I think I first remember my childhood when I was about 4 years old. I went to the first school Newton Road which is still there now but it’s been modernised now since it had outside loos and everything then. Then I gone to Wellingborough School, went on the bus every day for that, during and after the war. That’s when we were bombed in Rushden, I remember my mother coming down to the Lightstrung bus stop to rescue me off the bus because she said we’d been bombed in Rushden and I lived through the years of the bombing and everything. My father having been in the 1st World War he started in the Police Force when he was able to and he had to go out at night time during the raids, a bit worrying then. But we had a shelter in the garden that was built there an air raid shelter. I remember I had a special siren suit as they were called, zipped up the front. I had to wear that, take it to be with me at night I remember in case we had to go into the shelter.
Q: So where were you living then Christine?
Grove Road opposite the White House but a small semi detached house. I used to love with my friends we used to go across in front of the White House to my grandparents' house [Farningham House, in Park Road] which was a bigger house opposite and we loved to play in the garden there and the orchard. We were devils we pinched the apples when no one was looking. I don’t know what they were, but they were happy days even during the war. People were so friendly and we used to play out in the street or go to the ‘rec’ as was called where the prefabs were. We’d play on the swings, or whatever there were and we used to use spinning tops to play with, a hoop and a stick, roller skating, anything outside. We only used to go back to the house unless we were hungry I suppose. But I had a strict mother, father was very lenient, but she tried to keep me down a bit and yes, so it was a good childhood really although they were strict and sensible. The [war time, when no lights were to show], and of course the blackout curtains had to go up every night. Gas masks for school.
Yes this is all the time I was at Wellingborough School and then I went to Bedford, then to Ashford. H. E. Bates the author, he and his children lived down there and my father was quite friendly with him, and they came up here during the war to get away from the bombing down in Kent, and they lived just round the corner from where I was in Grove Road, and we all were going on then to Ashford School. I don’t want to go into anymore of that; it wasn’t so happy times because I didn’t like being away from home then when I was 14. It was a young 14 in those days until I was 16 anyway. The Bates family were very kind, their daughters were at the same school as me but on weekends or anything like that she’d ask me to go over as well to Little Chart which was quite near to Ashford.

And so then I went into the jewellery shop as a junior. Stayed until I had my family and that’s about it I think really.

Q: How do you remember Rushden High Street when you were growing up?
Oh, very posh yes, you wouldn’t go down the High Street without your gloves and everything on especially at weekends even when I started at the shop. Yes we wore dresses of course then.

Q: Would that be after church or on a Saturday?
I can’t think, we didn’t go to church, but the Baptist ..... all the family’s been ..... and that’s where I’ve been going on and off for the last little while but not quite so easy at the moment. So yes it would be weekends when the women did dress up, come up the Hall Park and they’d got the bandstand there and the band played. Yes, that’s all gone now yes I used to like that park. There was a very strict park keeper I forget his name but you weren’t allowed if you put a foot on the grass or something he’d be after you and more or less clip your ear I think.

Prompt: Would it be Tom Roberts? He lived in the park at the gatekeeper’s house.

Ah, that rings a bell. That’s right, yes, well I couldn’t remember his name.

We have something I think on the Website about Tom Roberts.

Yes we had a basset hound for fifteen years and then a beagle in the same family when he died for another fifteen, the were both untrainable. While we had lovely dogs, they were good with the children when they were growing up and everything. We were lucky we live so near to the Hall Park because I did use it a lot when we had dogs. We had a basset hound and was in my daughter’s name when she was quite young because we had him from a little place in Bedfordshire I think it was. He got too big for the house where he was because they’re big dogs bassets are. Yes very good natured when he was up in the park people used to laugh at him because he used to wobble along and wouldn’t do a thing when you asked him to and he’d clear off right down to the brook or something when I was in the woods at the top going right round that’s where I used to go and I’d go and find him down there and he was quite happy just doing his own thing. And then when it came to his end of life after fifteen years we had a beagle from the same family. Just as obstinate because they both went to dog handling classes, never passed a thing. No, all the other dogs sailed through but beagles they told me afterwards if you realise this breed aren’t trainable. Bit late in the day for that but well I’ve got happy memories of Hall Park, all weathers snow with the children and grandchildren, it was just lovely to have that in our town yes.

Q: Were you involved in the Pageant at all?
No nothing like that, I think I was too busy occupied with the housework and children and grandchildren. Lucky now I’ve got two one year olds because one’s on my son’s side. She’ll be coming up for two in July, and the other one is my daughter’s here; she’s a grandmother now to Charlie, actually that’s my granddaughter but the baby now makes me a great grandmother to Holly. Yes she’s one but not two until January but she’s so forward for her age, they all are today. Yes I see one more than the other but yes it’s lucky they’re all round here. I’ve got very helpful grandchildren they’re all lovely. I used to do a lot with them when they were young. They used to come when we first moved here for a meal before they went to something at the church or something like that.

So I feel very lucky really I’ve had all that and I’m in fairly good health myself so plod on now.