A collection of memories -Reminiscence sessions Winter 2007

By Helen Rowsell

Freda and Mum

Photo from WRVS Heritage Plus Archive

Nancy with Gran and cousins at uncles wedding 1948

Photo from WRVS Heritage Plus Archive

Nancy and parents in 1940s

Photo from WRVS Heritage Plus Archive

Nancy Kersey and Family

Photo from WRVS Heritage Plus Archive

Nancy and parents on wedding day

Photo from WRVS Heritage Plus Archive

Freda's Mum

Photo from WRVS Heritage Plus Archive

Rod Patterson as a baby

Photo from WRVS Heritage Plus Archive

Rod Patterson's children in Brighton 1980

Photo from WRVS Heritage Plus Archive

Hot head

My mum had curling tongs which she heated in the fire - you put newspaper on them to check if they were too hot, once a week she did it.

Rod's First Suit

I never had much money to get clothes, so they used to last about six years. I was bought my first suit at 14 just before I left school. I fell into a water tank with the new suit on! I scrambled out and went to near my house, I lay in Harry Reaves orchard until mum and dad went out, I could see the house from there, then I went home but didn't know how to clean it so I left it at the bottom of the wardrobe and it went all mildewy.

They found out when my auntie came to visit one Sunday and my dad said put your suit on before she comes. My dad didn't hit me though, but I was grounded. That was alright though, cos my old man did shift work, so I used to sneak out of the window. My mum was soft so she never did anything'

Memories of Tom King

One time my mum and dad had a tandem. They went cycling on the Downs and on the way home, she fell off and he didn't realise until he got home. He got what for when he went back to get her!

Memories of Miriam.

Arrival in Brighton. I arrived in Brighton after my suitcase was stolen when I fell asleep on the train. All my money! I was supposed to be going to my aunt's although she didn't know that, and I felt like I couldn't really turn up with nothing and no warning. I went to the cop shop when I got here and they didn't know what to do with me.

The Workhouse

They took me up to the old Workhouse on Elm Grove which is now the County Hospital, Brighton, near the race hill. I didn't sleep a wink. I was absolutely terrified. I was up and out at the crack of dawn before the police came to me in the morning. They washed us both (me and my daughter), and acted as if they were going to delouse us. So we went to my aunt's the next day.

My auntie was quite a matriarch. It was 'yes auntie', 'no auntie'. She used to knit lace curtains. Beautiful they were. She was fantastic.