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[LissacFrance]

A longer instalment tonight:

Granny left school at the ripe old age of 14 in common with many of her peers in order to earn her keep. She went 'out service', to begin the privilege or otherwise of working for some of the 'well to do' families in Sheffield. Her first employer was a Mrs. Bonnington who owned two houses next door to each other. One being where they lived and the other used as a bakery. Each day before starting on cleaning the house, mum was obliged to clean eight pairs of shoes. I never realised before writing this that Sheffield was home to Octopi. Then began the serious work of cleaning cellar steps, front steps, windowsills, and doorknobs before starting on the preparation of vegetables, always done in cold water. It is perhaps something to do with cold water that has kept mum's skin so soft. Five days a week 8.00am till 5.00pm for the princely sum of ten shillings a week. For any young people reading this book, fifty pence. Help was at hand, the Bonnington family sold their bakery to two Americans and mum went with the business. There was a dramatic change, and mum had a wonderful time. She was allowed to work in the bakery and was told that it was not necessary to do as much cleaning! However, all good things must come to an end. The bakery did not thrive under the American ownership and the business was sold back to the Bonnington`s. The backlog of cleaning that had not been done in their absence had to be done by mum. The work was not a problem, but the crunch came when Mrs. Bonnington wanted to reduce mum's wages from ten to eight shillings a week. Mum's grandma was adamant that she was worth more than eight shillings a week, and so she left.

Some thirty years later mum needed to earn extra cash. Eunice, my sister, had been accepted at London University to study Mathematics and the additional anticipated expenses lead mum to answer an advert in the Sheffield Star for a cleaning lady. She went along for an interview and was quite surprised that her knock at the door was answered from above by a lady leaning out of the bedroom window wearing a fur coat. The door was opened, and mum was invited in. Mrs. T. was a little perturbed to find that mum did not know where the kitchen was. However, nothing ventured nothing gained, mum accepted the job. She had not been there many days when out of curiosity Mrs. T. asked why she had answered her advert. When mum explained about Eunice going to University, Mrs. T. was most indignant that a working-class woman such as mum had no right to such a thing. She may be small in stature., but has always considered herself, and rightly so, the equal of anyone, thus began their relationship. The steel industry was booming and there was money in the pockets of a select few. In the kitchen there were two sinks, - one for Ward's pots and the other for Lady T's. Mum's teapot had a crack in it, so mum told Lady T. that she didn't use cracked pots at home and wasn't prepared to use them at work. Later in the days he heard Mrs. T on the phone telling one of her friends that her working class cleaning woman didn't use cracked pots at home. She also heard her ring Cole Brothers and order a new one! One new, uncracked teapot was delivered next day. Christmas presents from the T's were not given out until after Christmas, just in case the staff never came back. Mrs. T cooked her own food, presumably in case it became contaminated by the working class. One day mum reduced the heat under some potatoes that were boiling over and was immediately told that her job was to clean, not to cook, so next day she allowed them to boil dry! On another occasion when cleaning the windows in the presence of the 'lady of the house' she overheard 'Madam' talking on telephone to one of her friends and discussing their respective 'girls'. “don't really know what to do with Lily, here she is, no bigger than a three-penny bit, spends half her time looking out of windows." At which point Lily turned to Mrs. T. and with her eyes screwed up, asked if she should clean the windows with her eyes closed. Her job with Lady T. did not last much longer, Mrs. T. had set on another cleaner and was overheard telling her that Lily was a poor worker, so at that mum left the bucket and scrubbing brush at Mrs. T's feet and left. With the 'Master of the house however, the working relationship was quite different. He was real gentleman, and also a realist. One day mum was obliged to tell him that she had left a silver teapot on top of the Aga cooker and that in fact the solder had melted, and the bottom fallen out. "Well, that could happen to anyone, couldn't it?" and without saying anything further called one of the shops in Sheffield to replace the teapot and repair the other. It is not always necessary to make a fuss over a mistake made by someone who you appreciate.

[sassy59]

I enjoyed reading the continuation of this amazing story. Thank you. Xxx

[Izb1]

Thank goodness the days of service were over before i went to work, I would have been sacked daily. An interesting read x