KENDAL Oral History Group aims to compile a picture of earlier times through the recorded memories of the area’s older residents. Born in 1929, Doris Sharpe was interviewed by the group in 1999:

There was so many little nooks and crannies up Fellside; little yards and little houses.

Off Middle Lane was a little open yard just as you come off Low Fellside. At the far end of this little yard there was a lady called Mamie; she was wonderful. She used to play a Melodeon and I think she used to play it in the Roebuck Pub. Me mum used to send me to her because she had hens and during the war you could get eggs from Mamie. I think she used to keep the hens in the house sometimes.

Me granny used to give me a jug and she’d say “will you take this jug up t’Hyena and get two pennorth?” I had to go into a little place called ‘The Snug’.

There was only about three little seats in there where the old biddies used to sit and a tiny window. I used to pop the jug on the top. Then a man would come and say “what do you want, me lass?” and I’d say “me gran said you know what I want. I’d to give you tuppence and that’s for the stuff you are going to put in here.” She used to like just a drop of Guinness did Gran. It was a good pub, the Hyena, and it’s now a house.

I always had to go for the shopping – I would only be about seven – but I always used to sing when I was going shopping, swinging me bag down Entry Lane.

There was a lady down there, Mrs Bean, her family have a market stall now. She was often out on her doorstep and she’d say “oh I love to hear you singing lass. You make my day.”