大象传媒

In 1941 the family moved from Birmingham to Bromsgrove 鈥� Mother and Father and five children. As we were a big family we lived in the old station master鈥檚 house 鈥� (which was empty at the time) a big and cold house 鈥� coal fires and gas lightling 鈥� but a lovely big garden 鈥� right on the side of Bromsgrove railway station.

It was stated George Stephenson slept at the house during the building of the railway.

Father was a railway engine driver (steam trains), one of many helping to push each train up the 鈥淟ickey Incline鈥� from Bromsgrove to Blackwell 鈥� The Incline was one of the steepest in the country.

In 1941 when I was 14 years of age my parents sent me down to the Railway Carriage and Wagon Works in St. Godwald鈥檚 Lane (only a few minutes from home) to get a position in the office. My older sister was already working there at the time. We were the only two females in a male dominated office and works. 100s of men, and I was very shy, it was daunting, as you may guess. No facilities for females 鈥� I cannot remember having any tea breaks and raced home at dinner time to get to the toilet.

One of my tasks each day was to go through the work shops and collect the clock cards to be checked each morning 鈥� and then take them out again. It haunts me to-day at how petrified I was at that time.

In December 1941 Mother gave birth to my youngest brother, and me, hoping I would be able to leave the Carriage and wagon Works, I stayed at home to help mother with the baby. That didn鈥檛 work, after a few weeks I had to attend a tribunal in Redditch, my father having a day off from work to take me.

The result was that I had to return to work, as my work was of national importance 鈥� and into the bargain I was doing three people鈥檚 work all for 11/- 6 pence per week, (45 hour week). We did not have to register for work of national importance until we were 16 years old, but this was the railway, so had to stay put.

I did manage to leave before I was 16 years of age, getting employment at L.G. Harris and Company 鈥� The Brush Works at the Old Mill in Shore Lane, before moving to Hanbury Rd, to extend the factory and offices.

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