My Mum and Dad

Mum was born on the 12^th August 1901 and Dad on 6^th November 1899, my Mum’s maiden name was DORIS KEWLEY and my Dad was JOHN GLEDHILL although he was always known as JACK by everyone.

Mum was one of seven, three boys and four girls; she was the third eldest in her family having two brothers older than she was. Sadly the two older brothers were killed in the First World War, her next younger sister was Martha, followed by Annie (always called Nan) and finally Ethel, her remaining brother was the youngest his name was Harry.

My Mum’s family initially lived at Lingards Wood, a small village on the Yorkshire side of the Pennines in-between Huddersfield and Marsden. They moved later to live in Lane Ings in Marsden itself, the house at Lingards Wood was a two up/two down cottage with no electricity and the only water being from a pump in the cellar. The house in Marsden was a detached three bed roomed house with kitchen, dining room and “front room” – never called the lounge - with gardens on all four sides.

Mum’s father was a Manx man who had traveled from the Isle of Man to find work, he returned there infrequently for holidays. He worked in the local mill as a chargehand and when the mill closed for the two week summer close down he worked for the Council as a road sweeper as there was no holiday pay in those days.

When Mum was in her twenties she joined a local amateur dramatic society and appeared in many of the productions.

Dad was the eldest of three brothers, next down was Wilfred and the third was Clement, they were born and brought up in a house called Green Lea which was situated in Linthwaite on the main road which connected Huddersfield in Yorkshire to Manchester in Lancashire. Dad’s family owned a couple of mills in Huddersfield but they were lost due to bad investments in the twenties. Fortunately this was not before Dad had learned all there was to know about the production of finest worsted and woolen cloth.

When Dad was only five he had an accident at home when he fell on a bottle, no accident and emergency departments then, the local doctor came and promised him two fantail pigeons if he was a good boy while he operated on his eye. Sadly the doctor was not able to save Dad’s left eye resulting in him wearing a glass eye for the rest of his life.

As with many others he lied about his age and joined the army during the First World War, he started as a dispatch rider in France, learning to drive there he became an ambulance driver. During the Second World War he was a volunteer fireman driving the local fire engine to wherever they were needed, mainly over the Pennines to the docks of Liverpool and Manchester.

Mum and Dad met sometime in the thirties however Dad, was at that, time married to his first wife Winifred, they divorced when Winifred went to live in Singapore. Mum and Dad finally married on 18^th August 1942 and I was born the following year on 14^th August 1943.

They started their married life at Green Lea, Dad’s family home in Linthwaite; they moved along to the next village Slaithwaite a couple of years later. The house in Slaithwaite was an end of terrace house set above and back from the main Manchester Road, it was reached either by several steep flights of steps or via a lane which led to the back of the house.

The next move was to Lightcliffe, Near Halifax, the family house being a two up/two down mid terrace house, it was considered by some of the neighbours to be quite “posh” as the house had a “proper” bathroom upstairs. There was a coal shed, a storage shed and an outside toilet in the back yard and a tiny patch of garden in the front.

Mum and Dad took over the running of the bar and catering at the local golf course, Dad supplemented his wages by giving golf lessons and making golf clubs. Mum didn’t go out to work until I was attending Grammar School, she then took a job in a local mill, not going to work until I have gone out to school and always being at home when I got back.

A further and final move was made to Crosland Moor near Huddersfield in the late fifties, Dad obtained a job at one of the local mills and Mum obtained a job at Standard Fireworks making boxes for the fireworks.

Dad never went to the dentist in his life, only went to the hospital once for an outpatient appointment and very rarely went to see the Doctor. Mum rarely went to the dentist, only had one stay in hospital when she was admitted for a hernia operation. She broke her right arm in the late sixties while at work, she broke it again one winters day in the early seventies and was most annoyed when the hospital put her arm into plaster for the second time.

Holidays each year were taken in either Filey or Bridlington, accommodation being booked in local guest houses and always the first two weeks of August.

Dad never owned a car, never actually took a driving test, but following the First World War was given a license which enabled him to hire cars when needed.

He died when he was 72 in his own bed at home following a heart attack; Mum lived on until just a month after her 80^th birthday after being diagnosed with terminal cancer two months earlier.

Neither of my parents were out of the ordinary, never achieved what others would consider greatness however in my eyes however they were both out of the ordinary and had greatness in abundance- they were my Mum and Dad.

Written by Fran in 2011