Kendal Oral History Group aims to compile a picture of earlier times through the recorded memories of the area’s older residents. Doris Sharpe was born in 1929 and interviewed in 1999.

My mother used to bake - they all used to bake their own bread in those days.

So every Sunday morning there was a big bowl in front of the fire and we knew what was in there and we were going to have that for our tea. Rhubarb and custard or jam. We used to have it often for our Sunday teas.

For our dinner on Sunday it was wonderful because we had a roast but it was the cheapest roast, it was brisket on the bone.

My mother used to cook it with roast potatoes and things and then we’d have the warm-up on a Monday and the meat would do for Dad. We would have the potatoes and the veggies like a bubble and squeak because there wasn’t enough meat.

When I got to 13 years old, on a Saturday I used to go and clean my uncle’s house for him, because in those days girls had to do a lot of the housework. Then we would have our lunch; and that was a sandwich and it was always corned beef and raw onion. I loved it mind, it was delicious.

I would go down the yard for another errand, probably to David Haigh’s, for two pennyworth of bananas – you used to get about a dozen for tuppence.

Then I used to go to Daish’s grocers to ask for two pennyworth of bacon pieces and I would take those home and mum would make a meal, some soup, out of those, with some lentils.

I used to get a penny for going on a message and I would spend it at Jane Hayton’s little shop. I used to get four sweets for a penny.

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