BETTY HORREX |
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Surname
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Horrex
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Forename
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Betty
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Date of recording
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5/6/2008
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Year of birth
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1926
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Place of Birth
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Aldeburgh
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Occupation
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Retired
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Fathers occupation
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Grocer
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Present Address
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Aldeburgh
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Location Interview
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Aldeburgh
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Interviewer
Summary |
R Marson
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Duration
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40 Mins
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Track 1 (6mins)
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Description of family and early years, schooling and swimming in river
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Track 2 (11 mins)
Track 3 (19 mins)
Track 4 (11mins)
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Details of family owned business, O C Butchers, schooling in Colchester and Aldeburgh. Evacuation, secretarial school, travel, trains and food office
Rationing. Amusements during the war, cinema and dances. Brief description of war in Aldeburgh.
Aldeburgh Festival English Opera at Jubilee Hall. Meeting husband and brief history of husband.
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TRANSCRIPT
This recording consists of four tracks.
Track 1[ 10 mins]
Born 1926 at 243 High Street, Granville House. Brief description of parents, father was a grocer, grandfather lived in Burgh, a farmer who moved to Aldeburgh to start up grocers shop. Mother (nee Butcher) was a Ward who ran the East Suffolk Hotel. Her maternal grandfather was a Job Master. He owned Colward (family home on the Terrace) and BH gives a brief description of the land. Description of school, first kindergarten at the back of Baptist Chapel run by Gertie Constance and onto Leiston Grammar School. Mentioned she was very young to go to Grammar School 8/9 years. Travelled there by bus. Description of growing up, swimming in sea, mentioned beach huts and brief description of who owned them.
Track 2 [10 mins]
Family grew quite prosperous with three shops (South End Stores) Butchers Outfitters and grocers at 40 Victoria Road . Description of uncle's work history and apprenticeship. During the war grandmother ran the shop as sons went off to war. 1957 father gave up grocers, took partner into outfitters, Reg Cooke. In 1960 the brother Eric Cooke took over. Described how trade dropped off during the war with perhaps only about 700 people left in Aldeburgh. Described how she went to school in Colchester and was then moved to a convent in Aldeburgh as Colchester was Garrison town and may be bombed. Eventually evacuated to Paignton in Devon.. Came back in 1942. Description of parents being air raid wardens. Description of returning and taking secretarial course in Ipswich, taking the train from Aldeburgh to Ipswich. Brief description of trains to Liverpool Street from Aldeburgh. Description of Secretarial school. Described her job in Aldeburgh at the Food Office (food was rationed) with Bob and Josephine Rainsford. Described how they had to count out the coupons.
Description of rations for children and expectant mothers i.e. orange juice and cod liver oil.
Track 3[10 mins]
1951 end of sweet rationing. Description of what was rationed. Description of amusements throughout the was, cinema twice a week, dances. Mentioned quite a few soldiers in Aldeburgh. Described where they were billeted. BH used to sell flags and remembers the soldiers billeted in Alde House Lane and Garrett House. Description of bombs falling and where she took cover in food office behind cupboard. Remembers going to lunch and bomb falling. Describes how a Miss Dale was locked in her house (now Richard Keane's office). Also someone locked in fridge at Hill Farm Dairy. Remembers devastation and bodies. Mentioned people killed, Nancy Witcher, Mary Walsh, Bert Knight the postman, Post Office bombed. Description of other bombs falling on golf course. Description of meeting husband in 1949. BH Lived in Camberley and taught at boarding school for boys. Described how she was general dogsbody and cooked breakfast. Remembers boy who was very good at drawing trains. Retired from there and caught mumps and came back to Aldeburgh. Described working at the Wentworth as a receptionist 1946-1948. Met and became friends with Elizabeth Sweeting and became her secretary. Described how she then got involved with Aldeburgh Festival and English Opera in 1949. Described visits to Copenhagen and Oslo. Describes organizing journeys from Liverpool Street to Harwich, looking after luggage
Track 4 [10 mins]
Brief description of being stopped and searched. Anne Wood, Ben Porter (Could be Peter) Eric Crosier. Described early days of English Opera at Jubilee Hall. Lets Make an Opera 1951. Described how she met her husband at Conservative Committee. Described wedding at Woodbridge Register Office. Brief mention of Peggy Somerville and her paintings in Camberley, mentions gypsy caravans. Description of husband born in 1899. Described how he tried to join up for WW1 at only 15 years, but later succeeded in 1917 joining the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and subsequently Royal Air Force. Son born in 1954. Described how husband died and she received no pension as she was second wife. Described changes in Aldeburgh since 1930's. Brief description of class culture. Describes people now as much nicer.
This recording consists of four tracks.
Track 1[ 10 mins]
Born 1926 at 243 High Street, Granville House. Brief description of parents, father was a grocer, grandfather lived in Burgh, a farmer who moved to Aldeburgh to start up grocers shop. Mother (nee Butcher) was a Ward who ran the East Suffolk Hotel. Her maternal grandfather was a Job Master. He owned Colward (family home on the Terrace) and BH gives a brief description of the land. Description of school, first kindergarten at the back of Baptist Chapel run by Gertie Constance and onto Leiston Grammar School. Mentioned she was very young to go to Grammar School 8/9 years. Travelled there by bus. Description of growing up, swimming in sea, mentioned beach huts and brief description of who owned them.
Track 2 [10 mins]
Family grew quite prosperous with three shops (South End Stores) Butchers Outfitters and grocers at 40 Victoria Road . Description of uncle's work history and apprenticeship. During the war grandmother ran the shop as sons went off to war. 1957 father gave up grocers, took partner into outfitters, Reg Cooke. In 1960 the brother Eric Cooke took over. Described how trade dropped off during the war with perhaps only about 700 people left in Aldeburgh. Described how she went to school in Colchester and was then moved to a convent in Aldeburgh as Colchester was Garrison town and may be bombed. Eventually evacuated to Paignton in Devon.. Came back in 1942. Description of parents being air raid wardens. Description of returning and taking secretarial course in Ipswich, taking the train from Aldeburgh to Ipswich. Brief description of trains to Liverpool Street from Aldeburgh. Description of Secretarial school. Described her job in Aldeburgh at the Food Office (food was rationed) with Bob and Josephine Rainsford. Described how they had to count out the coupons.
Description of rations for children and expectant mothers i.e. orange juice and cod liver oil.
Track 3[10 mins]
1951 end of sweet rationing. Description of what was rationed. Description of amusements throughout the was, cinema twice a week, dances. Mentioned quite a few soldiers in Aldeburgh. Described where they were billeted. BH used to sell flags and remembers the soldiers billeted in Alde House Lane and Garrett House. Description of bombs falling and where she took cover in food office behind cupboard. Remembers going to lunch and bomb falling. Describes how a Miss Dale was locked in her house (now Richard Keane's office). Also someone locked in fridge at Hill Farm Dairy. Remembers devastation and bodies. Mentioned people killed, Nancy Witcher, Mary Walsh, Bert Knight the postman, Post Office bombed. Description of other bombs falling on golf course. Description of meeting husband in 1949. BH Lived in Camberley and taught at boarding school for boys. Described how she was general dogsbody and cooked breakfast. Remembers boy who was very good at drawing trains. Retired from there and caught mumps and came back to Aldeburgh. Described working at the Wentworth as a receptionist 1946-1948. Met and became friends with Elizabeth Sweeting and became her secretary. Described how she then got involved with Aldeburgh Festival and English Opera in 1949. Described visits to Copenhagen and Oslo. Describes organizing journeys from Liverpool Street to Harwich, looking after luggage
Track 4 [10 mins]
Brief description of being stopped and searched. Anne Wood, Ben Porter (Could be Peter) Eric Crosier. Described early days of English Opera at Jubilee Hall. Lets Make an Opera 1951. Described how she met her husband at Conservative Committee. Described wedding at Woodbridge Register Office. Brief mention of Peggy Somerville and her paintings in Camberley, mentions gypsy caravans. Description of husband born in 1899. Described how he tried to join up for WW1 at only 15 years, but later succeeded in 1917 joining the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and subsequently Royal Air Force. Son born in 1954. Described how husband died and she received no pension as she was second wife. Described changes in Aldeburgh since 1930's. Brief description of class culture. Describes people now as much nicer.
