Finedon Yards
Location: Northamptonshire
Living in the Finedon Yards would have been much the same as living in every other town in England. Descendants of the Finedon residents are however, intrigued to learn how their forbears lived. Very many interesting stories are emerging.
'The cottages in Henfrey's Yard were 2 up and 2 down and had only one door. The wash-houses were situated across the yard and Monday was always washday. The copper was heated with leather bits, a big bag costing 6d. Each member of the family had his or her regular job, and one brother had to black lead the grate every weekend. Gladys' job was to scrub the stairs. The children had a bath in front of the fire after tea on Saturdays, and then the girls had their hair plaited ready to curl up for Sunday. The only time the girls had a new dress was for Easter Sunday. The colour of the dress alternated year by year; one year it was saxe blue and the alternate year it was strawberry. Whatever the weather, none of the girls wore coats on top of their new dresses. The girls had button boots, and Gladys remembers the freedom she felt when she first had low shoes. They had hats decorated with daisies or poppies.'
'Sunday dinner always consisted of a joint, Yorkshire pudding and roast potatoes. This was taken by the father to the bakehouse at 11.00a.m. and fetched at 12.30, always cooked to a turn, and costing just 2d. The meat was placed on a trivet so that the fat dripped into the pudding. The baker used a coal oven. Sweets on most days were milk puddings rice, semolina or macaroni.'
'The house had just one door which was at the back and it opened straight into the kitchen, through to the living room and the wooden staircase. We had 2 bedrooms and, oh yes, an attic right at the top. Every house had its own lavatory up the yard and a small washhouse. - We shared a communal tap. Some thing or things I do vividly remember were the cockroaches in that old cottage. Eventually Mum had to get the Pest men in to deal with them.'
'The cottages in the yard were 2 up and 2 down and had one door. The washhouses were across the yard. The rent for the house was 2/9d (about 14p) and had to be paid from Dad's wage of a guinea a week (£1. 05p)
Dad was a leather currier and walked to and from his job in a factory at Irthlingborough so we only saw him at week-ends because we were always in bed when he got home.'
'Mr. Hollis was the schoolmaster at the boys school. He used to walk from Wellingborough. The boys made up this poem about him.
Mr Hollis is a very good man
He tries to teach you all he can
Reading, writing and arithmetic
And he didn't forget to give you the stick
It made you dance
Out of England into France
Out of France into Spain
Over the hills and back again.'
'Two residents of these houses shared a washing line. Some women jealously guarded their half and knew to the inch if her neighbour transgressed. She would almost fly outside and insist on the pegs being moved 'on your own half' - even if she didn't intend to use her share that day. Of course, there were more generous users in Barkers' Yard.'
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