Research Projects

by Mary Purvis

These are just a few of things I observed and did in my earlier years (being born 1930) and impressions I had at the time.

Pathos

People working hard and still trying to make ends meet.

Cold water taps in streets and back yard. Not many homes had hot water taps before World War Two.

Quite a lot of Diphtheria for a while. My brother was 16 weeks in Isolation Ward (4 years old). No visitors allowed.

People waiting to hear buzzer at night informing miners not to go to work. Night Shift not being paid for it. (Not their fault). No paid holiday shifts.

War declared. Fear of Air Raids and carrying gas mask to school each day. Relatives called up for forces. (One went over on D Day). Rationing and being sent to Q for 1 apple for each ration book occasionally. No bananas. Don’t know how mothers managed rationing. Sad evacuees from cities. Clothing coupons.

TB seemed to be about and one favourite Aunty died with it.

Wash days, possing stick. Coal Fired clothes boiler (washing had to be whiter than snow). Hand wringer. Flat irons heating on red part of fire for ironing.

Cutting strips of cloth from old coats, for mother to make clippy mats (later to be made with rug wool. Sheer luxury)

Pleasure

Listening to relatives stories. Enjoying their laughter and sense of honour.

Watching my hardworking mum sewing me a dress from a piece of remnant, and wearing it at my friends birthday party.

Whitening my sandshoes to go on outings. Tap Dancing. Playing Rounders and Cannon, and Skipping (Bliss when dads turned skipping ropes for us children).

A cream cake on Fridays from Bakery (pay day). Before war rations. Hot coal-oven shelf in blanket to warm up bed in winter. LOVELY.

Lovely warm fires in big grate on cold winter nights and playing board games and dominoes. Home made stotties. Making toast on red fire with toasting fork. Nice new clippy mat every Xmas. (Mother and friend having sat night after night to make).

Miners on week’s holiday WITH pay brought smiles all around (1938 or 9?).

Holidays supreme – camping for whole of school holidays (with mam) in a tiny tent on sand dunes at Crimdon. Toilet and tap on beach.

Dad came on bike at end of week (with produce from garden) for 2 days on bike and back to work on Mondays. Lots of other families doing same. Sing songs around brazier fires (coal gathered from Blackhall Beach).

Digitised by Peter Atkinson

Note: The views that are expressed on the website are the contributors own and not necessarily those of Durham County Council. This is a community website so no guarantee can be given of the historical accuracy of individual contributions