Monday 20 March 2017

Meeting the Peters

I'm not sure exactly what it was that gave me the long overdue boot up the backside to get on and write this post, but here we are. I have a very limited, but very dear to me, number of recordings of my Nan telling me about her history; our history. That's right, it is our history - her story, but part of our big fab family archive.

I urge you to sit down with your older family members and get them to tell you stories, big events, little things, anything! All of it is important and part of your history. Because one day they will be gone and who will be able to tell their story? Will you remember? Will you be able to pass them onto your younger generation if they ask you about them? Or will you not remember the finer details? For me, the history of my family is important.

We are all armed with smart phones these days; which have a recording function on them. Of course with permission, have a chat with your elders. Get them to tell you their tales and document them. You may do what I have done and back them up to your 'cloud' for 4 years but they will still be there for when you are ready to listen to them. I have listened to these recordings many a time before I have finally come to sit down to write them up. They're a comfort to me - I can hear my Nan's voice when I need to hear it. Some may say I should just let go, but why should I?

I'll be doing the same with my parents, sooner rather than later. I have recordings of other great Aunts and Uncles from times when we have had our big fab family gatherings. I'll write those up too, because it is important to me.

This particular recording focuses on how Grandad met the in-law's, and finally purchasing Nanny's engagement ring...

We spent a week in Botley and then went to Wales. Before that we went around Southampton because my Mother had a favourite song which my Father used to sing to her - in those days, records were very expensive and hard to come by. She didn't have a record player. Her favourite song was called 'June in January'. We found it in the record shop on the High Street in Southampton. Grandad had a wind up gramophone and we took it to Wales with us.

When we got to Wales I introduced my Mother and Father to Peter, they weren't very amused as they told me not to go to Southampton but anyway but I went. So we played the record, she didn't show much emotion - she never did, she wasn't an emotional woman. But she did appreciate it because I know she played it quite often.

Grandad had a week left to do in the Army, we stayed together in Wales for a week but then he had to go back to Army to be discharged. He came back down to Wales to get a job, jobs were very difficult to get at that time - he put his name down as a long distance lorry driver with Hoovers (washing machine company) but in the meantime he got a job at the toy factory making dolly's prams - he hated it but stayed there until he got the call to come for an interview at Hoovers. He got the job. And the chappy who was the manager was in the same regiment as him!

He was off then, travelling all over the country in a Hoover lorry. It was quite a prestigious job everyone wanted it - he had his own uniform and was well paid. I carried on, that was September time. 1953.

We got engaged in the November. I can't remember the actual date. He had already asked me to marry him, actually he had already told me I was going to marry him! But now he had the money so he went and got a ring. The ring came from Samuels. £17 it was. Many years later,when I went to get it, the platinum has gone, it broke. Grandad went to get it repaired but they wanted £250 to repair it. £17 was a lot of money then.  We went to a dance - that day I got made redundant from OP Chocolate Factory. A lot of us got made redundant. I thought that was a lovely start...!



From there, I went to work in a television factory - I had to bolt holes in these discs. It was hard work and horrible but I did it. For about 6-8 months, something like that. Until after I was married actually, so I did it longer than 6 months. Got married in July and it was just before Christmas I went there. Grandad kept driving for Hoovers.

What then... Christmas time, went to all of the Christmas dances and enjoyed ourselves. Peter came to Botley to see his Mum when he was driving his lorry. Think it was February time we came down, he was best man at his friends wedding. I came with him of course - Sheila and Ken Grey. Ken was his best man, they'd been in the Army together. They lived at roundabout in Southampton, Hinkler Road in Thornhill. They moved down to Bridgewater many years later.

Anyway, we came here for their wedding and they came to Wales for our wedding. Joyce got married first, in Wales, in Aberfan. I was her bridesmaid, then I got married in July  and she was one of my bridesmaids. Sheila was the other, she took Auntie Rachel's place because Auntie Rae was in Cornwall and it was bank holiday and couldn't get time off. She hadn't met Don yet but I had.

The night before our wedding we spent all night washing glasses because all of the Aunties and Uncles were down from London and they were all drinking like billy-o. Grandad Fox got told off by Nanny because he got drunk - she told him to behave himself.

Now, the Aunts and Uncles drinking like billy-o sounds very familiar... obviously our family has passed down the ability to have a good family get together. Long may it continue!

I'll try not to leave it so long next time before I post again.

Hugs and kisses xxx