Early-married life

I left home to get married when I was 23 years old. 

As my Dad and I were waiting for the car to take us to church he gave me some good advice. 

"Don't ever run in debt, save up till you can buy what you both want.  Always be good to him and love him like I do your mother (Annie).  But I know you will be very happy as I can always see both your eyes shining with love.  Good luck my lovely daughter and God bless you both."

Then he gave me a big hug and kissed me because when I came back I would be a wife.

As I stated I left my work at Hampton court to get married.  I had a nice white wedding with two bridesmaids.  One was my youngest sister; the other was Bill's sister.  They were dressed in long dresses with pretty blue beads, and head crowns. I had to help pay for everything for the two bridesmaids.   I had a very nice small crown on top of my head.  Bill's sister wasn't very old but she was very stocky.  We told her "When we get to the church please be careful, don't fall over."  As the sermon finished she was prancing about and bang she went ‑ always said that she put the first big dent in the church.  It got bombed to the ground in the war. 

Well after we were wed we went back to Mum's. She cooked a dinner and bought the wedding cake from the Co‑op, a three tier one.  We couldn't afford to go away as we had to pay six weeks rent in advance for our downstairs flat. We had a few friends and relations in that evening.  Then we had to see his mother, sisters and brother home.  We went back to say cheerio to all and thanked them.  

About two o'clock we made our own way to our flat but we had a shock.  Huddled up on the doorstep was the landlady's brother who had come up from Portsmouth.  As it was Easter Monday morning they were away for the weekend. So we put him up in our front room, and cooked him breakfast in the morning.  We also found a present from the landlords, a flower bin with a note wishing us happiness and long life.  When they came back they only took ten shillings instead of fourteen shillings for the first weeks rent because of our kindness to her brother.

The flat had two rooms and a kitchen. We had to share the bathroom, which we could use on Friday and also on Sunday night.  We found it was too much to pay fourteen shillings a week so we found a cheaper place, ten shillings a week, and in the same road as my Dad's Mum (Granny Bond).

In this flat we had two rooms, and had to go down one flight of stairs to get water and two flights to reach the toilet, which was in the yard.

We soon left this and then occupied more flats than I care to remember.

Firstly a nice bottom floor flat in Rosina Crescent, Battersea, cost us 17/6d a week and we had to pay 7 weeks in advance. 

Then we were lucky for a while having a modern flat over a garage in Chatham Road.  We had hot and cold water in the bathroom, which was all tiled.  We used to pay the rent regularly but one day received a letter stating that the people who owned the property had sold out.  We went to the Rent Lady and she said that she was sorry about it but we would have to wait and see whether the deal went through.  After a visit to the "Poor Mans Solicitor" we were advised that we should try to get another place and that the previous landlords would have to pay compensation or at least the removal costs.  The landlords agreed to this so we weren't going to take any old place.

We managed to find a much better flat in Monmouth Road, Clapham Common.  It was very modern, had a bath and cost 12s per week. I didn't like it very much as it was a posh area and since Bill was working nights I was a bit lonely.

As my Bill was nearly always on night work we used to go for a ride on our tandem on Saturday afternoon or when it was convenient. Well one Wednesday we picked up a paper saying there was racing at Epsom, so we went riding along to Epsom. It was free on the Epsom downs.

I rushed round and round listening to the tips.  At last one Tipster said to me "Do number five on the next race."  I rushed back and asked Bill to give me a shilling.  He only had two shillings on him but reluctantly he gave one to me. I asked a man who had a program what name was number five. What did he say?  'Inquisitive Miss'.  When I told Bill he said he was telling you that you were a nosy so and so but there really was a horse of this name.

Anyway, away I went to a bookie on the rails and paid my shilling. When the horses came out Inquisitive Miss was like a big carthorse, but when the race started it ran like it had been shot ‑ won at 14‑1.  I got in the queue and the bookie made me wait till last.  My God did we have a feed going home.  Tea, egg and chips, baked beans, tomatoes, cakes, sweets, cigarettes (Woodbines were ten for four pence).  So we had a good afternoon. 

Believe me I couldn't ride a bike solo but on our Claude Butler Tandem did we go, I used to sit at the back and wave to other tandem couples as we sped past them.  Happy days.

We started flat hunting again.  An agent sent us to an empty flat above a high-class sweet shop.  The front room was really lovely, beautiful oak panelling, and we decided to take it.  When we moved in we put all the furniture we had in the front room and made the bed up.  When we got into bed it was all buggy, so we left for Bill's Mum and at 1‑30 a.m. settled down in her front room for the night.

Next morning all hell was let loose.  We shouted at the agent who said it was nothing to do with him. Bill said, "We will see about that.  I work for some of the best hotels in London and when I tell my Boss he will take it up for us."  That seemed to frighten him.

In the meantime my Mum had found an empty flat at 32 Rowena Crescent, as she was going shopping.  It was an upstairs flat having a large front room, a bedroom and down a step to the kitchen and then through a door to the kitchenette having a gas stove and sink.  There was no bath or hot water but it only cost 10 shillings per week so we took it.

Back again to visit the previous agent, who with more shouting, agreed to pay us 4 weeks rent and removal costs in compensation. " Blimey, you only stayed one night," he said.   "Jolly good job too" we replied as we left well pleased with ourselves.  Moved in Thursday, moved out Friday.

We then found that I was pregnant.  We were both very thrilled. I rushed round to tell my Mum and she was over the moon.  "Bloody good job, I've waited long enough for our first grandchild."   (My eldest sister never had any children).