Memories are made of this

Born Nov 25th 1915 Kit Joyce

I met Kit, shortly after I married my husband Paul, who had been a great friend of Kit and her family since his school days. It didn'take me long to form a bond with Kit. She was kind,warm and funny; always with a twinkle in her eye.
I recall her spending a day with myself, Paul and our beloved pet Maisey, we visited Cromer for the day and had lots of fun including fish and chips at a cafe close to the sea. The last time we were to see her was shortly after christmas when I willingly shared a glass of Bailey's with her; followed by mince pies.
Kit, as well as the other people whose stories were shared with me, were part of a society when folk were united against thhe goal called poverty!

Kit, born Nov 25th 1915 shares her story now with you.
My fathers name was Herbert Edward and my mother was called Elizabeth Jane they were born at Olney.
Father was a shoemaker with a workshop in the back garden and he worked for Mansfield shoes Abingdon Park, Northampton. He used to make our shoes for us. Before marrying I think that mum was in service in London.
Lucy was the youngest and then Connie, Nell and there were four boys Archibald, Ron, Jack and Ted. I went to the council school High Street Olney. The oldest sister looked after the younger ones and I think that I went to school when I was five.

I caught the bus from Olney to Ideal Clothiers in Wellingborough when I was fifteen and I was employed as a machinist making men’s waistcoats. I served an apprenticeship and worked from 7.30am until 5.30pm and I earned eight shillings a week. I met my future husband Frank who was on a press at the Ideal and he came from Finedon. We married at Olney church when I was twenty three and then moved to Finedon and have lived here at the same house since then. I think that it cost us about three hundred and fifty pounds.
Brian was born in 1945 Peter Sept1946 then after nine years we had Elizabeth Jane. They all started off by going to schools in Finedon. When Brian left Doddington Road grammar school he became a Mining Engineer mainly working in the Middle East/Africa. Peter went to Irthlingborough Secondary Modern School before going on to Weaver Technical College.
He later went to Hull University and became a teacher; teaching Science I think. Jane also went into higher education studying at Lowestoft and became a teacher now working locally in a school teaching English. Brian had two children two sons. Peter had one son called Adam and they live in Chelmsford and Adam is about seventeen now. Brian lives in South Wales .I stopped work for some time when I had my children then went to work for Ideal which is where I think that I met my very good friend Peggy Stevens from Eastfield Crescent. I think though that I also got to know her through the children mainly Gail. As a way of making ends meet I used to knit and sew. Frank later went to work at Alumasc Burton Latimer as a foundry man and he would come home quite shattered at teatime.

I would say that I was a home bird really. I met Audrey’s husband Paul Ellis who also went to Wellingborough Grammar school in about 1962.Paul used to come over from Wellingborough when Frank and I went out. They used to roll up the carpets and get out the records. All parties were a riot… a real scream! Paul would always clean up afterwards and it would be spick and span for when we got back .We used to have a black and white wire haired dog called Pooch who was a friendly little animal.

I sadly lost Frank some years ago about twenty. I have had to come to terms with his loss now but of course still miss him and can still see him in my minds eye in his chair.