Life at Chapel en le Frith

We didn't live here a long time, in fact we didn't stay long anywhere, but it was the earliest place I can remember in any detail. The cottage had 2 rooms downstairs and 2 up, there was no electricity, or WC, but we did have the luxury of a hand pump in the kitchen to draw water. My dad made a toilet in a shed outside, and he used to empty the bucket and bury the contents, and we had chamber pots in the bedrooms. Lighting was provided by candles and Tilly lamps and we had one big gas lamp that we used to hang between the kitchen and the living room. It was very beautiful and I bet it would be worth something today! I found a pic of a similar one and it was being sold for $575. If only you could have hindsight into the value of things you throw away, I have no idea what happened to the one we had.

We had an old Grandmother wall clock on the wall in the living room and I remember that the glass front was broken, the broken piece had been put on the window sill. We had not long moved in and my Mum and the neighbour from up the road were scraping wallpaper off in preparation for decorating. The window sills were very low down and I was sitting in the window, looking for Dad coming home and I fell off. I don't know why I was holding the piece of glass but it went into my left eye. I had to go to the hospital in Cheshire and I had an operation. I had to have a patch on my eye for ages and then I progressed to sunglasses. They were nice plastic white ones, and I thought I looked the bees knees in them. Definitely an improvement on the patch, it was green one side and pink the other and had pin holes in. I have had a squint ever since with my left eye because the iris is inoperable and I have to close my eye in bright sunlight.

This clock is still in the family now, my dad has it in his house in Boston. For a long time it did not work as it was old and dusty inside, but on the day of my mum's funeral, it started again, and it still works now. My dad has restored some of the woodwork that had broken and it is in his lounge today.

One of my favourite dolls was one I had for my 4th birthday, It was a jointed one with a mechanism that enabled you to make her walk and as she did, her head went from side to side. She had the ability to close her eyes and go to sleep and she had "real" hair you could brush! I called her Jane and my sister, Anne has her now. I had a pram for the following Christmas to put her in and I was thrilled as punch.

My dad had always worked on farms but the job he had here was in the local quarry. Lots of little memories spring to mind - walking with Mum into the nearest town; Mum pushing the pram with Anne in and Keith sitting on top with his legs dangling between the handle and Tommy and Me holding the handle each side. Playing down near the bridge that went over the brook, we were told not to, but we still did. Eating toast after huddling around the fire in the kitchen range and toasting it on a toasting fork. Bath time rituals in the wash tub and later we got a "proper" tin bath. Tommy, Keith and I sharing a big double bed; we used to see what we could "see" in the shapes in the peeling plaster on the ceiling. Using a small blue Tilly lamp to see to go to bed. Baking sessions in the kitchen, using the water pump to collect water and heat in big pans on the fire. There was 2 stands that swivelled out so that you could put kettle and pans on to heat over the fire. There was a boiler at the side with a tap on but that was used for cleaning and washing and not for drinking. Sometimes I used to play at the neighbours' house up the hill and she got me some cards with pictures and holes around, and coloured laces, with which to thread through the holes. What a wonderful life we had, back then! We could play outside from dawn til dusk and not worry, nowadays you can get murdered while just going to the local shop!

Edale and Chapel en le Frith

These 2 places in Derbyshire were the next farms that we lived on. At Edale I remember a big carthorse and us playing in the barn, and getting told off for doing it! My Mum used to clean for the Lady of the farm and she had nice plush carpets and an electric vacuum cleaner! Nothing like that in our cottage, things were pretty basic for us. We didn't go very often with Mum when she cleaned, but it was like a palace to me, when I did go. One time the lady had lost a ring, a fine piece of jewelry, and we spent days looking for it. We did find it in the end, but I can't remember where now. My brother Keith, was born while we were living here.

At Chapel en le Frith, I had my 4th birthday. Dad had left farming and was working in a local quarry, to better himself and get more money. I have a lot more memories of this place and will go into detail of my time there another day! I will probably edit some of these earlier posts as I remember things. I have edited the last one already! I will chat to my brothers and sister and the memories will come flooding back, no doubt.......

My Birthday

This is an 8x 8 scrapbook page that I did for a circle journal on a forum.

My mother was Jean Margaret Algar and my father is Thomas William Richard Jellis. I was the 2nd of 5 children, and I was born on the 9th September, 1953 on a wet afternoon at my parents rented cottage on Racecourse Farm, Fulwood, Sheffield. My Mum told me that my Dad went out shooting on the farm, while I was being born. It was common for women to have their babies at home at that time, you only went into hospital if there were complications.

We then moved to a farm near Eckington. I must have been about 2 or 3 years then. I remember that there were 3 terraced cottages, and a few moments come to mind, but they are a little bit vague. After we left, we still called back to visit my Mum's brother, Uncle Len and his family. I remember the old stone floor slabs in the kitchen, and the big high fireplace that was used for cooking, heating and drying. My Mum used to have a photograph of me and my brother Tommy, playing in the garden, and I had a cowboy hat on that looked too big for me. There is also another one of me sitting out in the front garden and I am covered in chocolate. I can see my Mum at the kitchen sink and lots of washing hanging up to dry when it was wet outside. It is nice to reminisce, and I do so wish that my Dad had kept all the old photos, but they are nowhere to be found. One day they will turn up, but it might be too late for me to scrap them.

When my Grandma died, my Mum did give a couple of black and white photos that used to be in frames on her sideboard. I will go and look them up later. My maternal Grandma lived in Sheffield in Cottam street and we used to visit regularly, throughout her life. My paternal grandmother preferred to be called Nanny, an she lived in Hathersage, Derbyshire.

Just Me!

I decided to keep this blog about me, I have had an interesting life and kept diaries for years so it will be made up of factual events, my thoughts and my ambitions from the Beginning to Now. Happy reading!

Wow! Forgotten Blog

I can't believe it is 2 years since I created this blog! I came across it by accident just today so I have some serious catching up to do. I have another blog for my e-marketing and also one for my crafting shop so I need to think about what I am going to promote on this blog. Well, will see you soon with a meaningful post.....

Welcome

Welcome to my Top It All Blog

It seems everyone has to have one now so thought I would join in. Don't like being left out!

I will develop this in time but will leave it basic for now.

Sue