Surname
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Bailey
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Forename
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Gillian
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Date of recording
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Sep 2009
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Year of birth
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1938
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Place of Birth
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Aldeburgh
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Occupation
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Fathers occupation
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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 |
Debbie Bone
|
Duration
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45 Mins
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No of tracks: 5
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This recording consists of 5 tracks.
Track 1 [10 mins] Interviewed by Debbie Bone. Describes how her family moved to Aldeburgh in 1900 and lived at Fort Green Cottage and then moved to Gower House, (now Garrett House) where her grandparents bought up seven children. The family name was De Quincy. Mentions that her grandfather died of a heart attack in 1924, on the train from Aldeburgh to Saxmundham and her grandmother raised the seven children on her own. Mentions that her father was an Adams and went to prep school where Aldeburgh Lodge now stands. Mentions that her grandmother died at the age of 90 plus. Remembers when the family moved to Sandhill in the middle 1960's. Describes how her grandparents used to sail and mentions an uncle that sailed in the New Cup and another who sailed in the Americas Cup in 1938. Describes how in 1947 when she returned to Aldeburgh, she started sailing in a Redwing which were later replaced by the Lapwings. Remembers she was first allowed to sail alone at the age of nine, and no-one wore lifejackets. Mentions that she did not particularly like racing, much preferred just sailing along, but her brother and sister loved racing. Remembers sailing up to Iken and Little Japan and taking along picnics. Describes being taught to swim by Arthur Burrell, who used to tie a strap round her waist on the end of a long pole. Once you were able to swim you could then swim out to the rafts that were about 100 yards off the beach. Mentions that you were not allowed to undress on the beach, you had to hire a beach hut. Mentions that she was born in 1938. Describes how Aldeburgh was virtually closed during the war and she spent most of the war years in Surrey. Describes how the Yacht Club was a very family orientated place just after the war and people would take their own picnics. Mentions that in the 1960's you were able to buy teas at the yacht club and then later lunches as it is today. Remembers the High Street and mentions Butchers, a wool shop that also sold jumpers, two butcher shops, two greengrocer shops, a fish shop, two bakers and Constance the hardware shop. Also a chemist and a solicitors. Mentions that there were not many restaurants, only the hotels. Track 2[10 mins] Describes how the youngsters used to make their own entertainment and describes how she learnt to sail by trial and error and also with the help of boatmen on the the quay. Remembers playing tennis and Saturday evening dances at Thorpeness, and mentions that at 9.00 all the under 10's had to leave. Remembers playing on the Meare and having great fun. Also remembers going to the cinema and going to the Jubilee Hall. Remembers that her grandmother took all the grandchildren who were in Aldeburgh at the time to a concert by Benjamin Britten, Let's make an Opera. Describes the yearly music festivals and mentions that she did see Benjamin Britten around the town. Thought that the older people in the town frowned on his relationship with Peter Pears but it did not worry her generation. Mentions that people in the town also thought his music was rather different. Remembers riding her bike down to the Yacht Club, and mentions that rationing stopped in 1953 so sweets were once again available. Remembers coming up to Aldeburgh in her mother's car from Surrey and sometimes coming on the train into Aldeburgh Station. Describes Aldeburgh Station. Remembers travelling on a small, two carriage steam train. Describes how her Grandmother, Kate Dequincy, and her husband started the Fisherman's Guild and also the Banana Club, which was mainly for the over 60's. This was held in the Church Hall, perhaps once a month. Remembers that her Grandmother was concerned that the fishermen did not get a fair deal on the price for their fish and used to either put the fish on a train for London or take it up to Lowestoft herself. Mentions that during the war her Grandmother lived in Norfolk as the army took over her house in Aldeburgh. Describes her Grandmother. Track 3 [8mins. 59 secs] Continues to describe her granny, lovely lady who accepted all her grandchildren and the things they got up to. Mentions her Grandfather who died in 1924. Describes how she went to school in Surrey and then in Sussex. Describes playing golf and mentions that all the family played golf, her brother and sister being much better than her at it. Mentions that she still plays and enjoys it very much. Describes getting married in 1970 and moving to Essex. Remembers sailing on the Blackwater. Describes moving to Aldeburgh in 1997. Mentions that she used to work as a china mender, and also in a florist. Describes working for Connie Spry making artificial flowers out of crepe paper and wax. Mentions that she had two children, Richard who lives in Oxfordshire and Claire who lives near Colchester. Describes the worst changes to Aldeburgh as being the loss of good shops. Describes Aldeburgh as being very overcrowded now and there is a lot more rowdiness. Could not think any changed that were for the better. Talks about how difficult it is to get smart clothes now, although people do not dress up as much these days. Mentions that Aldeburgh Yacht Club has changed a lot and is much busier. Track 4 [10 mins 47 secs] Describes how her grandmother, and various other people in Aldeburgh, who had large gardens, would have a fete in their gardens every year. Remembers there being cake stalls, hoopla stalls, stalls selling preservatives and even child races. Thought that the proceeds went to church funds. Remembers helping her granny. Mentions that her grandmother probably had a nanny, an under nanny, a sewing maid, gardeners, chauffeur and a cook. Remembers the sewing maid, (the name sounds like 'Eakie') and mentions that she was still very much part of the family well into her 90's. Mentions that her mother and her aunts went to St. Felix school and her uncles went away to boarding schools. Describes how her grandmother was very much involved in the town, and mentions Mrs. Gallsworthy, who became mayor. Describes how well all the staff were treated. Describes how her grandmother used to visit the elderly fishermen to make sure they were well, sometimes taking them pots of jam. Describes the primitive conditions a lot of them lived in, one cold tap and an outside toilet. Describes how her mother started the meals on wheels service in Aldeburgh in the 1960's. Remembers visiting an elderly man, in the 1990's, who lived along Sailors Path, who only had one cold tap, an outside toilet and an old range to do all his cooking on. Describes how the local women would cook all the meals, probably at Leiston School, and delivery them once or twice a week, stopping and chatting to the elderly people and making sure they were o.k. Remembers that the Banana Club was so called because after the war only children under seven and people over 60 could have bananas. Mentions that her grandmother was one of 13 children. Track 5 [5 mins. 45 secs] Describes going to parties when she was about 17 and her mother telling her that sherry was 'quite safe', not realising that it was in fact quite alcoholic. Remembers getting advice about boyfriends from her brother rather than her mother. Mentions that her sister was married at 21 years old. Describes the pace of life then as being much slower. Describes a trip to Switzerland, when she was 8 or 9 years old, on a two engine plane and also remembers travelling to Switzerland by train which took about 3 days. Remembers eating a lot of chocolate and marvellous cakes. Talks about food rationing in the war and mentions that sometimes people would rear and kill a pig and it would be shared out. Remembers talk of burying petrol in the garden in case it was rationed. Also mentions that her grandmother buried a lot of china in the garden before the army took over her house, but after the war when she went to retrieve it the cardboard boxes had rotted along with most of the china. |