The Story of Ann Waldron

Article by Val Knott

Some weeks ago, we received an email from Jane Noll who lives in Cincinnati, Ohio. She contacted us on behalf of her mother Ann Glover, née Waldron. Ann has lived in Dayton, Ohio, U.S.A. for many years and until recently had contact with Kirby Muxloe through her long-time friend Betty Poyner, who sadly passed away a few months ago. The initial conversation was a request from Jane to ask if we had any information about the death of Ann’s brother John Waldron, who had died in a motor cycle accident in 1952, at the age of 22 years. Jane and her family had found it very difficult to find any information about the accident. Fortunately, one of our committee members had a subscription to the Newspaper archive and proceeded to investigate. The accident happened in Bath and although it didn’t seem to reported in the newspaper of the time in Bath, it was reported quite extensively in the Leicester Mercury. As we were able to pinpoint the exact date, an article relating to the subject was fairly easy to find. Although a very sad enquiry it was one that we felt would give some peace of mind to Ann.

After the initial conversation our exchange of emails continued. Ann and her family lived on Desford Road, Kirby Muxloe and she attended K.M. Primary School. Ann remembered Janis Clarke (Jan Timson) and also Peter and Pam Cooper. They, in turn remembered Ann. It appears that Jan had been receiving news regarding Ann from Betty Poyner, and was very sorry when the link came to an end. Ann has memories of Jan’s Labrador and also remembers camping in a tent in Jan’s back garden. I mentioned to Jane that we were about to attend a History Fair at Beaumanor Hall and this led to another interesting discovery. It appears that Jane’s own husband, is an ancestor of the owners of Beaumanor Hall, near Loughborough. The link coming from his grandmother’s side of the family. When Jane and her husband visited the Hall a few years ago, her husband was invited to sign the family book. Jane and her husband do have a few items which originally came from Beaumanor and have been passed down through the family. Lastly, Jane told me that some years ago her mother had written down her life memoir and that there a was a large section on living in Kirby Muxloe. Would we like a copy? Well, yes please, was the reply! The following story has been checked by Ann and Jane and they are happy for this to be reproduced.

Ann’s Story- Part One This is such an excellent account of growing up in the 1950’s it may be necessary to split it into two parts. This will invoke many memories.

“I think we arrived in Kirby Muxloe late afternoon or evening for when I woke up the next day I ran and jumped on my parents’ bed. On looking out of the window (at the front of the house) all I saw were fields and bemoaned the fact that there would be no one to play with. Daddy told us to go to the next road at the back of the house (Main Street) and we would find plenty of playmates. I was five years old at the time. We lived on Desford Lane (now Road), then known as “Back Lane”, facing the fields all the way to the little village of Ratby. We were one house (now two) from the church which was next to a farm. Many times, farm animals were herded along the road to another field and one time my mother and I were coming out of the churchyard (we used to cut through to Main Street) and Brutus the bull came out of the farmyard. We ran back into the churchyard and when the farmer, Mr Ashmore, eventually showed himself, looking to Brutus, he laughed at us and said “You know Brutus wouldn’t hurt a fly.” Well mummy and I weren’t going to risk it -he was a very big bull! We would get animals in our garden too, if our gate had been left open. At one time, Daddy went to shoo a big ram off the top lawn and it charged him, and had its head between my father’s knees! When my mother went to make tea one morning a cow put her head through the window.

We kept hens at the top of the garden. We never ate them. They died of old age and were buried with ceremony in the garden. I remember Polly, Clara and Tiny. My father built a hen house (of asbestos) and we really enjoyed the eggs. Eggs were not de-rationed until 1953 when sugar and tea were also unrestricted. We were only allowed ¾ pound of sweets per month and very little of anything else. We had 48-66 clothing coupons annually. My mother made wonderful jam-using the red and black currant bushes in the garden. We also had lots of home- grown vegetables. I remember Robertson’s marmalade that had a golliwog on the label… Shippam’s Paste, meat or fish spread in small glass jars with lids with circular metal strips which were difficult to open. I had some years later and it tasted awful! Tate and Lyle’s Golden Syrup- we used it to sweeten things as we were short of sugar. Toad in the Hole and Spotted Dick, all firm favourites. We even ate salt and pepper on bread for sandwiches. In the war butter and margarine were rationed. If one was lucky enough to have any bacon grease one spread it on bread or toast. In my younger days and even later, no child called an adult by his or her Christian name- if they were close friends of one’s parents it was “Auntie” or “Uncle” or “Mr. and Mrs.” At school it was “Sir” for males and “Miss or Mrs” and their surnames for the females. In nursing (Ann became a nurse) it was “Sir” for medical doctors an “Mr” for surgeons. Manners in our family were very important-“Please” and “Thank you”, no elbows on the table, no feet on ledges under the table , no sitting on arms of chairs, no interrupting adults. Children were expected to be seen and not heard! We were certainly not given a choice or asked our opinion. My father never allowed us to chew gum and we would quickly remove it and hide it if he came into the room.

Next time Ann talks about WWII, school and much more.

Thank you, Ann for your wonderful memories