chapter 1 May and Arthur 1935

Family saga Semi historical novel

1935

Saturday night before her Twenty First she went on stage for her usual spot, but when it came to the request she read out the messages then announced a song for a special friend. She sand ‘Every thing I have is yours’; by Ruby Vallee’

They decided not to announce the engagement to the band immediately they let procedures go on as normal.

The band members picked up on it congratulations coming from all sides, from the band to the cloakroom girls. At the end of the nights dancing an impromptu party was arranged with around of free drinks from the gala managers

 

The following Saturday they went to Aldreds jewellers shop for a ring (Aldreds did most of the engraving for several sporting clubs) The shop was opened by Mr George Aldred but was now run mainly by brother and sister Charles and Beatrice.

It was Beatrice who greeted them “Mr Worth! How can I help you? ”We are looking to buy an engagement ring” Arthur replied.

Beatrice reached under the glass topped counter “Let me show you a selection” Placing a tray of rings on the counter, she proceeded to show them the various styles. May looked them over an placed some on her finger to see how they looked. She selected one with three stones.

At which Beatrice said can I now pass you over to Charles. Beatrice disappeared through the curtain which separated the work room from the shop front. Charles then passed through. The exact opposite to Beatrice his sad looking face more appropriate to an undertaker than a jeweller

“I understand congratulations are the order for the day” “Let me see, three stones isn’t it, here we are” lifting out two more trays of rings and replacing the original.

A ring was chosen; at which Beatrice reappeared through the curtain with a small silver bowl with a blue glass liner. “Please let me give you this as a mark of our appreciation and congratulations”

 

Arthur thanked James and no they had no thoughts of a house. Then he produced the ring and placed it on May’s finger, “We called at the jewellers earlier”

Mary joined in “I will go down to see Mr Oldroyd on Monday and put your name on his list, there’s always people moving on.

Later may go ready for their Saturday night at the Gala. She had her commitment to the band and they needed to be told of the engagement.

 

Monday morning Mary went down to Oldroyd’s offices to put May’s name on the list for a house.

Oldroyd’s were a firm of builders which grew up during the Industrial Revolution; building houses to accommodate the many workers coming in from the country area to work in the woollen mills. Row upon row of houses ranging from Large mansions of the mill owners to the back to back houses of the lower paid. Mary had inherited shares in the firm and was thus able to go straight to Mr Oldroyd himself. He agreed to let them know of any suitable house but preferably close to her house on North Parade.

 

With Arthur now engaged to May the band now included him in the group. He was registered to drive and had a license just before driver testing came in, but didn’t have a car also he was planning to do a course in car maintenance; contacts had told him repairs were the most expensive side of car ownership; it would be a help if and when they had transport.

Three weeks after Mary had seen Oldroyd's a message was sent that a house was to become vacant on North Parade opposite Mary and James’s house. Word was sent back with the messenger to say that they wished to view the property. The messenger returned with the key he told them that they could make arrangements with the rent man on his next visit.

The House was No 2 North Parade; Built in the industrial Revolution to house worker who came into town to work in the new woollen mills. It was a typical workers terrace house built of a grey Ashlar stone with a blue Welsh slate roof. With three stone steps leading up to a large flat slab 6ft by 6ft, with an 18 inch square hole in the centre covered by a metal lid, this was over the coal place in the cellar; then a further stone step up directly into the living room There was only the one downstairs which has to act as Kitchen/ lounge/ dining room all in one and on Friday nights Bathroom,

The tin bath was hung during the week on a peg in the steps leading down to the cellar and brought out on Friday night, hot water came from either of two sources The Yorkist fire range (consisting of a central open fire with an oven to the left and a water boiler on the right, made of cast metal with brass handles and hinges; the sheet metal was polished with black lead, and all the brass fittings were cleaned with "Brasso" metal polish, every Friday, so that it was bright and gleaming for the weekend. A small brass tap set into the bottom of the boiler allowed water to be drawn off in small quantities for the bath water was ladled out of the boiler top by removing a covering plate/lid.

Or from a "set pot" this was a large cauldron set into a concrete and brick construction with a small place for a fire underneath. Water had to be poured in and ladled out from the top there were no taps or drain plugs.

On wash days the house was always warm even in the hot summer months there had to be a fire for hot water and cooking

 

The glazed earthenware sink had a single tap giving only cold water

By the side of the kitchen sink and under a window was a mangle, or wringer; it had large wooden rollers driven by a lager winding handle and two exposed cogs (big enough to crush little fingers And large ones as well for that matter).

When not in use for the purpose of wringing out clothes the mangle could be collapsed and turned into a utility table

Cooking was on a small gas oven with 3 gas rings, Hot water had to be boiled in a kettle, on one of the hobs, or an the edge of the fire, on wash day they could take some out of the set pot for washing up but not for food or drinking.

 

One bedroom up the stone stairs had to accommodate the whole family.

Typically Furniture was simply a Double bed for Mother and Father, and single beds for each other person. Alongside each bed was often a homemade "Peggy Rug" {the base was a piece of canvas a hole was made with a sharpened piece of wood and a strip of material pulled through and then passed back through a second hole. The material could be from any source, strips cut from worn out clothes to off cuts of material from one of the mills; some enterprising people would make a bit of money cutting up old clothes from the rag and bone man to make suitable scraps and bagging them up.

A chamber pot was under each bed and often a Wardrobe and a dressing table or a chest of drawers would be included.

The wedding was held in Saint Joseph’s RC Church with the reception in the church hall. Arthur and May slipped away to go on honeymoon in Scarborough.

Reviews

[barleygirl]

Good job of describing the ins & outs of everyday life during very different times. Today's youth might read this & realize they have it much easier than they might've thought, before reading this. Your storytelling is very strong. You are meticulous about including a wealth of details to show the way life went . . . HOWEVER, you completely skip over the one major thing most people love hearing about -- the actual request of her hand in marriage, how did that look, where did it happen, how did it feel, did he go down on one knee, did she blush or hesitate? You are skipping some of the most delicious details of people when they go thru the most precious moments of their lives! I love your technical knowledge & thoroughness, but I'm really wishing you could balance this out with more of the intimate back-and-forth that gets this young couple to the threshold of a major life milestone!!!! I guess you just can't get near the personal part of life . . . (((HUGS))) Fondly, Margie

[Wild Rose]

Thank you for a wonderful review
all the information has been gleaned from cousins
Bill the drummer was her cousin and all the band were from the same school so they said - Arthur was a well known hanger on and sort of wormed his way in to be with May
You will probably have realised it was during the depression
A few more lines from Chapter one to post
Pete

[Einstein Noodle]

you hold true to the time setting and the details of every day life are a fine read for me ..like i said i like that time period in history ..life was so much different then .. i miss being engaged with the characters tho ... again i think you could show more than "tell" ... smiles, tears, soft touch from so-and so .. i am not connecting with your characters ... again... i think you do a top notch job with the setting ... characters need more dimension to them ... ;)
E.

[Wild Rose]

Thank you Einstein written some time back _ I agree it does need 'fleshing out' with some interaction

Beginning to get round to it now > have been entering ALL my writings onto a data base so that I can refer to them in section order

[Einstein Noodle]

:) .....................

[Coyote Poetry]

I am enjoying the story. I liked the location, the people and the world. You are describing. Thank you Wild Rose for sharing the amazing chapter.
Coyote

[Wild Rose]

I am re writing the beginning > Now consider this as (sort of) the beginning of the middle with no intention for changes except those hinted at here