Audio tape, Ruth Hudson, An Autobiography. Recorded September 1982 by Tim Nelson
Father - mother didn't like drink, beer or cards, they were the devil's playthings - and dad had lotsof drinks in the hot work he did. He had a great big quart can of barley water he took with him to work,and then for his dinner, dinner was taken when they were on day turn, and supper when they were onafternoon turn, but during the night he had to take his own meal with him, and of course more tea wouldbe taken. But pubs were open at all hours of the day then, and dad would like a drink, but mother wouldn't allow it, so of course he was often mad and upset, and father would go off the deep end at timesand spend the money, and mother would be without.So it seems that I must have been about four all this had happened to grandfather, and myyounger brother dying, and one thing and another, my mother getting the furniture, things must have gota bit on top of them, and evidently after granddad died, grandma moved to Bleak Hill, which was countrythen, completely country. She went into a very large cottage, which was on the corner, hers was, youwent through the big opening and there were two or three more cottages. There were lots of these kind of establishments then, a little cluster of cottages, and you could call it a yard. Grandma had the first one,and she had a parlour, and a lobby, but you didn't often open the front door, which was on Bleak Hillitself, and it was at the bottom of the hill, and to my childish mind, as I played at the corner, by thehedge, I looked up to the top of the hill, at the top it met the sky and I wondered what was beyond.But I don't think we stayed there very long, we, moved to grandmas after as there must havebeen a shortage of money or something, but I do remember being at grandmas, and sleeping in a backroom. Grandma had four bedrooms - one was over the kitchen of the next door cottage - and she had agarden at the back, where she kept pigs and hens. And then opposite she had another large gardenwhere there were fruit trees and vegetables and flowers, and it was all country, beautiful country, and youcould see well down St. Helens from Grandmas at that time.And I remember cockroaches, swarming down the fireplace and putting Keating's Powder downto stop them, and I remember dad's youngest sister, Auntie Kitty, who lived there until it was knockeddown, she lived there until 1960, she would scream when a mouse ran across the lobby floor. She was amusic teacher and then one day I was playing on the corner and looking up at this hill and the sky whenmother came round the corner, she had Eric in her arms, mother was dressed in a purple costume withlavender blouse and a big, fashionable hat - in those days there was always lots of flowers or artificialfruit on the hats - and Eric in her arms - he was dressed in an Alpaca coat with a huge collar and a floppyboys hat, and mother looked down at me - she had lovely big brown eyes - she said “We are going intoour own home tomorrow, and you will have your own bedroom again, and a man is coming in themorning with a horse and cart to take our furniture.”So I was up early the next morning, and sat waiting to watch that man come out of the sky. Andhe did come out of the sky, didn't he! As far as my childish mind was concerned, he came out of the sky,and down. I don't remember much of the day, except going into the house we moved into, which was inMorley Street, not far from Atherton Street. Morley Street lies between Cowley Hill Lane and North Road,and one of a lot of streets of terraced houses, there are several streets that lead up to Windle Street andother streets and then Victoria Park.Auntie Marjorie's daughter, Joyce, lives off Laurel Street on the corner, well the last time I heardof her, anyway.This house, again, you see, it was on a slope, and we were halfway up on the right hand side. Itwent off Cooper Street - there were a lot of pubs in Cooper Street - and Mother didn't like that idea! Butthe first day I remember going down to meet Dad coming off four o'clock turn - eight to four he worked -and as he came round the corner, he had a lovely smile, had my dad, and a twinkle in his eye, he said“Are you going to show me where the new house is, love, I know where it is.” but I took his hand and tookhim. They had lovely front doors and fanlights and jambs either side - whatever you might call them,wooden ones, much more ornate than they're done today, and I think those houses still stand.It had a lobby, a parlour, kitchen, back kitchen, you went straight up to the stairs and facing thislittle back bedroom that I got, and there was a landing off which went the middle bedroom, and mothers’front room. Mother wasn't well soon after we went there, and she got a woman in to clean, her name wasTina Lightfoot and I must have been turned four then and I remember playing around there.I remember that once there must have been a circus in town, because a man came up the streetleading a bear on a chain, the bear was walking on his hind legs and carrying a pole.And then in March, on March 16th, 1910 my brother, Herbert was born.Oh, I forgot to tell you that in Balfour Street Eric was born, that is why I know I was there until Iwas four years, because Eric was born the 19th. of April, 1908 - it was Primrose Day and an Easter Sunday, and I'm told it was snowing. We also had a photograph of Eric, taken in the front porch atBalfour Street, the day he was one, and he's standing, holding in his hand a Birthday Card. At the same
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