The life stories I write, cover from childhood to present day, or that person’s passing. I also write special memories books, which cover a specific period in someone’s life. The extract below is one such. Sheila, of South Tyneside, wanted a book written about her late paternal grandfather, Matthew. He died in 1963 but Sheila cherishes fond memories of him. In the 1940s and 50s, several generations of the family lived in a big old house. Meal-times were important occasions.
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Keeping a household of several people fed was no short order. During refurbishment, the pantry was removed. The family was probably one of the first in the village to have a fridge installed. (Though there was no freezer.) When Sheila got married, her mum, who was getting a new fridge, gave her the old one. Extensive work undertaken on the big old house included having a gas cooker installed.
There was always food on the go. “Everyone ate well,” Sheila remembers. “My grandparents had several meals a day: Breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, supper. When he was growing up, Matthew’s family had a sort of motto: ‘Those who eat the most Yorkshire puddings have more meat.’ I remember, Granddad ate his Yorkshire puddings first. Matt and Ann’s supper, before going to bed at about nine o’clock, was cheese and biscuits. Oh, and after Sunday dinner we always had apple pie. “
The dining table was laid out at meal times. This was considered important, everything had to be just so. This was a communal occasion when all the family came together. Matthew was always on hand to help. First the table cloth – it was green – was laid. Then out came the serviettes and casters for sugar, salt and pepper.
Everyone all had our own serviette rings, Sheila’s mum’s gold coloured, beautiful. The serviettes were all kept in a dresser and Matthew took these out as he helped ready the table. A lot more effort went into the preparing and cooking of meals. There was little by way of convenience foods.
Sheila says, “I would say that the kitchen was the busiest room in the house. There always seemed to be a mountain of dishes to wash and dry. There were the smells and sounds too, of meat being cooked, of fruit and veg being chopped and boiled. There’d be Mum talking to Nanna or Granddad, the near constant murmur of conversations amidst the clatter of plates and cutlery.”
The finished book. Matthew is pictured on the front cover. Wife Ann can be seen looking out of the window.
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