I was the other one. She used to go

to dances in the village, play tennis, go to GFS and was very lively, active and a lovely girl.

In the summer of 1947, there was a polio epidemic and sadly, Joyce contracted the

illness and was very ill. (I have written about this in my memories of 1947). She was 21. After

being in an Iron Lung (the first time it was used) she was left virtually paralysed from just

below the neck down. She could breath on her own, had a bit of movement in one hand so

could write, her toes moved a little and she could move her head. She was in Newmarket

Hospital for a long time and her Mother and Father hired Hoys taxi and visited her every

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Sunday afternoon. They also took one other person from the village and we took it in turns to

go. It was so sad to see a young person having to be in bed.

Eventually she came home and her Mother and Father and members of the family

looked after her. People in the village took her out in her wheel chair, massaged her limbs and

of course the District Nurse was a regular visitor. The village raised money and bought her a

television and she was always a pleasure to visit.

The day came when her parents could no longer look after her and she went to live at

The Marillac at Brentwood. This was a small hospital for females with chronic illnesses and

was run by Nuns. It looked like a hotel, was clean and bright and Joyce was happy there and

made friends. She went to be assessed and it was decided that she would sit at the reception

desk, answer the switchboard, which was modified to cope with her disability and she knew

everything about the running of the Hospital. She did that job for many years and it was a life

saver for her. She also did typing on an electric typewriter and there was not much she did not

manage to do. Her friend, Breda, helped her physically and she helped Breda, mentally. They

used to go on holiday, sometimes abroad and latterly at Park House, Sandringham. Whilst at

Park House, Christmas 1990, Diana, Princess of Wales, ran over from Sandringham to see

them. She was so natural and friendly and sat chatting to them until she had to leave because

she had promised to watch a film with her boys.

We started to take Joyce out about 1966 when we had a car and took her to the

seaside for the day. This progressed to staying for a weekend in the summer. We lived at

Bishop’s Stortford and arranged for her to have a ride in an aeroplane from Stansted Airport.

It was only small in those days. We took her to Takeley Forest in her wheelchair and she

loved being out in the fresh air. After we had central heating, she was able to stay for a day

or two at Christmas and not just come for the day when we used to take her to her brother

Jack’s at Widdington. We took her to a Pantomime at Harlow and they took two seats out

so her wheelchair could go in. These days there are better arrangements to cope with the

disabled. After we moved to Great Shelford, she stayed four days at Christmas. The girls

were growing up so could help me to look after her and David did all the lifting. Joyce was

wonderful company, she never complained and showed us the best way to deal with her

problems. She came on Christmas Eve and Carol and Christine used to undo her presents

and Joyce wrote down who had given her what so she could thank people. David took her

to Jack’s on Christmas Day and she spent Boxing Day with us. The next day she went into

Cambridge with Carol and Christine and they looked round the shops. The day after that,

David and I took her back to Brentwood. We did this for years until the Christmas before she

died, she was too ill to come. Once in the summer, we took her to Woburn Abbey, also to the

Arts Theatre in Cambridge and a meal at The Varsity. She was so interested in everything.

She was very popular at The Marillac and was taken on outings and her friend took her into

Brentwood for shopping.

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Sadly, in the late summer of 1991, she became ill and was unable to eat. There seemed

to be a blockage so food and liquid would not go down properly. It appears she had cancer of

the esophagus. She went to a hospital at Harold Wood and then on to the London Hospital

for tests and laser treatment. We visited for several weeks and she returned to The Marillac.

We knew she was ill but it was still a shock when we learned that she had died 24th January

1992 aged 65. She once said to me “I hope I don’t go on too long”. She had enough to cope

with without all the problems of old age. We were all very sad to lose her and I still miss her

phone calls, letters and visits. We went to a Thanksgiving Service for her life in the Chapel

at The Marillac, followed by Cremation and her ashes are in Widdington Churchyard in her

Mother’s and Father’s grave.

At The Marillac, a Conservatory has been built and it was proposed that it would

be called The Joyce Chipperfield Room. We all feel very privileged to have known such a

remarkable lady.

I hope you have enjoyed reading about my memories of Widdington and the family. It

has turned out a bigger project than I had originally planned and is also a Social and Historical

Document. I have enjoyed doing the research amongst books and papers in my possession

and visits to Widdington Church and the Churchyard. Cousin Alan Stalley has made a Family

Tree on Dad’s side of the family. It would be nice if someone in the family could find out more

about Mum’s relatives. It is said that Mum had a Spanish Grandmother and I believe this

could be so. I have dark brown hair, brown eyes and look as if I have just come back from the

Costa Brava. Mum had black hair, a strong personality which must have helped her with all

the trauma of her early years.

Another matter of interest for the family is that I inherited all of Aunt Ruth’s photos. My

next project is to sort these, identify them and put them in an album for posterity.

You will notice that I have called Jim and Ruth, Jimmy and Ruthie because in my years

at Widdington, they were children and in those days, Jim was Dad and Ruth was Aunt Ruth.

We have moved on a generation since those days so have another Jim and Ruth.

There are two things I would have liked to have done in my life. The first is to play

the piano really well. I would have loved to have had proper lessons but did my best in the

circumstances. The second thing is to be able to swim. There was no opportunity to do this

as a child and I didn’t try until I was 50. I went to evening classes with Eileen and I was a

disaster. She was able to cope with it but the teacher said I looked frantic which I was. I didn’t

know I had this aversion to water and didn’t want to let go of the side. I really tried and got

a certificate for doing about 5 metres with armbands. Eventually, I transferred to the basket

work class which I took to like a duck to water. Excuse the pun. If I had one-to-one tuition,

starting in 2’ of water and gradually working my way up, in the morning and not in the evening

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when I had just eaten my dinner, I might have some success. After all, I learned to ride a bike

in the shed!!

I shall soon reach my three score years and ten. It has been quite an experience

delving into the past to recall my memories but it is also important to look ahead. I have

a good husband, two lovely daughters, not forgetting, of course, my two sons- in-law and

four lovely Grandchildren who will carry the family into the future. Widdington will always be

special to me and although my home is no longer there, I can always visit the Church and

Churchyard where most of my relatives are at rest.

May God Bless you all

Daphne Joan Bridgeman (nee Stalley)

The Millennium Year 2000