The Down Memory Lane - Exhibition Success

Down Memory Lane
Oral History, Reminiscence & Archive Project - Exhibition 22nd September 2012

Now being used in Schools and other educational establishments, Senior Citizens Groups as well as a resource for those in the UK and throughout the World on-line.

What people wrote:

“I love my teddy and my family” (unknown Brownie) (in relation to what you would take down in the Air-raid Shelter - they could select 6 things that children may have had during the 1940's)

“I was amazed at all there was to see”

“Those good old days! I remember dried bananas, dried egg powder, tins of honeycomb and singing round the piano”

 “Bert, wish I’d known you in your heyday – you look so dashing in the photos!”

Sandra (PCSO)

“I never knew a camera in the olden days was so different” (unknown Brownie)

“I never realised how many games have changed”(unknown Brownie)

 

What people Said:

“Absolutely wonderful I think such a lot of work went into it. Its so valuable It stirred up so many memories for me” Elaine

“Really excellent Exhibition really good example of community involvement, so you’ve got intergeneration, young people working with older people”  Richard 

 

What a wonderful success Saturday was with The Down Memory Lane Project.

We had excellent feedback with over 100 people who attended.

 

Amongst those who attended and spoke to us:

Alastair Fear from the Abingdon Heritage Blog – who asked if it was possible to show some of the Down Memory Lane Exhibition at next years Heritage Day.

Alastair said:

I love to see the old photographs what people were like then and what they are like now. Also what they did – I’m amazed at people who are quite elderly have done so much in their lives. There is a lady here who used to drive a bus and she wouldn’t have had the chance if the War hadn’t come about. There are some amazing films as well. People interacting with Brownies and Scouts comparing what things were like then and now.  

 

Film Director Martyn Chalk -Chief Executive of Chalk Star Films

It’s great isn’t it? So much history and history in the community all these people getting together to remember. It’s important because all these things will just disappear otherwise. One of the most important things is to learn about our history and what has gone on in our past. I was lucky I got to grow up with my grandparents – but there are so many people my age that just don’t know these things.

 

Andrew Hart – Designer/Photographer Queo Design Group

One thing I found interesting was how communities have existed in the past. From a personal level it was how I felt integrated with that. I was also remembering things myself, the fruit gum box appearing on screen, I suddenly thought, oh I remember that!

I was born ten years after the War but there was still a lot of things hanging around from that time.. One of the things we do is take so much for granted. Today people will have a mobile phone, computers at least one car. I remember as a kid if somebody had a car we would all turn out in the street and watch it come down the road.  

 

Also big congratulations to the 1st Drayton Brownies who received their hostess badge - we appreciated all those cups of tea you made.

This project is going to go on to a number of schools and Senior Citizens groups. We were also being asked where else it would be shown. We are currently looking at offering some of the exhibition to organizations that are interested in putting the stories out on display.

                               Renee, Doris and Betty - Cinema section of the exhibition
                                                    

   Reg & his daughter watching his wife and her mother talk about being a Girl Guide

                                                       Burt with his Purely King Display 

Thank you once again to everybody involved and those organizations and individuals who gave their time.

Ending on response from a daughetr and granddaughter:

Norma (Betty & Reg’s daughter)

Betty and Reg my father in the Navy and my mother was in the Wrens. This project has given them a great deal of self-esteem. They have been so interested in it, my mum loved getting all her Brownie and Guide photos out.. I was a Guide and so were my children.

I’m staggered that this group of people have had so many experiences between them. 

 I think it’s important that projects about people like this one are made. Especially like this that involves all the different generations.

Betty & Reg’s Granddaughter

It is wonderful, it’s brought memories back of them talking about their childhood and also my neighbour is on the wall as well (known as Jane) so that was wonderful.   

                                  Renee Zarecky speaks to Rhianne Pope from the Oxford Mail 

Newspaper articles about Down Memory Lane:
Community Project Brings History To Life
Down Memory Lane - Tales of escaping Communist East

Thank you to all those individuals and organizations for supporting us and helping us make this happen. Through time, volunteering, equipment, resources, publicity or for directly taking part in this important Oral History, Reminiscence and Archive Project for future generations.

Thank you:
Gill Jaggers - Head of Marketing Pegasus Theatre
Roger Hammett – ‘Reel History’ Archive Partners BBC South
Suzy Sheriff & Matt Taylor - Manager & Assistant Manager Phoenix Picturehouse
Philip Cowen – Academic Subject Leader Newport Film School @ University of Wales
Newport
Louisa Weeks & Phil Ashworth - Oxford Bus Company
John Bayliss – Oxford Bus Museum Trust Ltd
Anne Ransome – Midcounties Co-operative Archive
Kay Harman - Little Nellie’s Sweet Shop, Henley
Ruth Hudson - 1st Drayton Brownies
Charlie Barrnett & Amy Paterson - John Mason Gifted & Talented Group
And the Ark T Centre, Cowley, Oxford

Thank you to the project and activity staff : Helen Jacobs – Artist, Painter, Sculpture &
Textiles, Isla Goldsmith – Thrive Project Officer, Gill Munday – Heritage Learning and
Access Manager County Museums, Helen Fountain – Reminiscence Officer, Museum of
Oxford, Nicholas Gill – Solo Jazz Piano & Musical Director of Oxford Classic Jazz

Down Memory Lane is funded by The Awards For All Grant – Lottery Fund.
The project was run with:
Forum Oasis Chair and Committee representatives
Renee Zarecky , Doris Hurley, Janet Churlish, Sylvia Pead and Mary Southey
Jackie Bowler – Abingdon Resource and Wellbeing Centre
Abigail Brown & Helen Jacobs – Arts Development Officer Vale of the White
Horse District Council
and
Pauline Krason, Pat Taylor, Kathryn Baggott , Sarah Holloway, Lina Mokute,
Christine Sadler, Jackie Richards and Ruth Evans

Cait Sweeney – Assistant Co-ordinator,

Documenter & Production Assistant

Sharon Woodward – Filmmaker/Artist in
Residence, Project Manager

Sharon Woodward - Projects and Films

Down Memory Lane - Remember When

A lot has been going on since I last posted workshops, discussion groups, creative art, filmmaking and promoting.

Down Memory Lane work is getting noticed.

Thanks for drawing this to my attention, and

all the best with this work.

The conversations you record enrich our

communities. I am pleased they are

inspiring other activities too.

Andrew Smith MP

Helen Fountain Reminiscence Officer for the City visited ‘Down Memory Lane’.

She spoke about Morris Motors and the old Pressed Steel plant. Doris Burton

remembered her time working at the plant during the War when it was an  ammunitions factory.

Make Do And Mend with Helen Jacobs

Workshops started this month with Artist Helen Jacobs . Felt making with themes from make do and mend.

Members remembered making clothes by recycling cloth and cutting patterns out of ready-made clothes

Pupils of St Helen’s also joined in the session as part of the Duke of Edinburgh Awards.

Dig For Victory with Isla Goldsmith & Thrive

It was time to get your hands dirty and look at how growing your own helped

through the War years. Thrive looking at the history of gardening and the ‘Dig For Victory’ Jan recalls that when War was declared all the flowers went from the garden and the vegetables came in. Soot was dried from the Chimney to put on the garden along with other products from day to day use.

Films On-line Vimeo History Channel

1) Women During the 2nd World War – (Stella Coulling Oxford Bus Driver)

Film Click Here: Stella Coulling 

2) Ration & Fashion – (looking at Rationing, Food, Clothes and Fashion with members

of the Centre)

Film Click Here: Ration & Fashion 

3) Anderson Shelters – (short interview with Doris Burton and Pat Fairbrother)

 Film Click Here: Anderson Shelter

4) John Mason School – (Make a sponge cake using a War-time recipe)

 Film Click Herte: John Mason School Baking A Cake

5) British Declaration of War 1939-45 (Members speak about their memories when

War was declared)

 Film Click Here: British Declaration of War

6) Down Memory Lane with the Brownies – (1st Drayton Brownies join the Centre to

remember social clubs (Brownies, Guides, Scouts and Girls Life Brigade), activities

and games as well as celebrating their own anniversary of 55 years)

Film Click Here: Brownies How was life for you 

7) Down Memory Lane - (Remembering the hard facts of War - contains images of concentration camps) We wanted to remember those who survived and those who did not.

Film Click Here: Memories of War 1939 -45

We would like to thank those individuals and organisations for supporting this

project. Through time, volunteering, equipment, resources, publicity or for directly

taking part in this important Oral History, Reminiscence and Archive Project for

future generations.

A Big Thank You To:

Gill Jaggers - Head of Marketing Pegasus

Helen Fountain – Reminiscence Officer Museum of Oxford

Roger Hammett – ‘Reel History’ Archive Partners BBC South

Suzy Sheriff & Matt Taylor - Manager & Assistant Manager Phoenix Picturehouse

Philip Cowen – Academic Subject Leader Newport Film School @ University of Wales Newport

Louisa Weeks & Phil Ashworth - Oxford Bus Company

John Bayliss – Oxford Museum Trust Ltd

Kay Harman - Little Nellie’s Sweet Shop, Henley

Ruth Hudson - 1st Drayton Brownies

Charlie Barrnett & Amy Paterson - John Mason Gifted & Talented Group

Isla Goldsmith – Thrive

Helen Jacobs – Artist

Anne Ransome – Archive Midcounties Co-operative

Exhibition will take place on the 22nd September

Thank you to Helen Jacobs and Isla Goldsmith for the ongoing workshops. We will have visits from Cait Sweeney and Nick Gill who will be giving us a sing-a-long as well as looking at the Stars from the Golden Screen. We have objects and memories with Cait Sweeney, Gill Munday – Reminiscence from the County Museums and cinema with screenings of feature films and showing some of the films we have made to date.

Down Memory Lane is funded by The Awards For All Grant – Lottery Fund.

The project is being run with:

Forum Chairs (representing the Oasis group)

Renee Zarecky , Josie Kinduich , Doris Hurley, Janet Churlish,

Sylvia Pead and Mary Southey

Jackie Bowler – Abingdon Resource and Wellbeing Centre

Abigail Brown & Helen Jacobs – Arts Development Officer Vale of the White Horse District Council

and

Pauline Krason, Pat Taylor, Cathryn Baggott , Sarah Holloway, Lina Mokute, Christine Sadler

and Jackie Richards.

Sharon Woodward – Filmmaker/Artist in Residence, Project Co-ordinator

Cait Sweeney – Assistant Co-ordinator

Sharon Woodward - Projects and Films  

If I Knew You Were Coming I'd Have Baked A Cake

Down Memory Lane with John Mason School 

The film made with Abingdon Wellbeing Resource Centre members,

inspired a discussion on rationing with a group from John Mason School.

Following this on Thursday 19th April the Gifted & Talented group at John Mason School embarked on a cookery project.

The recipe and method was as followed:

Cake or Pudding Mixture

1 egg (reconstituted);

4 ozs national flour;

2 oz Sugar

1 teaspoon backing powder;

A little Milk

Method.- Beat Egg. Cream fat and sugar,

add egg and lastly the flour mixed with

the baking powder. Mix to a soft

2 ozs sugar;

2 ozs fat;

1 teaspoon baking powder;

A little milk.

consistency with a little milk. Spread in a

tin and bake for 15 – 20 minutes.

Note. This mixture can be steamed in a

basin for 1 hour and served as a pudding

with jam or custard sauce.

The cake was given to members of the Centre to try and see if it was how they remembered cakes tasting at the time.

I am still interviewing individual members who are kindly sharing their memories of time gone by. We have spoken of those who managed to get away from the islands before the Germans arrived. Many remember leaving on boats with only a suitcase with them. Others recall losing their homes when they came up from the Air Raid shelters and found their homes had been bombed.  They spoke of being put up in a church until such time as they were found other accommodation.

These are funny, sad intriguing stories and only wish I could spend longer on these very short films.

We have more that will be taking place over the next six months. Artist Helen Jacobs will be running workshops in June & July. Co--op Archives Anne Ransome will be visiting, Helen Fountain and Gill Munday from the Museums, Cait Sweeney will be looking at the Stars from the Golden Screen. While Isla Goldsmith runs the tabletop plants and gardening session and we look at the  ‘Dig For Victory’ campaign. 

Down Memory Lane is funded by The Awards For All Grant – Lottery Fund.

The project is being run with:

Forum Chair- Renee Zarecky

(representing the Oasis group) , Josie Kinduich , Doris Hurley, Janet Churlish, Sylvia Pead and Mary Southey

Jackie Bowler – Abingdon Resource and Wellbeing Centre

Abigail Brown – Arts Development Officer Vale of the White Horse District Council

and

Pauline Krason, Pat Taylor, Jean Abraham, Sarah Holloway, Lina Mokute, Christine Sadler and Jackie Richards.

Sharon Woodward – Filmmaker/Artist in Residence, Project Co-ordinator

Cait Sweeney – Assistant Co-ordinator

Sharon Woodward - Projects and Films  

Memories Near and Far

Cait Sweeney (Assisting Sharon Woodward in documenting the project) met some of the group for the first time. 20^th February.

Doris brought in a photo of herself in uniform (WAF) from 1944 which gave us the idea of bringing in my (Cait Sweeney’s) scanner and lap top for a week so anyone can bring in photo’s, memento’s, souvenirs etc from their childhood and we can make copies which will go towards the exhibition in September.

Doris also has a book  ‘From Peron to Piccadilly’ written by her brother-in-law…it’s in French, but she also has a typed translation. Could she bring these in when we have the scanner?…we could maybe us extracts and book cover in Exhibition.

Other areas discussed were, games they used to play as children, with hoops, marbles, skipping and chucks (Jacks). (How many of these are played today?).

Doris spoke about how the children from her school were evacuated to Exeter but she refused to go so she stayed in London. Earlier in the War she had been evacuated to her Godmother’s house ‘but that was different.

They remembered how front gardens in particular were full of flowers before the War and after they had been turned into vegetable patches.

Mary S loved going to school so much that she cried when she left aged 15. They talked about how different it was; learning was through repetition  .  Mary S gave us a demonstration how she can still say the alphabet backwards! 

Both Mary Southey and Doris remember boys getting the cane, but couldn’t recall any girls that had, whereas Mary Walsh remembers clearly girls getting the cane and was taught by ‘cross nuns’! 

Mary W. grew up in County Cork, leaving school at 16; she came to England in the ‘50s to work in service. 

We talked about the kind of entertainment that was available and the film-stars and ‘heart-throbs’ around at the time like; Errol Flynn, Stuart Granger, Richard Green the ‘Brylcream Boy’.
For Mary Southey it was all about the ‘Rockers and the Rollers’, she remembers how she used to take a matchstick and rub the end in soot from the fire to draw herself a beauty spot. She met her husband because she began writing to him in Malaysia…so pen pals first. Is Internet dating the modern day equivalent?

 There was talk of the ‘Potato Famine’ and the ‘Highland Clearances’, which whilst not in their living memory are stories or oral family histories that have been passed down through the generations.

Cait Sweeney - Assistant Co-ordinator   

Big thank you to Cait Sweeney for typing this up. 

Was really nice to have Mary Walsh join the planning meeting on Monday she had previously been involved in the taster workshops I ran, so  good to get her input. I think her experience of being in Service and coming from Ireland will offer a different historical perspective. So many people from all over have come to live in Oxfordshire I only wish I could capture everyone’s story.    

Pictures of my Grandmother, Grandfather and Great Grandfather -

Sharon Woodward

 Many things came up in the meeting that I hadn’t been aware of, such as evacuees being taught separately from the pupils who already attended village schools. How very different the education system is now to how it has been and the kind of environment the members of Abingdon Resource and Wellbeing Centre had grown up in. When Mary recited the alphabet backwards I remembered my grandfather doing this and how impressed I had been.  The schedule is coming together for April – September and looking like a very interesting selection of events I’m certainly looking forward to filming the memories and events that are taking place. I have also entered the Ration & Fashion; Women During the 2^nd World War into the Portobello Film Festival if they show them it will be great because it takes place in September and could coincide with the exhibition in Oxford. 

Sharon Woodward (Filmmaker/Artist in Residence)

Down Memory Lane is funded by The Awards For All Grant – Lottery Fund.

The project is being run with:

Forum Chairs (representing the Oasis group)

Renee Zarecky , Josie Kinduich , Doris Hurley, Janet Churlish, Sylvia  Pead and Mary Southey

Jackie Bowler – Abingdon Resource and Wellbeing Centre

Abigain Brown – Arts Development Officer Vale of the White Horse District Council

We would also like to thank:

Pauline Krason, Pat TaylorJean Abraham, Sarah Holloway, Lina Mokute, Christine Sadler and Jackie Richards.  

Sharon Woodward – Filmmaker/Artist in Residence, Project Co-ordinator

Cait Sweeney – Assistant Co-ordinator   

Ration and Fashion

It’s a Monday morning on the 17^th October, and I have talked my friend Eloise Coyle into taking part in the gravy browning stocking challenge (I actually just made that up but I liked the sound of it).

Many of you will be aware that during the 2^nd World War just about everything was rationed including materials. Silk and high-grade rayon was needed for parachutes, wool needed for military uniforms, and basically every type of fabric was in short supply worldwide.

In the UK rationing was very strict, the British government introduced a coupon system for clothing that started on Sunday the 1st of June 1941. Rationing continued until 1949, and some forms of rationing didn’t end until mid 1950’s.

I remember my Grandmother talking about how some women would paint their legs with gravy browning when they were unable to get stockings. So it was with this in mind that we went along to the Abingdon Wellbeing and Resource Centre to see how it was actually done.

Eloise like myself had been told stories from various relatives about such improvisations. Eloise like me was interested in finding out just how difficult this process would be.

So like many of the fashion conscious women of the time. Eloise used gravy browning and water to paint her legs with some help from Josie. I would later attempt to use eyeliner pencil to draw a seam up the back of her leg.

Two of the members Mary and Ruby had done this themselves during the rationing. Mary explained to me that she and her friend had painted each other’s legs earlier in the day. They then had gone out only to have the heavens open on them both - it absolutely poured with rain and the gravy browning legs were washed away.

Mary and Ruby told me that ideally you would have help from your friend, and do each other’s legs. I’m pretty certain they wouldn’t have been impressed with my help. I made Eloise look like she had wonky stockings on and when Renee saw what we had done we got the big thumbs down. The line was too think, the gravy not even.

It must have been very difficult to apply such things as gravy or Coco. I’d like to find out if anybody else has tried this more recently and filmed it.

So I would like to set all you ladies the Gravy Browning Leg Challenge. Can you apply gravy or Coco to your legs evenly with the eyeliner running up the back of your legs to simulate the seam? If so please send me the link it would be great to share this and see how other people have got on.

‘Down Memory Lane’ is seeking further funding for this oral history project.

Big thank you to:

Eloise Coyle (gravy browning model)

Jackie Bowler - Resource and Wellbeing Centre

Abigail Brown - Arts Development Officer, Vale of White Horse District Council

Forum Chairs:
Renee Zarecky, Josie Kinduich, Doris Hurley, Janet Churlish and Sylvia Pead

Ration and Fashion - Short Film 

Facebook  

Taste of Times Gone By

Little Nellies Sweet Shop

It was in 1953 on the 5^th February that the sweet rationing came to an end. It was with this in mind that Down Memory Lane turned to the Little Nellies Sweet Shop, 4 Friday Street, Henley of Thames for it’s next fill of nostalgia.

‘Down Memory Lane’ is a reminiscence project, currently in development with the Arts Development Officer from Vale of the White Horse District Council, myself a local Oxfordshire filmmaker and the members of the Abingdon Resource and Wellbeing Centre on Audlett Drive.

I was suddenly seven years old, asking for a 5p mix up - an assortment of chews, Blackjacks, Fruit salads and the Parma Violet sweets. Parma Violets tasted like perfume but I couldn’t resist them anyway.

All this ran through my mind as I walked into ‘Little Nellies Sweet Shop’ on Wednesday the 28^th September. Where I met Kay Harman owner and manager of the shop.

I know it’s tough investigating sweets but somebody has to do it!

If the sight of sweets in jars piled high on shelves, filled my thoughts with sweet eating memories. I wondered what they would evoke in the wonderful ladies and gentlemen of the Centre.

Kay was marvellous and very supportive of the project. She informed me that her own mother had cycled miles in 1949 to get a packet of Fizzy’s the only sweets available at the time .

According to the BBC website in 1953 ‘The government and manufacturers had been quick to reassure the public that there would be no repeat of the first attempt to de-ration sweets, in April 1949, when demand far outstripped supply and they were put back on ration after just four months.

Kay Harman weighed out the Barley Sugars, Liquorice and Aniseed Balls. Then packed them away in little brown bags. Finally she placed them in a beautiful, flower patterned sweet box, which I would take to the Abingdon Resource and Wellbeing Centre.

I was very restrained and kept the lid on (well almost) until Monday the 3^rd of October. It was then time for me to see what Barbara, Beryl , Gerald (Jan) , Mary, Reg and Betty remembered.

Mary would be the groups box opener and as each packet came out people remembered something different.

Beryl shared with the group her memories of the day the sweet rationing ended. She stood in a very long queue on Broadway in Didcot waiting for the sweets that would no longer be restricted.

Mary passed the Aniseed Balls around and I filmed as the group recalled experiences and exchanged stories. I did sample a couple of sweets myself it would have been impolite not to join in!

‘Down Memory Lane’ is seeking further funding for this oral history project.

With thanks to:

Kay Harman – Little Nellies Sweet Shop

Jackie Bowler - Resource and Wellbeing Centre

Abigail Brown - Arts Development Officer, Vale of White Horse District Council

Forum Chairs:
Renee Zarecky, Josie Kinduich, Doris Hurley, Janet Churlish and Sylvia Pead

Sweet Sampling Group:

Barbara Hodgkins, Beryl Cross, Gerald (Jan) Burnett, Mary Southey, Reg Macdonald and Betty Macdonald

Assistant Sweet Samplers: Sharon Woodward, Christine Sadler and Sarah Holloway

Facebook page  

Women During the 2nd World War

On Thursday I spoke to Stella Coulling (formally Stevens) about her experience of being a bus driver during the 2^nd World War. Like many women during that time, Stella was called up and asked to take on work she previously had not considered. Stella told me that she had driven a bus during the blackout on a provisional licence and I couldn’t help but smile. I remembered struggling to take the MiDAS minibus test some years ago myself and passed the second time I did it . How much the attitude has changed and how much it had to change back then.

Obviously it was a different world, a different time and I suspect that not as much traffic was on the roads. However, I wouldn’t fancy my chances, certainly not driving in a blackout!

To think of somebody driving in blanket of darkness. It is hard for my generation and perhaps others generations, to imagine what people suddenly found themselves doing. Stella reassured me that your eyes grew accustomed to the night.

I could only think back to stories I was told as a child and then as a teenager and into my twenties and thirties. The stories my Grandmother told me of her experiences and how the 2^nd World War had changed her life forever.

Stella told me that after the War she was given a full driving licence without taking a test. That the gentleman who gave her the licence said that he had sat on the bus as a passenger many times and knew she was careful and safe. I’d not heard of this before, I wondered if it had been some kind of temporary measure until systems were back in place. I looked up some information regarding the driving licence and found the following.

Driving Licence

In 1935 a driving test was introduced. Voluntary at first and then on 1 June, compulsory. The test was designed to ensure that each new driver had the competence to drive.

2nd September 1939 - Driving tests suspended for the duration of World War Two and resumed on 1st November 1946. During the war, examiners are designated Traffic Officers and supervise fuel rationing.

18th February 1947 - A period of a year granted for wartime provisional licences to be converted into full licence without passing the test.

This must have been what Stella was referring to and had received her full licence during the period after the War. I really applaud her and wonder if I would have shown the same initiative in her shoes. Thank you Stella for taking the time to speak to me.

(Funding is currently being sort to develop further archive and documentation).

With thanks to:

Jackie Bowler - Resource and Wellbeing Manager

Abigail Brown - Arts Development Officer, Vale of White Horse District Council

Forum Chairs:
Renee Zarecky, Josie Kinduich, Doris Hurley, Janet Churlish and Sylvia Pead

Organizations:
Oxford Bus Company, Oxford Bus Museum Trust Ltd, The Phoenix Picture House,

Women During The 2nd World War - Down Memory Lane

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Down Memory Lane

Down Memory Lane  is part of a Pilot Community Reminiscence Project .

Taster Session – Sharon Woodward

Over four days I ran one hour taster session workshops with 25 people from Abingdon and Resource Wellbeing Centre.

The idea was gauge the interest of the members in developing a bigger oral history project. The sessions consisted of show and tell where photographs, Meddles and a DVD of my Grandmother talking about her experience during the 2^nd World War were used to stimulate memories. On the last day I really didn’t need to show anything to start the discussions. Often people were more than willing to speak about their experiences, if anything it was perhaps that too many wanted to speak and I was aware of missing quite large chunks of what I was being told.

Many talked of the experiences during the 2^nd World War, from rationing of clothes, making do and mend along with the improvisation with ingredients for meals, as well as those with harrowing encounters of being given nine hours to pack a bag and leave the Channel Islands on the arrival of the Nazi’s, to bombings that left them as a child huddled in a metal box under the dinning room table, those who became female bus drivers and those who painted their legs with gravy browning, applied eye pencil to imitate stockings. Working for the Ministry of Food joining the volunteer services Red Cross, Home Guard as well as the WAAF, Wren’s RAF Navy and Army.

Having a sense of humour which has stayed with many on referring to the arrival of the American’s – they were Oversexed, overpaid and over here, unlike the British who were underpaid, undersexed and sent somewhere else. Although British lads were not as shy as they made out. One member admitted that he tried to join any of the services so he could wear a uniform. The reason being that in uniform you received more attention from the women. Where the term any Tom, Dick or Harry came from – was introduced to those who owed Chickens and warned not to name them. Nobody wanted to eat Harriet at the end of the day so TOM, DICK and HARRY would replace it.

I recalled the interview I did with my Grandmother Marjorie Spicer (formally Sullivan) many years ago when I was a Film Student back in 1985/86. What follows are the transcriptions from the short film I made (then on VHS).

Marjorie Spicer

I was born in the East End of London, in October 1920 my parents (Daniel & Emma Sullivan) were born in 1880.My mother was a housewife as long as I can remember and my father was a furnace builder he built the furnaces for the glass blowers to blow the glass bottles etc.

I left school at fourteen (1934) and went looking for work and got a job in a Millinery shop. Well I suppose I worked there about three months, but it wasn't what I expected, I wanted to make the hats, but it was only making tea and sweeping up. So I went to look elsewhere and got a good job in a factory Maison & Pearson the hairbrush people. I worked there and worked up well into a good position prior to War breaking out.

When War broke out I was only young I was nineteen, we just didn't know what to expect, everybody was very anxious. In fact we didn't think it would last very long, that was the view of most people it was more excitement than anything else.

When War was declared we were all issued with air raid shelters, they all had to come and dig your gardens up and put these shelters below the ground in case of air raids and that. But for the first twelve months practically, there was nothing of that way at all. There were episodes on the Coast but they didn't get inland much, not enough to disturb people, we had the sirens and a few odd planes go over. But it was in September 1940 when the battle of Britain started that was when the real War was bought home to the people in the East End amongst other places.

I had a young Nephew evacuated from school like most of the children and he was sent to Oxfordshire. Then when it got extremely bad or was threatening to get very bad; the lady that he was lodged with wrote to my Mother and suggested that we go down there. So we came down by car my Mother, two sisters and myself and stayed with the person my young Nephew was evacuated to. In the village quite local was a big, very large house (Sibford), which the Government had taken over for the Red Cross. Well the Commandant came to see my sisters and I, and asked if we wanted work there was plenty there for us to do. So the three of us went across to the house and were accepted as washers up and housemaids and that sort of thing. It was a convalescent home for solders that had been wounded or were hurt in some way and they came there to convalesce. Actually I was the only one who remained there all through the War years.

Well when I first came to the country I didn't like it very much at all it seemed very quiet to what the London life was and actually I was a person who went out quite a bit.

Some people accepted you and some didn't; they resented the Londoners in a way that, I really don't know why?

The Londoners had a bad name in the country, actually they thought we were interfering in their way of life and they resented it, but others couldn't have been kinder.

The man I married lived just a short distance from the house from what we went to live in. That was in 1943 - I went with some girls I worked with to a dance in the village. My husband as he was to become came over and spoke to me and from then on we went out together and I ended up by marrying him. He was a typical countryman one of the best!

He was an agricultural worker and he did apply to join the RAF. He went for a medical etc. and passed it all until they realized he was a key man on a farm there wasn't anything he couldn't do, and they refused to accept him because he was needed at home more than what the Air Force needed him. So he joined the Home Guard, which a good many more farm workers did, and he was in that through all the years that the War was on.

He was quite agreeable that if I didn't like the country that he would go back to town when we were married. Go back to London and get a job there, but he was a typical countryman that would have never been able to stand factory life.

After the War we were still rationed for a couple of years. America was very kind to us and sent lots of food over, but it still had to be shared round. Solders were coming back there again, there were more people to feed - and children had been born in the meantime so the population was still growing. But I don't know exactly, I should think it was somewhere like a couple of years before we were back to normal again. (Rationing continued into the 1950’s for some items)

When we first took over the house (the house had originally been built for Farm Workers but after the War the Council took them over, Tadmarton, Nr Banbury Oxon) we actually did have my Mother come and live with me for a period of time prior to her going back to London. She was very poorly and she came to live with us for about six months. Then she went back to London, my sisters having gone back. One sister married a Scotsman, and went to live in Scotland and the other went back to London 'to live with her husband

I had three children (1946, 1947,1949) and then my father retired from his work and as he was in a flat that went with his job they had to get out. So they came eventually to live with me (1950) although they were both elderly about seventy when they came to live with me and lived with me for thirteen to fifteen years .

Two of my children got married they live quite locally, one lives in Banbury town and one lives in another village locally. But my youngest son still lives at home with me and just recently I've had an older sister come and live with me because she became widowed. So for companies sack she is now residing with me and my son.

If I had to have a choice again or live my life again no I don't think: I would change anything really. I was glad to have a family I wanted a family, and everything has turned out just as one would hope it would.

I've never regretted coming away from London and I got no wish whatsoever to ever go back and live there again, I adore the country.

I lost my husband (Ernest Spicer) some years ago now (1974) and he is buried locally (Tadmarton) in the Churchyard in the local Church, some day I will join him I hope.

Interview Sharon Woodward and Marjorie Spicer 1985

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