Our Mums

I've been sitting here tonight and my memory was cast back to when I was a child in the 50s, and some of the things that my mum did to keep house and home together.

We weren't rich, but in the big plan of things, we weren't poor either.

Mum and dad both worked, we had a TV and radio shop, we had a phone and always had a car.

My mum would work at the May Mill, a cotton factory whilst dad worked at the shop, but he also had another job and, as mum got home, he'd go off to his other job as a TV and radio technician then, after tea, he'd work on repairing these things again at home in his own workshop, till gone 10 at night.

Mum didn't have a washing machine until 1958 (a gas one), no fridge, freezer, nor any of the other appliances which we take for granted today. She had to shop every day for that day's meals, wash the clothes, cook the meals, keep the house clean and all of that with two children under the age of 5.

She got me placed in Nursery School at 3 and I started infant school at 4, whilst mum looked after the shop on her shift with just my little brother to take care of until he was old enough at 3 to go to Nursery as well.

I never had any thought about it really until I was in my 40s, but by heck, the women worked just as hard as the men back in those days, if not harder.

Do you have any memories of those times that you'd care to share?

Re: Our Mums

we never had a fridge, everything was kept in the larder, when I started work aged 15, the first thing I did was save up and surprised my mum with a special delivery of her first new fridge! she couldn't get over it!

Our washing machine had the old fashioned mangle and was real hard work, it was a day's job getting the laundry done!

I too started nursery school at 3, I remember my first day well as it was traumatic to say the least, I thought mum was leaving me there and never coming back!

We were a family of 5 children me being the eldest, when I was 10 my dad died, my youngest sibling was just 3 months old, needless to say my mum had a very difficult time trying to look after us 5 and grieve at the same time, those were very dark days for sure.
I don't know how she managed as hardly anyone owned a car back then so shopping trips were by bus, they really were hard times but I believe they've made us the strong family we are today even though we lost a sibling a few years ago.

Re: Our Mums

Oh I am so sorry to hear that your dad died when you were so young. How awful for you all, and your poor mum.

We lived on a busy "business" street so pretty much everything was to hand and there was a grocery shop across the road, and a butcher just a few shops away.

Mum used to wash by dolly tub and posser stick until my dad was shamed by a friend into buying her a washing machine which plugged into the gas outlet used by the cooker, but she had a hand-cranked mangle which was, like you say, hard work. So, during wash day, she couldn't cook until washing was done.

Gosh, I so remember the smell of wash-day (Mondays) when we'd get home from school and the washing was hanging on the drop down line from the ceiling, and draped over the "maiden." A horrible damp-smelling day.

Re: Our Mums

Until I was nearly 5 we lived - Mum, Dad, Me & younger brother with my gran & grandad in a two bedroom terrace. Mum & dad had been down on the council housing list for years but couldn't get a house.
Just before I reached 5 (in 1955) we moved from St Helens to a farm house on the edge of the Denbigh Moors in Wales - 4 miles from the nearest village!! It didn't have any electricity so we had to use paraffin lamps & washday was done in a big Copper Boiler.

The house was a semi with the farmer & his family living next door. We kids ended up being able to speak welsh fluently. If mum wanted to go to town she had to walk the 4 miles to the next village & get one of the infrequent buses into town & then walk the 4 miles uphill back home again & hope that somebody in a car was passing & would pick her up. At least everybody knew each other. The groceries were delivered on a Thursday after mum put a list into the grocer in town on Wednesday. When she went to town we usually stayed at home with the farmers wife & they had a telescope which we used to use to look out for mum coming home - we could see her from miles away
The farmer had two grown up sons who we used to mither to death to be able to help on the farm
While we were living there dad had to walk to the village to be able to get to work miles away ( cant remember where he worked now) He also used to help out on other farms to get a bit more money - although he had never been on a farm in his life before moving there

On my first day at school we had to use a Taxi (the village blacksmith) I remember I had to be dragged into the car screaming. Mum came with me the first day & she said later that she went back home & cried her eyes out This screaming lasted a few weeks apparently the school was only tiny - about 30 of us from the ages of 5 to 11.
After about 3 years on the farm we got given a council house in the village. That one was a fairly new build & had electricity & we had some other kids to play with. The school was just at the top of our back garden (I'd got used to it by then )
I loved my time there & had to be dragged back at 15 when Mum wanted to come home to St Helens after grandad had died. I hated it back here not having any friends & not knowing anybody. I was considered old enough to leave school so had to get a job (horrible)

Re: Our Mums

my Mom never worked there was 6 of us
we had no hot water no tv no car no washing mashine
a out side bathroom mom had to warm the water up for the tin bath
we had to walk about 45 min to School
my dad worked at his perannts farm but was lucky to have lots of land
and chickens a orcherd 4 pigs and a 2 pet geese I eat my pet without knowing mom says its got out
yah got out on the dinner plate

Re: Our Mums

Lynne, that's a wonderful story. Mum and dad used to take us on holiday to a farm in Barmouth, Gwynedd, when we were kids. Only cold water pumped from the outside well, and a double seated toilet (?) at the bottom of the garden. It wasn't a flushing toilet either!


Pixie:

chickens a orcherd 4 pigs and a 2 pet geese I eat my pet without knowing mom says its got out
yah got out on the dinner plate

That made me laugh!

Re: Our Mums

It was a fairly modern farmhouse. Just so far out that they couldnt get electricity put in. It was idylic though. We used to be terrified of the cows at first - had never seen them before. Before long we were milking them though

There was a gate across the road about a hundred yards up from the farm - to stop the sheep roaming I think. On Weekends & holidays Me & my brother used to go to this gate to open it for the odd car that went through - saved the driver getting out of the car They usually gave us a few coppers or sweets ect. I remember one bank holiday we made 7/6. Mum was delighted - that went a long way in them days & it kept us out of mischief. We werent bothered about the money We were more interested in the sweets

They have put a cattle grid there now.

Re: Our Mums

It is so important to have memories from as far back as we can.

I was once in contact with a person in Mental Health, specialising in Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease, and he said that everyone should remember as much as they can of their earliest memories, and write them down in case such an affliction befell anyone, and I thought that was a good idea.

I started to write my life story, serialising it into chapters from the earliest years that I can remember, but I haven't finished it yet. It's of no interest to anyone else, but perhaps it would help others to write these things down to pass on to their children or grandchildren, to read about the memories of how we used to be in the 40s, 50s, 60s, etc.

I've only realised since getting older myself just exactly what pains my mum went to for us kids and that the things we take for granted today, were beyond the means of our parents.

Re: Our Mums

It took quite a while for my childhood home, a farmhouse, to recover from the ravages of the German occupation, 13 had lived in it during WW2. There were gun racks on the walls and a lot of other signs of their presence well into the 50s.

We had no mains electricity until I was five, although there was a generator which gave power downstairs.

My mother moans how hard it was for her, but she had staff to help in the house so she didn't do too badly, compared with others who didn't have assistance, in my opinion.

Apparently I screamed for the first three months of my existence, as I am frequently told even now!

Re: Our Mums

gee that must have ben scarry Willow