Memories are made of this

Edna Sherwood I moved here when I was thirteen and I am eighty-three now. My father was Finedon born and bred and he wanted to come back to Finedon. Our mother sadly died when I was eight. I had two sisters. My dad had lived in Allen Road and worked at Finedon Post Office until the First World War when he was in The Duke of York’s Infantry. When we first came to live here we lived in The Volta Tower for about twelve months. I recall that there were also two other families. I can remember letting off sparklers from the top of the building.

When I left school I worked at Trolley’s in Allen Road where we made leggings, gaiters, boots and shoes; from what I remember a lot of it was Orthopaedic. I was a machinist and I remember that my wages were ten shillings a week and I could only keep a shilling a week, which I was not very pleased about. When I kicked up a bit of fuss it was increased to two shillings a week. I used to help with housework when I was older.
I got married at twenty three at The Independent Wesleyan chapel in Finedon but we did not have the money in those days to have a honeymoon. I had a white figured wedding dress and I had roses from Arthur York who we used to call Chuckle. We went to live in William Street and our daughter was born there in 1941. Many years later, after our daughter was married, I move into the Crescent. Our daughter went to the Infant School and then The Mulso. I worked at Rockleigh Shoe Company when my daughter was four and again I was a machinist. When my daughter married she went to live in Kettering and I think she is happy there. I would say that if you are well enough to go out there is enough for us to do. I would say that life is what you make it.
I feel safe here and what is to be will be. I could worry myself to death if I thought constantly about what might happen to me. I would not go out in the pitch black by myself though.
I have done things that I should not have done like going under the pits to gather scabios which were pretty mauve flowers. We never ever went far enough under the pits to get lost though.

When I was very small and before actually coming to live in here I used to visit my grandma Panter who lived in Summerlee Road.

I used to come from Rushden and I saw it as a real holiday. I remember that she used to do domestic work for The Patterson Family. They used to wear a lot of stiff collars in those days and I think that she must have done the starching. I remember her being an extra small lady. She really loved me and anything I wanted I could have .I do not go to Derby and Joan or the Over Sixties as I am finding it quite difficult to hear now. I do though attend chapel regularly.