I am back with the memories of my friend Ann who grew up in a big house on Barlow Moor Road in the 1940s and 50s.
Her parents ran an undertaker’s business and along with descriptions of the house there are some wonderful insights into the work they did
"Like most houses in the 1940's, there was no central heating, and in winter, the only room which was warm was the kitchen.
This was heated by the 'Range' a small open fire, which heated an oven, and a top oven for pans, and was covered in dark blue tiles.
There was a trivet to stand the heavy cast iron kettle, and a coal scuttle which needed refilling several times a day, which meant going down the cellar for buckets of coal.
Each side of the Range was fitted cupboards, and my Mum had her sewing machine in front of the window.
She had trained as a dressmaker, and had worked in Manchester making and altering dresses, before she was married, and then had become a housewife’, as women did in 1928.
She told me she had altered a dress for Tallulah Bankhead, (A famous actress at the time) and that it hadn't been cleaned, and smelt of sweat.
Entertainment at the time was the wireless, or the piano, or having friends round to play cards.
There wasn't a sink in the kitchen, but there was a small room at the side called a scullery, where the washing up was done. We didn't get a washing machine until about 1957, so all washing was done by hand, except for large things, like sheets and tablecloths.
Our Laundry No was 1971, which incidentally became the year of our marriage.
Each Saturday evening at 5-o-clock, there had to be absolute silence, whilst my Dad checked his football pool results. He won 100 pounds one week, and bought my Mum a fur coat.
The workshop at the side of the house was the only room on ground level – all the other rooms were about 6ft above, and were reached by steps at the front and the back.
There was a door from the driveway which led to a short passage, one side of which had a glazed partition, with the workshop to one side.
This was where Dad would varnish, or wax polish the coffins. Wax polishing was only done on the more expensive coffins, as it was very time consuming, and required several layers of wax being applied and rubbed in, until my Dad was satisfied with the finish.
Then my Mum would line the coffins with kapok and taffeta.
When business was quiet, Dad would make spare coffins in different sizes, which could be stored in the cellar. They were stacked against the walls, and were perfect for playing hide and seek when my cousins came over to play.
The door from the driveway was used for deliveries – we had bread, and meat delivered, once or twice a week.
The bread was from bakers opposite the Lloyds Hotel, but the butcher, called Frank came from Heaton Mersey.
The internal stairs led up to a short corridor with two doors, one leading to the kitchen, and another, with stained glass panels led to the hallway.
In the hall were two doors which led to the front rooms, and a short passage, with a room under the stairs, called the pantry. This just held all the extra china that we used when we had visitors.
My father had a box which held a most peculiar implement – he had been on a course to embalm bodies, (preserve them) and the box held a sort of pump to remove the blood and replace it with embalming fluid. I can't remember it ever being used, but it sat on a shelf in the pantry.
The two front rooms were called the dining room, and the lounge. Just to differentiate them I think.
The lounge was used as a billiard room when I was very young, and had a full sized billiard table, but when my grandfather re-married when I was about seven, it must have been sold. and we used the room in the evenings, and when friends came my mother used to play the piano. I had lessons, but didn't get very far, I was much more interested in drawing.
The 'dining room' was used when people came to make arrangements for funerals. There was a large oak table covered in a brown chenille cloth with a fringe, and a carved oak sideboard.
Dad would take down details of the kind o funeral that was required and organize everything.
From the laying out of the body, the type of coffin, the white gown which covered them, the nameplate and brass handles, contacting a minister to take a service, the cemetery or crematorium for the disposal of the body, hiring of the hearse and cars, bearers to carry the coffin (usually the drivers of the hearse and cars) obituary notices in the newspapers, and finally a meal for those who had travelled a long way, often at the Southern Hotel."
© Ann Love, 2014
Pictures; by Ann Love
"Like most houses in the 1940's, there was no central heating, and in winter, the only room which was warm was the kitchen.
This was heated by the 'Range' a small open fire, which heated an oven, and a top oven for pans, and was covered in dark blue tiles.
There was a trivet to stand the heavy cast iron kettle, and a coal scuttle which needed refilling several times a day, which meant going down the cellar for buckets of coal.
Each side of the Range was fitted cupboards, and my Mum had her sewing machine in front of the window.
She had trained as a dressmaker, and had worked in Manchester making and altering dresses, before she was married, and then had become a housewife’, as women did in 1928.
Entertainment at the time was the wireless, or the piano, or having friends round to play cards.
There wasn't a sink in the kitchen, but there was a small room at the side called a scullery, where the washing up was done. We didn't get a washing machine until about 1957, so all washing was done by hand, except for large things, like sheets and tablecloths.
Our Laundry No was 1971, which incidentally became the year of our marriage.
The workshop at the side of the house was the only room on ground level – all the other rooms were about 6ft above, and were reached by steps at the front and the back.
There was a door from the driveway which led to a short passage, one side of which had a glazed partition, with the workshop to one side.
This was where Dad would varnish, or wax polish the coffins. Wax polishing was only done on the more expensive coffins, as it was very time consuming, and required several layers of wax being applied and rubbed in, until my Dad was satisfied with the finish.
Then my Mum would line the coffins with kapok and taffeta.
When business was quiet, Dad would make spare coffins in different sizes, which could be stored in the cellar. They were stacked against the walls, and were perfect for playing hide and seek when my cousins came over to play.
The door from the driveway was used for deliveries – we had bread, and meat delivered, once or twice a week.
The internal stairs led up to a short corridor with two doors, one leading to the kitchen, and another, with stained glass panels led to the hallway.
In the hall were two doors which led to the front rooms, and a short passage, with a room under the stairs, called the pantry. This just held all the extra china that we used when we had visitors.
My father had a box which held a most peculiar implement – he had been on a course to embalm bodies, (preserve them) and the box held a sort of pump to remove the blood and replace it with embalming fluid. I can't remember it ever being used, but it sat on a shelf in the pantry.
The two front rooms were called the dining room, and the lounge. Just to differentiate them I think.
The lounge was used as a billiard room when I was very young, and had a full sized billiard table, but when my grandfather re-married when I was about seven, it must have been sold. and we used the room in the evenings, and when friends came my mother used to play the piano. I had lessons, but didn't get very far, I was much more interested in drawing.
The 'dining room' was used when people came to make arrangements for funerals. There was a large oak table covered in a brown chenille cloth with a fringe, and a carved oak sideboard.
Dad would take down details of the kind o funeral that was required and organize everything.
From the laying out of the body, the type of coffin, the white gown which covered them, the nameplate and brass handles, contacting a minister to take a service, the cemetery or crematorium for the disposal of the body, hiring of the hearse and cars, bearers to carry the coffin (usually the drivers of the hearse and cars) obituary notices in the newspapers, and finally a meal for those who had travelled a long way, often at the Southern Hotel."
© Ann Love, 2014
Pictures; by Ann Love
Based on what I can see on Google Maps it's now called Ventry Court and is split into flats. Until my teens I lived around the corner from 317 Barlow Moor Road.
ReplyDeleteYes that is right Mark
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