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Elsie Spotswood, born 10 November 1926 to James and Ethel Jane (nee Watson) at 32 Tennent St., Shankhill Rd., Belfast. The house belonged to William Watson, father of Ethel.

Three storied terraced house. We lived with Grandfather and Aunt Sarah and Uncle Robert Purdy, and their daughter Ethel aged 4 years. We shared a parlour, kitchen, scullery, pantry and an outside toilet. Grandfather had a bathroom made from a room at the top of the stairs. His bedroom and the Purdy’s bedroom were on the first floor. Our bedroom was on the top floor — a good sized room.

There was a black range in the kitchen for heat and cooking. We also had a gas stove in the scullery. No central heating and only gas lighting. We had running water.

Washing. Water was boiled on the range for whites. For soiled articles, washboard, soap and a scrubbing brush were used.

My brother James (Jim) was born in July 1931. I started school on my 5th birthday at Glenwood School. My teacher’s name was Mrs Dick. She took three classes of mixed ages in one classroom.

At that time, Armistice Day was always 11th November. I was a bit apprehensive about my second day at school as I didn’t know what we would do at Assembly to remember the end of the war (1914-1918). We sang two hymns, and stood silent for two minutes.

My brother hated to have to wear ‘good’ clothes. In those days we had best clothes for Sunday. Jim was told to wear his Sunday suit to school. He said no, and if he had to wear it, he wouldn’t go to school. He was smacked with dad’s newspaper, but absolutely refused to move. The outcome was I went to school in tears because I would have to tell the teacher why Jim was absent.

My paternal Grandmother had a holiday house in Ballywalter, Co. Down. We had holidays there with some of her Copeland relations.

About 1934, Grandfather had four houses built on Crumlin Road. He had four daughters. Mary, Elizabeth and Ethel each moved to a new house, while Sarah remained with Grandfather at Tennent St. Another family bought the fourth house (No 626), and their daughter and her husband now live there.

My sister Margaret was born in our house (No 622) in October 1935.

We didn’t have a car or a telephone. These were for richer folk. No fridge, no washing machine. Shopping was done daily and things kept cool in the larder. Bread and milk deliveries were made regularly.
We had two public rooms, a kitchen and a scullery. The scullery had a sink and lots of cupboards. The pantry had a gas stove (cooker). We had a coal fire in one public room (we called it the kitchen).

Still no central heating but we did have electricity. We had a good garden back and front. It had three bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs, and an outside loo.

I attended Everton School for a time, but then transferred to ‘The Model’ — The Girls’ Model School, a secondary school similar to today’s comprehensive school. It was an old building in Percy Street, near Tennent Street which meant a tram ride to school.

Father was a member of Trinity College Mission Church in Riga Street, so when we moved it meant a tram ride to get to church, Sunday school, brownies, junior choir etc. I was (unpaid) organist for several years from 1942.

We shared holidays with cousins. Sometimes I went with the McClintocks for a month to Bangor West. Other years we had a house, and Dot McClintock stayed with us. We also had holidays in Donaghadee. Both places were reached by train. Island Magee was another favourite holiday place.

I can remember 3rd September 1939. I was on a tram, going to church, when Neville Chamberlain told us on the radio that we were at war with Germany.

In 1939, I won third place out of Belfast applicants for a scholarship to Belfast Technical College. The Tech gave a three year course where girls were taught business skills instead of science.

In 1940, I was awarded the Darley Medal for religious knowledge. While still at Secondary School, pupils had a scripture exam annually when we were tested on knowledge of the Bible, being expected to recite certain passages.

Because I was in the top class, I was asked to enter the special test on religious days, dates and meaning. To win the medal, I had written (in the correct sequence), all but one of the special days in the Christian year. Because of the war, my medal was the last to be presented. (note this medal is still in the posession of the family)

In April 1941, I was evacuated to Waringstown together with Jim and Margaret, cousins Dot, Sam and Lily McClintock and Roy Purdy. Aunt Sarah went with us. The people who boarded us were relatives of Uncle David Walker. After a few weeks, Mum looked after us. It was a farm house. We had one bedroom (3 beds) for 7 children and a grown up. We had one downstairs room to eat and live in, with a coal fire. An outside toilet was a small wooden shack with a bench in which was cut two holes. This was quite a distance from the house as you can imagine. We remained in Waringstown from April 1941 until summer 1942.

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