Mrs Anstey – Early memories of Dartmouth
Social History Audio Memories Mrs Anstey 20thC
Category Descriptions
| Social History: | Audio memories, historic events and important people, and family and everyday life in Dartmouth over the centuries. |
| Audio Memories: | Oral History collection: recordings of interviews with local residents (audio files (.mp3)) covering their memories of life and work, also major events particularly the Second World War. |
| Mrs Anstey: | Early memories of her life as a girl and of working in Dartmouth at the Naval College and in the Dartmouth laundry. |
| DHRG No: | 102617 |
| Format: | Audio File (.mp3) |
Synopsis:
Born & lived until married in one of three cottages that used to be in Vavasours Slip; remembers the fire in the paint works opposite when she was age 3, families were evacuated to Clarence St. Father worked carrying coal for the Gas Works, Mr Tall was Manager of the works.Played on the beach by the shipyards on the edge of what is now Coronation Park. Mr Trot delivered bread to the Naval College each day from Dunnings Bakery in Foss St, College used Kingswear Laundry.
She worked at the College aged 13 from 7.00 am to 12 noon 6 days a week for half a crown (12½ p) then worked at the Dartmouth laundry in Victoria Rd until married. Recalls butcher's shop in Lower St & Hannaford’s in Duke St, describes dish made by her mother from 10d of meat.
Tenements in Higher St, now Higherside Flats; Brown family; went to the Board School (now Holdsworth House sheltered accommodation). Borrowed blankets for the winter from Mrs Sanders.
Mr Anstey was engineer on the Totnes paddle boats before they were replaced by diesel engines & propellers, boats were owned by Mr Tollman, River Dart Steam Boat Co. Wages were very poor.
Remembers boiling clothes in a copper which was built into a wall of the house & using the mangle. House had running water but no bathroom, baths were taken in front of the fire with water heated in kettles on the range.