Using Paper Patterns #MondayBlogs #Fashions #Nostalgia

My mother made nearly all my clothes when I was a child and she often chose a style which could be used for similar dresses for the two of us.

I don’t have the patterns my mother used during the 1950s but this pattern she bought in 1968 was perfect for the psychedelic fabric she bought in Arab Street in Singapore to make me some fashionable culottes.

I loved the bolero top I made with this pattern to match my flares.  I used chocolate brown Thai cotton with a pattern including pink. It sounds awful but it worked.

Returning to a cold English winter in the early 1970s a maxi coat was a must-have.

In 1975 everyone wanted a flared skirt with a frill and this pattern adapted to winter weight cord or soft cotton for the summer.

Woman and Woman’s Realm magazines offered patterns to purchase which my mother loved.

In the early 90s I faced the challenge of making two bridesmaids' dressers for my children but this helpful pattern made it possible.

And we were all pleased with the result.

Family weddings in the 20th century #fashion

In every family photo collection you will find wedding photographs.  I have been looking through my family's photos and am intrigued by the different fashions.  The picture above is my parents' wedding in Scotland in 1948.  It was June but it was wet and windy. I vividly remember my grandma's fox fur falling out of the top shelf in the wardrobe and being scared of the beady glass eyes.

When Grandma married in 1912, she and her mother sailed across the Atlantic to Montreal where my Grandpa was working as an architect.  There are no photographs of them together but this one shows her in a nearby park, after a very small wedding.

Five years later my husband's grandfather used his army leave to marry in September 1917.  I am still trying to identify the regiment of Wilf's army uniform.

My father had the pleasure of being chosen as a pageboy at his older cousin's wedding at St George's Hanover Square in 1927.

Sitting on the floor with a pudding basin haircut he doesn't look very happy.

There is a gap in years in our family until my wedding.

So here I am on a November evening in 1975 with my matron of honour, Jane. My mother crocheted my dress with a pattern from a womans' magazine and Jane bought the blue material to make her dress in Libertys in Regent Street. We both wore silver shoes with high heels.

I will conclude with a group picture from my parents wedding in 1948

Lost Children

Every day I love to look at the old photographs which Lynn Heiden uploads to Twitter and Facebook as they give us a fascinating window into the past.  Often she is able to trace details of the lives of the people in the photographs, using census returns, trade directories etc.but sometimes there just aren't enough clues.  I was particularly struck by this group of unknown children so just for fun I thought I'd make up character sketches of them.  

Teddy was born early in the century, a much loved second child after the death of his brother.  Photographed, age 2, he is yet to be breeched so his mother has dressed him in a spotless, lace edged frock, cleaned and pressed by the maid, but he can’t resist trying to slip off his uncomfortable shoe.  Later his sister Muriel will be born, but he will always be his mother’s favourite and she is so glad, that just as he is about to be sent to France to fight, the “war to end all wars” ceases.  Sadly he decides to become an army officer and dies early in the Second World War, leaving a wife and four children.

Little May is very nervous, as she stands leaning against the wicker contraption in the photographer’s studio.  Why does she have to stand so still in front of that strange “camera” and why has the man hidden behind a tablecloth?  Ma says, “It’s for Da.  He’s gone a long way away to “fight for his country” and we need to send him something to help him remember you.”

Stanley has always been a character.  Almost as soon as he was born he had a dirty laugh and he loves to take off people he knows, in his broad accent.  Borrowing his Dad’s pullover and his best hat and umbrella Stanley is trying to look like the rent man who comes round weekly, licking his pencil and writing down the payments, so he’s using his copy book as a prop.

Connie is usually happy.  Mother takes her everywhere, whether it is helping at the church bazaar or going to buy a yard of ribbon at the haberdashery shop.  Her brothers have gone away to boarding school, but Connie goes to a small local school with other little girls.  She likes the scene behind the bench in the photograph, as it is the largest picture of the countryside she has ever seen.  Soon Jim and Georgie will return for the holidays and she can run after them through the fields.

Gwenne was born just after World War One when her father had returned from the war.  Daddy was always very quiet and would frequently disappear for long walks.  Gwenne can’t remember seeing him smile, although Mummy said that he used to love taking her dancing.  He died two years before this photo was taken but Uncle Fred, Mummy’s brother, has always been more like a father to Gwenne.  He’s nor married so he always comes to Gwenne’s house, every week, for Sunday lunch.  Ten years later, he will give her away in marriage to young Hugh whom she’s known all her life.  Hopefully when Hugh goes to war in 1940 it will not change his life as drastically as it did to Gwenne’s father.

Elsie was born in London.  She has two brothers and two sisters.  She is the middle child but she is also the boss.  She looks after her youngest siblings while her mother does the laundry and housework and she expects her big brothers to do exactly what she tells them.  As soon as she can, she wants to help her father run his stall in the market.  She has the voice and the confidence to attract customers to the, “lovely juicy apples” and she loves the jolly atmosphere in the market street.  It won’t worry her that she will need to be up before dawn to fetch the produce and she is prepared to work hard.  One day she might have her own shop.

Please visit Lynn's Waffles to see her research on other pictures from her collection.

Betty's Brussels Diary Part Two 1945 #WWWBlogs

8^th April 1945

Pat and I strolled to Susanne’s house at 11 and she took us into the Catholic church.  We had a huge lunch and then took photos in the garden.  We went to a fete near the Palais de Justice- a new experience for us.  I won a colander and a vase in the raffle.  Had a laugh over the embarrassing communal lavatories.  Went dancing in the evening.

With Susanne's family

17^th April

Sat by the lakes at lunchtime.  The weather was glorious.  Worked till 9 pm.  Pat came back from Susanne’s laden with lilac.  She also brought our photos and 2 eggs for breakfast.

19^th April 1945

My day off apart from Pay Parade.  Tony called for me at 2.30 and we caught the number 80 tram, changed to no. 40 and went to the terminus.  We went to the Congo Museum but it was closed so we walked for miles round the park, woods and lake.  We heard a cuckoo.  Eventually we stopped at a café for lemonade.  Caught a tram back to the boating lake and spent an hour on the lake.  Walked back to Tony’s Mess for a cordial.  I enjoyed the fresh air.

24^th April 1945

Met Tony at 7.30 and took 2 trams, then walked over a bridge which had been blown up by the British and then replaced with a temporary one by Jerry.  We saw the Japanese house and the Chinese one.  They are both magnificent buildings.  Watched people on a roller skating rink.  Went to the Continental for a drink, then collected rhododendrons for the flat.

May 4^th 1945

Busy day at the office.  Did a little sewing then someone came in with the startling news that Jerry had surrendered to the British Army! 

May 7^th 1945 VE Day

I was sitting on the balcony drying my hair when I heard that Jerry had given unconditional surrender.  Went to Pat’s office to hear the 6 o’clock news.  Then we went to the Fair with all the crowd.  We had a grand time laughing our heads off in the White Lodge.  At 10.45 the All Clear sounded.  All the girls hung out of the Billet windows then we went out dancing till 1 o’clock in the morning.

May 9^th 1945

Visited the Botanic Gardens with Tommy and Fay.  Looked round a church then sat in the YW talking for 2 hours.  Moved on to the Malcolm Club where I met Reg.  When Curly arrived we went into the Dance and had something to eat as we were starving.  There was a firework display.

The YWCA formerly occupied by the Gestapo

May 12^th 1945

Had a date with Tommy so I met him at the Metropole.  We went to see Hollywood Canteen which was quite good.  Afterwards we went to the Café Continental. I missed the Shuttle but a tank came along and said, "ATS Taxi Service," so I got back in time.

May 13^th 1945

Pat and I went to church and the service was excellent.  I really enjoyed it.  We stayed at the office till 8 pm.  There was hot water there but none at our billet.  We went to the YW to hear Churchill’s speech which was rather disappointing.  He sounded very tired.

3^rd June 1945

Watched the Corpus Christi Procession go past.  Had a lovely meal at Susanne’s with mushrooms but I was really ill afterwards.

6^th June 1945

An extra day off for one year after D Day.  Went to ENSA cinema to see "Ali Baba"- a film in colour.  Went on the boating lake.

9^th June 1945

Rose at 4 to move my kit to room 10.  It was awful saying Goodbye to Pat as she is moving to Germany today.

25^th June 1945

Caught a train to Antwerp.  Had to pay our fares.  Not free like Brussels.

27^th June 1945

Margaret moved to Germany today.  Staff took me to the flicks to see Clark Gable in "Too Hot to Handle."

28^th June 1945

Madame Toussaint called to see me and ask me to her home this evening.  We had coffee and cakes and then her husband returned from Paris.  (Winnie Toussaint befriended Betty when her friends had left.  Betty continued to write to Winnie until the late 1960s)

Winnie and Betty

2^nd July 1945

Winnie Toussaint came to the flicks (cinema) with me and then we met her husband in a café for cakes, ice-cream and strawberries.

5^th July 1945

Working late most evenings.  Jack produced some cherry brandy at 8 pm.  We had supper at the Y and the 3 men kept talking politics.  Jack and I walked round the lakes before returning to our billets.  We stood for ages watching the fish and the frogs.

20^th July 1945

Jack called for me at the office tonight.  We took a tram to the terminus.  The weather was beautiful.  I discarded stockings and hat and we scrambled amongst the brambles and the bracken.  I felt really free again.  We did quite a bit of walking then had lemonade at a café and sat talking.

5^th August 1945

Packed up my things and dumped them at the office.  Wingy laid on a taxi for me.  Left at 12.  Had a pleasant flight.  Watched England appear from the pilot’s seat.  It was lovely.  Had the usual rigmarole to go through.  Went to Euston & wangled a Sleeper.  Went out to visit Staff’s wife.  She had a bath and a meal ready for me.

7^th August 1945

I went to Dumbarton and called in to see my aunt and uncle.  Came back via Balloch.  It was lovely driving up the loch in the half dark.  The lights of Greenock, Gourock and Port Glasgow looked wonderful from above Helensburgh. (The first time she had seen lights at night there since before the war)

13^th August 1945

I went to Balloch with my brothers for the meeting of the young farmers’ club.  Someone from the newspaper took my photograph while I was judging the sheep.

Betty at YFC meeting at Balloch from the newspaper

24^th August 1945

I was walking along Avenue Louise today when a lad called out to me and handed me my photo taken from the Evening News.

30^th August 1945

Rose at 6 am and caught the 7 o’clock train to Blankenberge, Winnie Toussaint met me at the station.  When I reached the hotel I found I left my shoulder bag on the train but I got it back from Bruges through the RTO.  (Railway Transport Office).  We went to a café and met some of their friends.  It poured most of the day but we still walked along the front and down the pier.  I enjoyed the sea breeze once the sun came out and we stayed on the beach taking photos.

The Toussaint family at Blankenberge

4^th September 1945

Staff returned from his trip to Herford (Germany) – says we will go there soon.  Visited Winnie & we sat in the garden till it was dark.  Left at 10 to catch the tram.

8^th September 1945 My birthday (23) The Victory Ball

We went down to the Opera House in our tartan skirts this morning- caused quite a sensation along the street.  Last rehearsal for the Victory Ball and then we met the men in the dressing room at 12 and had champagne which was very good.  I met a very nice  Captain and sat nattering to him from 1 till 2 when we went on stage.  Our dance went off well.  We had some more champagne then joined the Ball.  I had to suffer Major D for a bit.  Danced out in the Square too.  Managed to ditch him and find my hero again who was a wonderful dancer.  I could have gone on and on dancing with him.  I was annoyed when the transport arrived at 5.15.  Said farewell and then back to the billet.

Later that month, Betty’s office moved to Herford in Germany

Betty's diary for June 1944
Betty in Brussels part one

Betty in Brussels 1944-45 #WW2 #MondayBlogs

Part One

3^rd October 1944

Pat and I rose at 6.30 and set out for a walk.  It was glorious at that time of the morning.  Saw the Palais de Justice and the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior.  Felt really refreshed when we reached the office.  Lunch at a café, lovely to have fresh fruit.  Worked till 8.  Cleaned my buttons and wrote letters.  Lights out by 10.15 or we are in trouble.

5^th October 1944

Dolled ourselves up in brass buttons and went down town tonight.  Visited Capitole and Metropole Cafés and had lovely ice-cream.  Listened to the band and watched an unusual dance by five men dressed in funny costumes with large ostrich-feather hats.

7^th October 1944

Shopping with Pat & Hazel.  Wonderful to see shops so well stocked with goods.  Had our photos taken and then had meringues & ice-cream.  What a selection of cosmetics and perfume!  We couldn’t buy anything as they were unable to change a hundred Franc note.  After tea we took the tram to the Garrison theatre to see Richard Green in “Arms and the Man.”  We were supplied with ices and chocolate by the fellows sitting beside us.

22^nd October 1944

Pat and I went down to the YWCA tonight and met Hazel.  It’s lovely there, comfy chairs, cosy little rooms & tea brought to you.  We did some sewing and chatted till 9.30 then caught the tram back to the billet.

Pat, John and Betty

28^th October 1944

Rushed off from the office at 6.30 and went to the ENSA theatre.  Monty (Field-Marshall Montgomery) was there and we had also seen him during the afternoon at the office.  On stage we saw Emlyn Williams in Blithe Spirit.  It was awfully good.  I did enjoy the cracks.  Went to the Bristol Café for ices then caught truck back to the billet.

13^th November 1944

Rose early & gave our room a decent clean for Inspection.  Had a letter from Jenny to say that Bill had been reported missing.  Went to flicks with Susanne, Theo, Bob and George (locals who lived in Brussels.)  Had to leave early to get back in time.  Will have to watch my step with George.  He wants to get too friendly for my liking.

Pat & Betty with Bob & Susanne

25^th November 1944

Had to see the Camp Commander today to be told I’m receiving my Corporal’s stripe.  Went shopping & bought a pen for Dad & stockings for Mum.  Wrapped them up for Christmas.

30^th November 1944

Pat & I met Susanne, Theo and George at the Capitole to listen to the band.  Gave George the cold shoulder.  Caught the tram back.

1^st December 1944

Had to sew the stripe on my tunic before going out.   Pat & I went to ENSA theatre to see “A soldier for Christmas.”  It was very amusing but a bit suggestive.  Nattered to some sergeants we were sitting beside.

1^st January 1945

Edward brought Fay & I back from the Hogmanay party at 1 am.  Stayed in bed till early afternoon then called in at the office to wish them a happy new year.  Went to the Monty Club (Montgomery Club) for tea.  Had our photos taken by some fellows.  Went to the ENSA theatre where 2 sergeants had double tickets so we went in with them.  “The Merry Widow most enjoyable. Caught the truck back.

2^nd January 1945

Went to Susanne’s house for dinner.  Quite a crowd there.  Roads very slippery on the way back.  Had to be careful carrying a bowl of baked apples.

Looking out of the Office window on Avenue Louise

8^th January 1945

Day off so we went on a trip to Ostend by bus.  Thick snow when we left so everything looked very picturesque clothed in white.  Countryside quite pretty, windmills unusual (to us).  We stopped at Ghent & went to the NAAFI for tea.  The town is full of ancient buildings.  When we reached Ostend it was raining and terribly blowy.  The hotels at the seafront were badly battered.  Very cold in the bus even with a blanket round us.  Managed to reach the YWCA by 8.30 for supper.

January 19^th 1945

Really freezing in the flat.  Went to Susanne’s house for dinner and we were covered in snow when we arrived.  Had to rush back to the billet early as I had to take roll call.

January 25^th 1945

Bought an electric fire today but it doesn’t work.  Went to bed early with a blanket round my shoulders to write letters home.

1^st February 1945

Walked to Porte de Namur by way of the lakes which are lovely.  Called at the lace shop to buy some.  Set out for Waterloo but had a very long wait for the train.  Got out at the village but it was miles from the battlefield.  Hitched a ride with a Sergeant Major, then he took us for a drink.  Climbed to the top of the column and saw the Panorama in the Rotunda.  Hitched back to Brussels and went to the Blighty Café.

3^rd February 1945

I was orderly NCO tonight.  Did some mending in the Guardroom.  CSM was duty officer & was on her high horse so I had to take the names of those who were only a little late.

6^th February 1945

Di and I went out to Concordia for our evening meal then to Maxims where we were joined by a RAF officer.  I nearly died when a Canadian corporal started to make me jitterbug.  Caught the shuttle back to the billet.

 8^th February 1945

Left work early & went to the Monty Club for a bath.  I did some pressing until Pat arrived then we went upstairs for supper.  Changed some money at the Hotel Splendide.

10^th February 1945 

Flew from Neuville aerodrome.  Thrilling flying into England (my first flight).  Pat’s mother met me at Euston & then I boarded the train for Glasgow.  Travelled in a first class carriage with 2 companions.  Arrived at 9 am but could only get a train as far as Dumbarton where I hitched a lift home in time for lunch.

20^th February 1945

Reported for my flight back to Brussels at 8 am but there was no room for us.  Met Moyra and she took me to meet some of her blind patients at Roehampton hospital.  A very interesting experience for me.

21^st February 1946

Flew back from Northolt to Neuville.  A truck drove us to the Hotel Splendide and then a driver took me the rest of the way to my billet.  Went to the ENSA theatre to see Stewart Granger and Deborah Kerr.  Glad to be back.

29^th February 1945

Met Ian at Porte Louise and we went to the Follies Bergère.  Although we didn’t understand what they said we were still in stitches laughing.  A couple of drinks at the Palace and then walked back by the lakes.

"The Office" ST Increment Demand Section

11^th March 1945

Staff (Staff sergeant in the office) took us to the flicks to see Rebecca.  Very good but had to stand throughout the whole film.  Our feet were in a terrible state.  We practically crawled to Porte Louise & hitched a lift from there in time for me to take roll call.

27^th March 1945

We moved out of the flat for 4 into a flat for 3.  The poor new girls were shocked when we took all our odds and ends with us, since they had given the old room a homely atmosphere.  I bought some brackets to put up shelves in the new room, covered them with pink material and added a frill.  Visited Susanne’s home to pick up the dress she has made me and she also gave me 2 fresh eggs for our breakfast.

Brussels part two follows here