Recorded Memories

Doreen Marvin and Gordon Kayliss Interviews. October 2000.

Work, family and social life in Hinckley and Earl Shilton from the 1940s:

‘A lot of lint about…everywhere…place were covered in it…no individual benches – a long bench with a shaft running underneath…twenty-four [girls] at a bench'

‘I met my wife at Flude’s …I was 16…I’ll marry you…and I did’ –‘she were gorgeous’

‘In the fashion rooms down Flude’s there used to be 32-headers [knitting machines] they had to be a certain humidity…and sweat used to be pouring off them (knitters)…stripped to the waist some of them’

‘When Banners opened…so elite, a bit of America…Sunday night used to go pictures…then used to walk round the Monkey Run…and you only walked round one way and call in
Banners for a cup of coffee or tea’

‘Every Friday when you finished you’d get your machine spotlessly clean…you’d have what you called a picker (a maker’s needle) and pick all the fluff all out where your needle were…
and sometimes mid-week if your machine wasn’t making such a good stitch’