Former Kendal maid recalls wedding day

I was born in Yanwath, near Penrith.

When the war (World War II) was starting, my sister and I moved to Kendal.

I worked at the fever hospital and my sister the old hospital, top of Gillinggate.

I started as Matron’s maid.

I used to look after her, do her breakfast, take it up, do her bathroom and her rooms and that, and her uniform.

Everything was hand washed in them days.

Matron used to wear veils, cuffs and everything.

I did not like Matron Wright.

She wouldn’t let me have time off to get married.

My wedding was due for half past eleven.

My Billy rang up at 11 o’clock.

“How long will you be?”

I was to be married in the parish church and Bill was panicking.

I hadn’t finished work then.

She hadn’t let me go.

She knew I was getting married.

I finished about a quarter to eleven but she made me wait until eleven.

I was in a sweat.

I was only in a dress and a jacket and a hat and I just made it.

Our cook made my wedding cake, unbeknownst to Matron - because I wouldn’t have gotten it.

There was no fruit and that in them days of course.

It wasn’t iced or anything, there just wasn’t the stuff to ice it with, and I’d to carry that down to the reception at Dodd‘s café, bottom of Allhallows Lane.

Billy only had 48 hours.

He was in the army you see, he was a territorial, but she wouldn’t let me go to see him off.

So I took off, didn’t I, the next day and we went to Lancaster, Billy and me, and he went back to his what's-it from Lancaster instead o’ Kendal.

So I was absent without leave.

Did I get into trouble?

Didn’t I just, and she threatened to deduct my 10 shillings a week wages.

After I’d been there for quite a while, I got diphtheria and I had to go home.

She wrote and told me she didn’t want me back ‘cos I was off six weeks.

It takes six weeks to get over diphtheria, so I didn’t go back.