Tag Archives: 1930s

Free Time : Brownies and Guides, and a special occasion

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Guides and Brownies

The thing I loved most of all when I was young was Guides and Brownies. When I first joined the Brownies, a remarkable lady called Mrs Hans Hamilton was in charge of all Brownie and Guide things. She was Brown Owl and the Guides always called her Madam, as I believe she was also District Commissioner.

Now in those days, each meeting that we had was stopped for a minute or two as she inspected us to see that our uniforms were as near perfect as possible. First you wore a hat. If you had long hair it had to be plaited or tied back off your collar. Ties at that time were made out of a shiny shaped material folded and tied at the back of your neck with a reef knot. The idea of this shaped tie was if someone hurt their arm the tie could be unfolded and used as a sling. Then there was the Brownie or Guide badge made of brass, and they had to be polished until they shone. Belts and shoes had to be polished as well and the shoes had to be black or brown with white socks or brown stockings. May be that seems a lot of fuss now, but we were proud of our uniforms and to make them look smart was a challenge. The Guide and Brownie activities were so numerous it would take for ever to relate them all, but the story I’m now going to tell, I’m doing so in the hope that someone may be able to remember what this occasion was.

There was some sort of parade that took part on Yarmouth Quay. Mary Lord (nee Hayles) and I were told as senior Sixers in the Brownies that we were to be very smart and represent the Brownie pack. I know we lined up with a few Guides and Scouts, Red Cross and all sorts of other people in uniforms. A gent, who I understand was an Admiral, and two other gents walked along the line looking at us. This went on for a long time and when it was at last over, we were taken out to a large Naval boat off the Common. We all stood along the side of the ship when someone blew a whistle. I later found out it was called a Bosun’s whistle. Then a loud voice yelled ‘Muster on the upper deck!’ and everyone moved. Several sailors showed us the way.
Now I thought they said ‘Mustard’, like you eat. I could not make out why they would have this on the deck. I looked around and of course could not see any. So I said to Mary, ‘I can’t see any mustard, can you? Why would they put it on the deck?’
Mary was the daughter of Harold Hayles the boat builder and what Mr Hayles didn’t know about any boat was not worth knowing. Mary said, ‘Don’t be so daft’ and then explained to me what it meant. I did feel daft! Then a lot of talking went on and prayers were said and hymns sung. I can’t remember what happened after this. I think we went home. If anyone has any ideas what this was all about it would be nice to know. My husband Norman thinks it must have been the end of war celebrations, as in the war we would not have been taken out to the ship. If anyone knows about this it would be lovely to hear.
Delia Whitehead nee Hunt b 1934

The Dashwood Family and Yarmouth Church

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The Dashwood Family and Yarmouth Church

The Dashwood family did a lot for Yarmouth Church. They let their garden be used for the garden parties to raise money for the Church. Mr Cuthbert played the organ.

It was funny but when the three ladies came to Church on Sunday mornings, they all came separately. Miss Teresa sat upstairs (it was not all that safe even in those days), Miss Constance sat down the front and Miss Caroline half way up the church. I think they must have fallen out at this time as they had a family row.
They were a very thrifty family. It used to amuse my Gran because when they received Christmas cards they would stick paper over who had sent them and then write on them again.

When I was a Girl Guide they let us perform a garden ballet there on the lawn. The ladies came into the garden to watch with their sun shades up. It was all such fun for us children.

I remember Mr. Cuthbert for a special reason on my wedding day. A new vicar had just arrived and somehow the date of my wedding hadn’t been passed on to the organist. My mum rushed up to The Mount to find Mr. Cuthbert, who arrived in his gardening clothes to play for the service.
Delia Whitehead nee Hunt b 1934

Joan Cokes: Swimming 1920s, 1930s

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Yarmouth shores High Tide

Yarmouth shores High Tide

When we were at school we went to Love Shore to learn to swim – the boys one side of the jetty, the girls the other side.  I won a cup for swimming a mile. We had to walk from school to Port La Salle (where Johnny Walker, the whisky magnet, had his summer home), then swim to the pier.

Families spent a lot of time at Love Shore in the afternoons.   There was a swimming raft with steps to dive off. We didn’t swim so much at Pier Shore because the tide could sweep you away under the pier.
There were swimming races off the Common with Mr Doe there in his rowing boat for safety.
Joan Cokes nee Cooper b 1918

Pat Burt: Swimming 1930s

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Sandhard with huts and Bridge House

Sandhard with huts and Bridge House

Our headteacher, Miss Martin she was then, would take us swimming at Love Shore, the whole class. She had a roller towel to help you to learn to swim. You lay in the water through the towel, with it round your middle and she held you up while you paddled. It was a good method!

It was wonderful living in the High Street, just opposite the lane down to Love Shore. On a hot day, you’d change, then run over the road and down to Love Shore. If we went for a picnic tho’, we’d go over the bridge to Sandhard.
Pat Burt nee Adams 1929

Eileen Smith: Swimming at Love Shore 1920s, 1930s

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The lane leading to Loveshore

The lane leading to Loveshore

All of us children learnt to swim at Love Shore or Pier Shore, down the lane opposite Basketts Lane. The boys swam off Love Shore; the girls swam nearer the pier.

We went swimming twice a week in the summer, from the end of May, supervised by Mrs Stanway and Miss White (who was later Mrs. H Hayles). According to tides, we went swimming at 11.30 in the morning or 3.30 in the afternoon. We used to nip back home to change and run down to Love Shore with a towel round us. No one taught us proper strokes, we just learnt to swim. In September we swam for our certificates – 20 yards, 40 yards, and 100 yards. In 1931 some of us swam a mile from Eastmore to the pier for which we received a medal – I’ve still got mine.

Eileen Smith's medal for swimming one mile in 1931 whilst at yarmouth School

Eileen Smith’s medal for swimming one mile in 1931 whilst at Yarmouth School

Reverse inscribed ‘Eileen Lansdowne   1931’

Eileen Smith's medal for swimming one mile in 1931. (She was then Eileen Lansdowne)

Eileen Smith’s medal for swimming one mile in 1931. (She was then Eileen Lansdowne)

I only swam once in the competition against other schools. I hated it. The private schools had all been taught proper strokes – crawl – and we’d just learnt to swim along.
Eileen Smith nee Lansdowne b 1921

Funfair: Carnival Week, 1930s – 1980s

Funfair on Yarmouth Rec.

Funfair on Yarmouth Rec.

 When the Funfair set up in Yarmouth, it was on the Recreation Ground which was given for the children of Yarmouth. There would be gallopers, chairplanes, dodgems and swing boats; proper coconut shies and all kinds of stalls. It cost 1d in the afternoon, 3d in the evening. Eileen Smith nee Lansdowne b 1921 photo

 I used to go love to go to the fair with my Gran. I’d save up my pennies for Shove Ha’penny and all the different stalls. Effie Pitman b 1921

Ryall family, funfair behind

Ryall family watching Carnival, funfair behind, with dodgems tent : photo Di Broomfield

 

 

 

Phil Kelsey: St. James Church 1920s,1930s

St James Church

St James Church: photo Brenda Garlick

All the kids went to church. If you were a server you had to go to church without any breakfast. You went to church at 8 o’clock in the morning with the parson, and then when it was all over you went along to the rectory for breakfast.   You used to do all right there because Vi White, she’d be there, and she used to lash us up with a bloody good breakfast, sausages or something or other, porridge, she always had a good breakfast for you.

In the church when you was in the choir, at Christmas and Easter you got two bob – the parson used to give you two bob. Then a bit later, when you got a bit older and you went on to be a server and had the red cassock, you got half a crown at Easter and Christmas.

from St. James Parish magazine: report of servers outing 1920s to Alum Bay

from St. James Parish magazine: report of servers outing 1920s to Alum Bay

On Good Friday they used to have a procession around the town.  They used to come out of church and went up the High Street and down Ommanney Road. I think we turned left and come back round to the church that way.  Phil Kelsey b 1920

Eileen Smith, Charlie Lansdowne: 1920s, 1930s

My parents lived briefly in a house in Alma Place that I dont remember, and then they moved to South Street, to a tall cottage with an attic. Originally that cottage was called ‘Rose Cottage’ but mother changed it to ‘Halfway’ because it was halfway between Sandhard and where my aunts lived.

My father, Charlie Lansdowne, was one of the first crew members of the Lifeboat, the B.A.S.P. powered by a petrol engine and a sail.
I can just remember her being christened by the Prince of Wales. She was tied up on the pontoon the shoreside of the pier. Someone trod on HRH’s toe ‘Somebody’s treading on my bloody foot!’ he was heard to say.

Lifeboat crew 1920s

Lifeboat crew 1920s . Charlie Lansdowne, back row, third from left. Walter Cotton, second from right, front row.

My father was signalman on the lifeboat – there was no radio, they had to rely on signals, semaphore and morse. His boots were kept just inside the door so if the maroon went he could be gone straight away. On one occasion when the lifeboat went out, I can remember my mother asking Mrs Cotton, the Coxswain’s wife where they’d gone, but they never knew, of course, when they’d be back. Walter Cotton, the Coxswain had come from Brighstone. My father said if Walter was moved, he’d go with him, he was such a good coxswain

Eileen Smith: Shops 1920s, 1930s

In the town there were 27 shops, 1 fish and chip shop on the corner of South Street and Tennyson Road, 1 garage in Quay Street ( now the Pharmacy),  4 pubs and hotels and 2 chimney sweeps, Mr. Chambers and Mr. Holloway. There were 4 grocers shops – one in Station Road, Mr. Cook’s – later Mr. Burt’s -, one now called Sixpenny Corner owned by Mr. Barnett, Harry Mills in the Square, and Higginbothams. There were coupons given with Bourneville Cocoa and such like. My mother collected enough to get me a wooden pencil box at the Sixpenny Corner shop.
If you took an egg with you when you went to Batchelor’s for chips, they’d cook that for you too. Eileen Smith nee Lansdowne b 1921

Shops: Square 1930s with Harwoods van

Shops: Square 1930s with Harwoods van