大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War web site by a volunteer on behalf of Madge Swain and Joyce Ray and has been added to the site with their permission. They fully understand the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

HAPPY MEMORIES OF NORTH SQUARE

In the April 2005 edition of the Dorchester Parish Magazine, the Editor mentions the Kwikfit Depot in North Square, and asks for suggestions of what should become of the site.

This brought back many memories to us concerning the previous use of the area, as far back as 1939 when we were both working in the offices of Voss Bros. Butchers Shop, which was located on the Kwikfit site. The shop itself had shutters but no doors or windows, and at Christmas, turkeys, chickens, and sides of prime beef were hung outside 鈥� some of the joints had rosettes attached to indicate that the meat had come from cattle reared in Voss鈥� fields (which were to the northern side of Came Woods) Stood between us in the office was a Valour Stove, with oil purchased from Mr Hult鈥檚 shop which is now a Restaurant called 鈥�6 North Square鈥� 鈥� we both recall warming our feet in cold winters by putting them in a box filled Hay!

Next door to the premises was the 鈥淪oldier鈥檚 Home鈥� where for our mid-morning break we could buy a 鈥淣elson Square鈥� which was like a piece of bread pudding for one penny (or, as we would write it then, ld). Harold Swain remembers attending Bible classes from St Peter鈥檚 Church in a room above the Soldiers Home, where Miss Taylor, the lady managing the Soldiers home played the harmonium when the hymns were sung.

When war was declared and the air-raid sirens sounded, all employees would go to the cellar below the shop where we had arm chairs and rugs, and our knitting to get on with. Later on when there were dog-fights overhead, we would rush out and watch the sky and then retreat to the safety of the cellars until the All Clear sounded. We both later married airmen 鈥� Madge married Harold who was a Wireless Operator Air Gunner with the Pathfinders and Joyce married David, a Spitfire Pilot.

We also watched the soldiers arrive each day at the Home and later some evacuees with their little boxes and bags, and their labels pinned on their coats 鈥� they looked so lost and confused - it seems like a different age completely.

The Prison employees were also a topic of interest to us young girls whilst we were working 鈥� some of the officers cycled by daily on their way to work which was fun for us to see.

When meat was rationed we had the job of cutting out the coupons from the ration books, counting them out and taking them to the Food Office in High West Street where they were rigorously checked by serious looking clerks.

The Butchers Shop customers were so varied 鈥� some arrived in chauffeur driven big cars 鈥� we recall particularly 2 ladies 鈥� one was a Mrs Cave from Rowan House whose car was driven by her chauffeur Mr Batten who lived in Rowan Cottage, and another very important customer was Lady Marriott Smith.

The gypsies were most particular about the meat we provided for them and always insisted on the best English meat.
Opposite Kwikfit (in the area now used as a car park for the Corn Exchange) there was a Saturday Market and we always had to stay until Mr Cecil Voss had sold all of his joints of meat 鈥� we remember that a large piece of topside was 2/6d (that鈥檚 about 12.5p for the younger readers) and other joints were around 2 shillings (about 10 pence).

Inside the Butchers Shop was a rarity for the times 鈥� a very large fridge and ice-maker, and on Sunday mornings ice was delivered to Hotels around the Town by Mr Voss. There was also a house and a shop owned by the Voss family in Durngate Street 鈥� the shop was on the site now occupied by an Art Gallery, and the house (where the Voss Brothers were born in the 1 800s) now has 2 new houses built on the site. Both shops finally closed in 1950 when the meat ration was reduced to 8d (around 3 new pence), and corned beef ration to 2d (under one new penny) per person per week. Meat rationing then ceased in 1953 and one wonders if the business would still have occupied North Square if it rationing had ended a little earlier 鈥� would Kwikfit have ever occupied the site? Who knows.

Looking back we have some really happy memories of times in North Square and in 1942 Joyce enlisted in the Women鈥檚 Royal Auxiliary Air Force with another member of the staff there called Winnie Strange (now Coltart), and Madge married Harold and took over his job when he joined the Royal Air Force.

Happy days from 60+ years ago 鈥� we wonder what North Square will look like in another 60 years time?

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