Lilly's story

I was born in 1908. Life was quiet good for me. People were very good. I lived a pretty active life. There were a lot of boys dotted in between when I was younger! I went to Poppleton Road School from the time that I was four and a half until I was 14. We left school at 14 in those days.

I wasn't supposed to go to work when I finished school because I was supposed to stay at home and work with my mother, but I wanted to go to work. I said to my mother, "I'm not stopping at home" and she said, "Yes you are, you're stopping at home to help me." Well, I just decided that I was going to work anyway. I guess it was a time when children were born to be seen and not heard, but I wasn't having any of that. I worked for Rowntree's for two years with my eldest brother. There weren't many options for us to find work; there was Terry's, Rowntree's and Craven's.

We got 11 shillings a week. 20 shillings make a pound. We didn't get a pay rise very often and we got paid weekly. We didn't work on the weekends. If you worked at the weekends you got extra. You could buy a coat and dress with 11 shillings, but we didn't have much in those days. We spent all our money on food. You took your 11 shillings home, by the time you paid the tram fair, and pocket money you were out of pocket. You'd go a long way for a penny on the tram. We didn't have a TV in those days. No one did. Sometimes we went to the cinema on Good Friday to see a religious film. My parents didn't have any money to give, so we had the radio relay. It cost 1 and 3 pence.

I left work when my mother died because I had to look after my father. I lived with my dad and two brothers, but I got married when I was 21 and moved in with my in-laws in New Earswick.

I remember when I was working regularly after I was married. I went out and bought a washer. I got one. I told my husband how much it was. "Get the baby to bed, get yourself washed and changed. I am taking you to see someone." It made such a big difference to us. My husband said, "You can't be spending money." I said, "I am working and I need this to help me." You spend money quicker if it's given to you than if you earned in. We had a peggy stick to wash our clothes before the machine.

The 1940s were really difficult. I know we didn't have that much trouble in York with the bombs, but it was still tough nonetheless with the rations. My husband fought in India for five years. He came home with £10. That's all he got for five years. After we paid the rent, bought the food, paid the bills there was nothing left. You couldn't waste anything. Everything was so tight. The 1950s were better than the 40s. You went out to work.

We didn't have holidays back in those days, you were lucky if you got away for the afternoon to Scarborough, but my dad worked on the railway so we got to go. For fun, I used to go to the Odeon on Monday nights. I said to my mum, "I want to go to a dance" but she knew that my father would say "no", so she let me go anyway but I had to be home before 10pm. In those days your mother used to cover for you. I made it home in time and my father never found out.

I worked at Terry's for 36 years (1942 - 1973). I took Peter my son to nursery and my dad would collect him. We worked together as a family in those days.