大象传媒

Early life

My name is Joyce Symons. I was born on February 12th 1931, the only child of Thomas and Bertha Mills, in Holsworthy on the Devon 鈥� Cornwall border. M father served in the first World War, where he suffered gas poisoning, leading to recurring bouts of ill-health. He was leased a smallholding after the war through a special scheme for ex-servicemen. He also worked on neighbouring farms, often having to wait for several months for his wages. Sadly, in the September of 1933 鈥� when I was two years old 鈥� he passed away.

My mother now had to sell most of her possessions and find work in service wherever she could, taking me along as well. We moved several times, our longest stay of five years being during the Second World War. Her wages being about five shillings (25p) a week, we had our food provided and a roof over our head. The widow鈥檚 pension in the early nineteen forties being ten shillings (50p) for her and five shillings (25p) for me, her total income was therefore twenty shillings (拢1) per week.

During this time she was working as a housekeeper for a blacksmith and his son, who were kept very busy in those days when working horses were still very commonplace. The family grew when three evacuees were billeted with us 鈥� one elderly lady from Plymouth and two sisters from Balham, London, aged ten and eight. I slotted in the middle, aged nine. My clothes had to be shared with them as they arrived in the school playground with only gas masks and the garments they stood in. They grasped my mother鈥檚 hands, saying 鈥渨ill you have us lady?鈥�

School and Training

In 1942i gained a place at Okehampton Grammer School where I would board. Clothing ration coupons were donated by family members to enable us to purchase the school uniform. My mother tried unsuccessfully to obtain a grant to help with the cost of the uniform: she had to appear before a tribunal where one gentleman asked how she could afford to buy such a nice new coat that she wore that day. Her answer was that the coat was not new and only looked nice because she took great care of it. Sharing our rationed food equally among the boarders was very strict and each girl would have individual dishes of jam, butter, sugar, tea, dried eggs and so on. I enjoyed my time at school.

When I was sixteen years old, in 1947, I came to Plymouth YMCA in the Crescent, where the weekly board cost 37 shillings (拢1.85). I was paid 37 shillings and sixpence (拢1.87 and a half), so not much left over!! I soon found cheaper lodgings at only 拢1 a week.

Plymouth had suffered terrible damage during the sustained bombing. Royal Parade was just taking shape and one or two shops were rising from the rubble. It was an exciting place for a sixteen year old. Bomb sites were taken over by 鈥榗heapjack鈥� salesmen shouting their wares. I remember the dray shire horses taking the Simmonds beer to the Pubs who were fortunate enough to escape the bombs. Vistas changed daily.

During my training I worked in Plymouth City Councils Childrens鈥� Residential Home at Queens Gate, Freedom Fields. Children were often brought into the home by NSPCC workers, having been found in appalling conditions, some living in nissen huts and makeshift tents at Shapters Field, a deserted US Army base.

After completing my training and gaining my certificate, I became employed by an American doctor and his wife to care for their two young children. He was the ships doctor on the USS Hamull. I missed the busy and very rewarding life at the children鈥檚 home. It was a great treat to be invited onto the ship for a meal, especially at Thanksgiving, with all the luxuries like ice cream, chocolate, fruit, and so on denied me as a child.

During this time I met my husband to be. He came from a very large family, eight girls and four boys. I was made very welcome and slotted in well within this big family. The American family asked me to go back to live with them in Pensylvannia as they were returning home, but I felt that 鈥� being her only child 鈥� I could not leave my mother and now there was a boyfriend too!!

Marriage and Home

We were married in 1950 at St. Marks Church, Ford, Plymouth. It was a huge family wedding, everyone donating a little of their precious rations of tinned foods and dried fruit for the cake. My wedding dress was second-hand, having been modelled at an exhibition held at Central Park in Plymouth. There would be no honeymoon as we had two rooms to furnish. The cooker, probably the only electrical appliance in the house, had to be situated on the landing, beside the two top floor rooms. There was no running water indoors, just a cold tap outside by the outside loo/toilet. My husband, Sydney Symons, worked in the Devonport Dockyard. In 1950, his wage was about 拢6 a week. The rent for the flat was 拢1 per week.

By 1955, we had two sons and decided that we might like to purchase our own home. The Council housing list, on which we had our names, meant a long wait and worked on a points system. Points were awarded according to the urgency to be re-housed. We applied to our insurance company for a mortgage, only to be told that 鈥榳orking people shouldn鈥檛 aim too high - especially if your pockets were empty鈥�. So we waited our turn on the list.

Southway

At last the letter arrived in November 1957. we had been allocated a house on Southway, a place we had scarcely heard of. We caught the Tamerton Foliot, alighting at the bottom of Southway Drive, which was just taking place. We climbed the steep slope and eventually found the house in Bonville Road. There were no pavements, no street lights and no school, but there were plenty of wide-open spaces. The doctor鈥檚 surgery was situated at the bottom of the drive, along with three shops: a butchers, a grocers and a post office. Travelling shops were frequently seen throughout the area.

My eldest son, who was now five years old, had to make the long journey to Whitleigh for school. City buses were still terminating half way up the Drive and we used to run down a muddy bank as there was no footpath yet. My husband was now working for the Post Office Engineering Company and with overtime was earning about 拢10 per week. In 1958, the Council house rent was about 拢1 and fifteen shillings (拢1.75) per week including rates. We now had a converted Post Office van as our family vehicle and we also had a television. Neighbours were often invited around to watch it 鈥� especially 鈥楽unday Night at the Palladium鈥� and football matches. Also in 1958 the first school in Southway opened 鈥� Southway primary and junior school. I was employed as a dinner lady there and life was good.

Sadly, in 1964 and when I was pregnant with our third child, the boys being aged eight and twelve years old, my husband suffered a fatal heart attack. This was devastating. My mother came to live with us and gradually we recovered. My husband served in the Royal Navy during the WWII, and had later told me how his ship 鈥� a T Class destroyer 鈥� had been in Australia when the atomic bomb was released over Hiroshima and then had been sent to that area of Japan. He told me of the scorched earth and the dark shadows caused by the intense light and heat, and of dragging bodies from the rivers. During the blizzards of 1963 he had worked very hard to repair the Post Office Telephone and Cable wires, sheltering for several nights at the TV transmitting station on Hessary Tor on Dartmoor. It must all have been very stressful.

In 1966 I re-married. My new husband was Alan Symons, Sydneys younger brother, who felt he could give us all the much needed love. We were a family once more, with my mother still living with us. Our wedding day was the World Cup final day 鈥� what a day to choose!! The following summer my youngest son was born. Sadly in September 1968 my life was again shattered once more when Alan died as result of an inoperable brain tumour. With support of friends, relatives and neighbours, we coped.

In 1971-2, a nursery was built on Southway, the first in Plymouth. I applied for a job there and was fortunate enough to get the post and keep it for over twenty-five years. During this time I got to know lots of the families living on Southway 鈥� three generations in fact.

In 1978, I applied for a mortgage from the City Council and bought my house for 拢6,500. My ambition to own my own home at last fulfilled!!

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