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Maisie (born 1908) remembers. (Maisie lived in Dunston until 1954.)
Running messages for neighbours and receiving half a slice of jam and bread as a reward and being sent back to return the money and apologise, on the occasion she accepted a halfpenny!
Playing games in the street. Her favourites were Ring a ring a roses, cannon, hidey, skipping and knocky nine doors!
Going to the matinees at the Imperial and Albert Hall cinemas- entry was 1d or 2d.
Working as a telephonist at the Coke Works, then owned by Mr. Reichswald.
Earning 25/- a week ( a big wage for a women in the 1920s) which went to her mother who returned 5/- pocket money. (She lived at home until her marriage in 1937).
Saving 1/- a week to buy bedding, crockery, ornaments for her bottom drawer.
The many foreign ships coming into Dunston Staiths.
Tramcars the only transport.
Dr. Foster travelling to visit his patients on a bicycle.
Standing in the back yard in a queue in all weathers to see the doctor at the surgery.
Washing day! Getting up early to light a fire under the setpot, ladelling the boiling water into the poss-tub, then "bang, bang, bang" with the poss-stick.
Wearing artificial silk stockings and only once affording to buy a pure silk pair!
Her father working as a trimmer at the Staiths.
Maisie remembers a hard, but very happy life " We didn't have much but we had happy times, making our own pleasure".
"We were not ashamed of what we were, or what we had not".
"It's what you do that matters!"
Maisie Kay (Mary Jackson) born December 1908, interviewed January 2000.