Tag Archives: Mr May

Granny Hunt: Home nursing and more

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Granny Hunt

My Granny Hunt did some home nursing when I was little.

Before I was born I‘m told she helped deliver babies. Her mum had given birth to thirteen healthy babies so I suppose it was a way of life for Gran.

She once told me that when she was young, if you had a baby that would not sleep, you got a square of butter muslin, sprinkled sugar in the middle then fold the butter muslin around it so it was rolled up, then you tied the ends tight with cotton. It should now be cracker shape. Then you stuck one end in the baby’s mouth and apparently they sucked the sugar out. What would health and safety think?

Sometimes the undertaker Mr May would send someone on a bike to ask her to come and lay somebody out who had just died. Granny Hunt would expect Aunt Alice and I to be very serious when she was about to go and do this. First she would put on a black silk dress then a black coat, black hat and a white starched apron. She had a little black case. We were not allowed to see inside and off she would go. When she came back we were expected to be silent for the rest of the day which wasn’t easy for me as a small kid.
Delia Whitehead nee Hunt b 1934

Alec Cokes: Ommaney Road, Boat Building 1970s

Boat Building in Ommanney Road

When I worked for Cecil Doe we built some boats in what had been Bob May’s undertaker’s place there as well.  Amongst them was the harbour launch that was down the harbour for years, the big one.
All his bits and pieces from being an undertaker he put up the end of the shed on a load of shelves and he had some black curtains that covered them all up.  We were happily building boats in there.  Bob used to come in every day and say: ‘How are you getting on nipper?’

Robert May, carpenter and undertaker outside his workshop

Robert May, carpenter and undertaker outside his workshop

We said: ‘Oh, we’re just doing so and so Mr May.’  And he’d say ‘ Ooh, look at that.’  Anyway, we built this one boat, it was what was called strip planning. It was built upside down and just sort of nailed together, and then we turned it the right way up.  We did that one night because we had to cut braces that held the roof up so we had enough room to swing this thing round – put them all back in afterwards.
He came in the next day and he said: ‘ Where’s she gone?’ And we said, ‘Well this is her, she’s the other way up.’  ‘Well,’ he said,’ so she is.’
Once you’d done all this, you’ve got to clean the outside of the boat up. I sharpened up a load of planes and started work. I was down there underneath this boat and trying to reach up . When you’re laying on the floor trying to reach up, you need something to push under your head.  I thought, I know, there’s those little stools that Bob used to put under the heads in the coffins, – perfect –  they went from about two inches high to four inches high.  I went along and opened the curtains and there they were – ah, just right.  So I’m under there working away, and I hear the door open and in he came.
‘ Alec, are you there?’
‘Yes,’ I said, ‘I’m underneath, Mr May, I’m just scarfing her off.’
That moustache came gradually down over this boat and he made this noise, and I thought he was having a heart attack.  I said ‘Are you alright Mr May?’
I got out from underneath, and he was by this time, down on one knee, and – I don’t know how old he was – it was quite an event for him to get down that far, and he said to me, ‘Do you know what you got your head on, Alec?’
I said, ‘Yes, it’s one of your little coffin stools, Mr May.’    And he said, ‘Well as long as you know.’ Alec Cokes b 1945

Eileen Smith: Yarmouth Carnival 1930s – 70s

The Yarmouth Carnivals were a highlight of the year, always held on a Thursday, early closing day. There were maybe 4 bands, proper bands.  They were wonderful .

Jazz band 1930s

Jazz band 1930s with Curly Jupe on accordion and Megan Cook vocals

 The fishing competition on the Pier used to draw over a hundred rods. My Grandfather, Robert May, supplied the Rod for first prize.My aunt was asked if she’d like to keep up the tradition after he died, but she said no, it was the end of an era, and Harwood’s took over giving the prize.

Robert May awards Carnival Fishing prize of rod

Robert May awards prize rod for Carnival Fishing competition off Pier

Robert May awards the prize rod for the fishing competition on the pier

During Carnival Week there were harbour sports, greasy pole and swimming races off the Common. All the families joined in and won prizes too. Yarmouth was a town of families, now it’s a town of holiday homes. Eileen Smith nee Lansdowne b 1921

Carol Corbett: Early Days

Ommanney Road, looking towards South Street, decorated for Coronation of King George VI in 1937

Ommanney Road, looking towards South Street, decorated for Coronation of King George VI in 1937

Ommanney Road then was permanent housing and everybody knew everybody else.  As a small child, there seemed to me to be a lot of ‘old salts’, who wore sailor type caps, living in the road.  Bern Haward had a huge workshop as a boat store, I guess he repaired boats as well, on one side, and Mr May, the undertaker, was on the other side of the road. Bern was always very nice to me. He had a brother, Gerry, who lived up the road and always wore a sailor’s cap, and there was Nip Chambers, he wore a cap too. There was an elderly gentleman, a small man with a big beard, he wore a flat white cap.   He was Nip’s father, a real old salt who had been a sea captain.
Mr Feaver and Mr Hopkins both had taxi businesses in opposition. Mr Feaver had a garage up the road for his taxis.
We constantly played ball games, in the middle of the road and wore the pavements out roller skating. George Warder, the milkman, delivered the milk with a pull along float up and down the road.  I can remember ‘Johnny Onions’ from Brittany peddling his strings of onions. My dad always bought a string, always invited him in for a cup of tea.  I don’t know how my mother got on because she wasn’t such an adventurous person. We had numerous stews and lots of rabbit stew in those days.
I can remember the man with his barrel organ and a monkey on his shoulder.  Why did he come – was he sharpening knives?
The High Street was busier as all the traffic, buses included, went up the street, and both ways at the top of the High Street.  We used to sit on the wall at Basketts Lane with pen and paper, taking down number plates as a hobby.  Carol Corbett nee Cotton b 1946