Kendal Oral History Group aims to compile a picture of earlier times through recorded memories. Mr Edward Otway, who was born in 1910, was interviewed in 1992.

In 1918 my mother went to Kendal Golf Club as the stewardess and we moved to live there. My father, who had just come back from the Army, worked at the Whitwell Marks Brewery.

In those days the golf club had no gas, no electric and no running water. Very down to earth it was, really. The lighting was oil lamps that you had to trim, fill and light each day.

The first job for Mr Dixon, who lived in Gillinggate, and worked on the course, was to bring two buckets of water for drinking, on a yoke from the bottom of the hill. For washing, they caught water off the roof.

I was made a member of the golf club as a reward for winning a scholarship to the Grammar School, which made me the youngest member.

The club was sort of exclusive when it was founded. The members were all people with businesses or shops or something.

There was Colonel Weston, who was a local MP, who lived at Enyeat, a large manor house near Endmoor.

It was only after World War One that it became more artisan. They allowed one or two people in from Netherfield. They paid a subscription but weren’t allowed in the club house, nor were they allowed to enter any of the competitions.

I liked the game and became quite good. I joined the Army and they put a notice on the board one day: “If you play a game put your name down.”

I used to play rugby for Kendal so I put down rugby and golf. Handicap? “Three."

I never did another thing. They sent home for my clubs and I played in the Army Team. We used to play down on the south coast and have afternoon tea. There was the captain, the colonel and the adjutant all playing and I was only a squaddie but you see I was a three handicap so I got in that way.

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