How it all began - 25th July 1936

Every one of the family was getting ready to get off to school or work or the young children were getting ready to play. Mother, Liz, had finished getting the breakfast and sat on the chair whilst the young Rita was dancing around.


After a short rest she thought she would get the chimney swept, which was a regular job. When she was halfway up she began to feel a little poorly and she shouted to Sidney, our son, to call for help from one of the neighbours. When the neighbour came she she said she would go down to fetch a lady who was a regular and knew all about babies whilst another neighbour came in to take Liz to her bed. The first lady shoved a lot of rags etc. and other things in a big bag.  She was the regular woman who always used to help with births for a fee of 5 shillings.

Salmon Street - no. 17 was the second house from the right.  Now the site of The Rushes shopping centre.

When she arrived at 17 Salmon Street she was upstairs like a billy goat!  Her first words were "where is she?" and she started to tuck in and get down to business as soon as she could. She had a quick cigarette until the baby started and, then, within a few minutes everything was all happening.

I pushed a little and someone else was pulling as hard as she could. I couldn't work out whether I was coming in or out. They did a good job and I was dying for a good drink from somewhere. After all that they all gave a roaring yell and I didn't know whether or not to go back!

After all the others saw what was happening they all started to help cleaning the baby and putting on his clothes.

After everything had settled down, my father came in from work , took one look at me, and then asked if the tea was ready!

As they went downstairs they realised that the brush was still stuck up the chimney - brother, Sid, pulled it out and put it away in the shed.

[Before I finish this section, I would like to describe how the rods came out of the chimney between the stove made of iron.  One side had a lift up lid which you could put water in as we didn't have hot taps. The other side had the shelves for keeping dinners warm and even baking.]

Now that we were all settled the girls used to like to pick me up out of the wooden drawer which was my makeshift crib and take me out somewhere. I can't remember much apart from when my mother used to take me up and down the entry on my brother's bike.

As I got older I got to know my six brothers and sisters. The first one was Rita aged 3, Sid was 6, Renee was 10, Mary was 13, Thomas was about 16, and Len was 18 (I THINK).

As the family were all older than me, they all seemed to be like one another. If you wish to know even more about them I will give you what little I know.



© Ruth Coward 2012