| Description | Born May 1899 in mining village Dawdon, County Durham. Father a pit stonemason. One of 9 children. Educated at village school, evening classes, Sunday School. War years. Married, 3 children. Moved to Seaham c. 1912, later lived in Ryhope, nr Sunderland. Pupil teacher, school teacher.
Two parts:
1) vivid portrait of life in North East mining community pre 1914.
2) war years, married life, post war disillusionment and change.
Housing, customs, leisure, diet, dress, domestic chores, mat making, children's games, funerals, colliery accidents, hawkers, domestic budgets, punishments, policing, christenings, weddings, sanitation, religion, dialect, schooling, courtship, shops, teaching, community, neighbourliness, socialism. |