My brother and I were warned not to touch the table, but we always had our own little selection with a bottle of Tizer to drink.
I was born in 1941 in West Percy Road during an air raid. Because my mam couldn’t be moved to the air raid shelter, a bed mattress was put over the top of the bed. I remember as a little girl, going into the shelter with my aunt, Frances Ingleby. We had wooden benches to sit on and it was dark and damp. My uncle, Willy Mather, was killed in one of the air raids. I also remember the street party after the war. Tables were put out on the street and flags were hung or painted on the houses. My sister Peggy died of TB in the same house I was born in.
Christmas was always my favourite time. Mam would set out a clean white table cloth, put glasses upside down in one corner and then spread out sandwiches, Christmas cake and other goodies, all covered with another cloth. My brother and I were warned not to touch this table, but we always had our own little selection prepared by my mam, with a bottle of Tizer to drink. Then she and my dad would go out for the evening to my dad’s club, returning with friends, who helped celebrate Christmas. It truly was a special time, and to this day I still have open house at my home on Christmas Eve.