Memories are made of this

Mrs Sturgess

I was born in 1925 and had brothers called Alec and Allen. My dads name was George and he was born in Woodford. Mum was born in Peterborough dad had five brothers and two sisters and mum had six sisters. Dad could remember, when he was four years old, sitting in the back of a horse and cart when they first
moved to Albert Road.

Dad was in the army for twenty two years and was based at Egypt, Palestine and my brother was born in Palestine. When he came out of the army at the age of forty he was told he was too old to work but he got himself a job with the Co-op promoting the bottled pasteurised milk in the years 1929/1930s prior to this it had been sold in churns .I think at the time there were four milkmen here. Their names were Mr Stairs, Mr Arthur Coles, Mr Twelve tree and Mr Freeman. Dad had a lovely horse called Meg and at that time the dairy was at the bottom of Albert Road on the left as you turned in from Orchard Road. He worked there for sixteen years. He next worked for Richard Thomas and Baldwin at the train line, which was situated at the bottom of Harrowden Lane and it was his job to weigh the iron ore, which had been taken from the pits, and he was there until he retired.

School days I began school when I was four and this was at the now Mulso Junior School on Wellingborough Road. I then went to the Infants School aged six and I was among the first intake .Miss Drew, Miss Evans, Miss Cunningham, Miss Desborough were the teachers. I then went to the Girl’s Junior School in Church Street and some of the teachers were a Miss Bonsor, Miss Hemsley, Mrs Ozier, Miss Goldings, Miss Summers and Miss Newman. At the age of eleven I went back to the Senior School as it then was on Wellingborough Road and I was there until just before the war broke out in 1938.

Employment I first went to work at Loakes where I earned ten shillings and sixpence working in their factory and I was there until I was 16. I then went to work at Gammidges in the Stock Office. I then went to Weetabix in Burton Latimer and I used to catch the bus at the Cross Roads getting off at Station Road in Burton Latimer walking the rest of the way. I began work at 7.30am and finished at 5.45pm and if I worked Saturday mornings I could earn £5-£4 was the wage for a normal week.
Marriage I met my husband Arthur whilst I was working at Loakes; he came from Burton Latimer to Finedon to work at Gammidges. I used to go out with a group of friends and I recall first seeing him down the High Street. He joined the Navy aged seventeen. I got married on Christmas Eve 1947 at Wellingborough Registry Office and my brother brought me a fur coat and a matching fur pillbox hat. We had our reception down at Albert Road.

Children My son Graham was born in Sept 1948 at the Isebrook in Wellingborough; prior to this it had been the Workhouse. I was in hospital for fourteen days .I then had Glennis on Oct 23rd 1951. I had my next son Allan in 1954. I had Gregory twenty months later in 1956 and he now lives here with me. Mum died in 1951 and she was aged sixty seven. Dad died in 1954.

Holidays The first holiday we had together was in 1957 when we went to Bournemouth and stayed in a caravan at a farm. The man who owned the caravan a Mr Evans was a lovely man who came from Earls Barton; he even drove us there and back to Bournemouth. We had a puncture on the way which gave our young son to do a bit of train spotting as we broke down near a railway bridge. We also used to go on holiday to Margate as well as Burnham on sea.

Undertaker Mr. Durden who lived in a cottage on Church Hill and he must have done his carpentry in the back garden. Next door to him lived the Knights. The other undertaker was Edwin Cooper who lived in Victoria Road; he had a workshop along Orchard Road.
Masons Arms where Rose West was the landlady. There was also a Mr Davis who had an outdoor beer house as well as the Royal Oak where the landlord was a Mr Jacques.

Shops in High Street I remember

Mrs Billington Sweet Shop
 Mr Jacques Sweet shop
 Harry Goodman, Newspapers
 Mr. Baker wallpapers and paints
 Mrs. Wilkes Pottery etc later Popes Tailors
 Mr and Mrs Dingy Underwood Veg, Fruit
 Mr Walters Butchers
 Mr Gaunt Barbers
 2 Miss’s at Old Post Office
 Beat Skinner Sweets and cakes
 Liz Read Sweet shop
 George Leach Vegetables
 George Leach fish and chips
 Mr Gore China Tea shop
 Mr Brudenal shoe shop
 Septimus Drage Boot and shoe (near to Tudor Gate)
 Mrs Short Confectionery
 Mrs Yates Bread and cakes (Mona Yates mum)
 Pagingtons
Mr Warner Bakers, Grocery & Poultry shops
 Mr Gallop (where Clarke’s chemist used to be)
 Doll Langley (Britchford) children’s clothes
 Bert Britchford Grocery & General Stores
 Mr Ernie Lowe Newsagents (Fancy Goods now)
 Mr & Mrs Issit Fruit and vegetables Fish & chips
 Butchers shop (Struggles Chemist used to be there)
 Mr & Mrs Dawson Milliners & hat shop

Finedon Casualty Service Cup Winners

Warner's Bakehouse-D.Clapham.M.Warner