Joyce talks about the poverty she faced growing up in a single parent household in the 1940s including some detail about air raid shelters and the war. She discusses meeting her husband and her social life around the dance halls and cinemas in Hull and briefly mentions life as a docker’s wife and the strikes. Childbirth in the 1950s and infant mortality are also touched upon before she finally talks about her travels worldwide and Hull and its people.

Time Code Notes

[00:00:33] Father died 1941- no telephone in house- poverty, Sykes Street & 19^th Avenue. Endike Lane- lady with a house phone wrote on a note that her father died- she went home and gave note to mum. Father laid at home in coffin. Mother then supported 8 children with cleaning job. Mother up at 4am and walked to work.

[00:02:11] War- narrow, cold description of air raid shelter. If sirens went off at night, ran out to shelter. Couldn’t sleep, just waited. Very frightening. Bombs dropped 2 doors down.

[00:04:56] Early 1950s, worked at White & Farrell Printers. Loved going dancing. Blind Institute. Fulford, Beverley Road Baths- all dance venues. Wore dresses, never showing knees. Ballroom dancing, jiving. Proper bands played live. Met husband Ken at dance (married 62 years), he was in uniform. Dancing etiquette.

[00:07:46] 37^th Avenue Community Centre- first met husband. Rex Cinema- dating. Cowboy films at Rex Cinema. Musicals. Dorchester Criterion, Regal, Tower Cinemas mentioned.

[00:09:21] White wedding, 6 bridesmaids at St John’s Church, Newland Avenue. No honeymoon as no money for that. Paid for wedding themselves as her dad had died.

[00:10:02] Ken lucky to get a job at East Hull Commercial Docks. Talks about unloading cargoes & strikes- Ken was a strong TGW Union man. Ken knew Walter Cunningham.

[00:11:39] Daughter Susan born 1958. Born in private place in Cottingham. Facts of life- no-one spoke about it. Mother had 2 babies die. Joyce had double breach birth, very difficult, so Ken was sent home. Heart operation.

[00:14:58] Booked to go to Australia with her sister, Rose. Travelled around the world: Los Angeles, Hawaii etc. Cranbrook Avenue- worked cleaning student accommodation. 90 Cranbrook Avenue- at first had own house.  Hull & Hullensians- good!  Talks about manners nowadays and friendliness of Hullensians. Hull’s okay.

These time code notes are provided as a rough guide to the above recording. Untold Hull would like to thank all the volunteers who took part for their time and hard work in producing this information.