Betty was born on 3 January 1934 to Edna Netta and William Greaves, they lived next door but one to the Duke of William on Duke Street, then moved to 38 Elm Crescent when the evacuees came to Mosborough, next Betty moved to 11 Chapel Street and then to Cadman Street where she still lives to this present day (2019).
Betty remembers when her mum and dad used to meet and mix with all the old men folks, families, they all used to congregate were the turnpike was” on High Street, they used to tell some tales, and one of them was.
“Well it used to flood down East Street, (known as Easy Street to Betty) and one day they said somebody had died in the end house”.
Betty said you went down the yard and there was a house facing up, with a dead man inside. I forgot who they said who lived there at that time. Well he was in his coffin and the floods came, his coffin came flying out of door, we laughed, “aren’t we awful laughing about this”. Betty thought Eric Millington’s (either his parents or grandparents) lived there after, this man had died.
All sorts of things went off, funny little incidents happened but until you talk about it, that’s when your memories come back to you.
We used to sit around a coal fire in them days, didn’t yeah. I remember my mum saying to me “can you see that dog in fire or can you see that face in fire, well there were nothing to do at night, only to sit around a roaring fire in winter.
Betty referred to her hand and she said, “You know that on my hand, that’s not a birth mark”, in them days we had black clocks, because of the pub next door. There was a lot of Black Clocks also down by Bolsover’s farm.
What’s Black Clocks I said?
There were like a shelly thing, insect type thing, everyone had black clocks, my mum said I was only crawling and she was black leading when this black clock must have come from back of the fires ashes, I grabbed it and it bit me. Betty still has the mark on her hand today (2019).
Betty can remember every bit of furniture in the house on Duke Street where she used to live and even now if she gets upset her memories take her back up there. Where is up there, I said?
It’s the house on Duke Street, Betty replied, the one next door but one to the Duke William.
Betty’s description of the house was, you went through the door, there was an old-fashioned dresser and then another modern dresser with a big mirror and I was mad on hats apparently when I was little. I used to stand at this big mirror and kept trying these hats on, my mum use to remodel them for me, adding bits and cutting out bits. The insurance lady used to give me load of hats.
As you went through the Kitchen door, there was two steps and a window with little panes in, on the next wall was the fireplace, in corner we had a settee and then a window, and the front door.
In kitchen they kept coal in the corner of the pantry, then you went up a few steps to the back door and to the stairs to go upstairs.
Outside there were old Fred’s 12 steps where you went up the garden up to the earth toilets.
Betty remembers Fred Rotherham going into his aunties Mrs Clarke, he used to go upstairs, and he opened the window, from there is used to jump over the yard into the garden.
Betty can remember Lime falling from the ceiling in her bedroom and having to go into her mum and dad’s room.
When the evacuees arrived, they were put into our home and we were turned out, I was so mad I loved that house. There was no bathroom and a cellar/pantry that had coal at one side and food at the other. It wasn’t very hygiene, in them days if you were lucky enough to get gas, you had a red pipe coming through a little gas ring, that’s all you had. We moved up common, a lot better newer house but I was happier on Duke Street.
I used to sing with a brass band, sometimes with a dance band and some with an orchestra band. I used to sing locally and Alf Clarke who used to keep the club (Mosborough Miners Club), he wanted me to sing there at weekends. At that time my parents, aunties and uncles where very religious and I said no.
“I’m not coming down thee because they all drink beer”. “How stupid” I could earn pounds and pounds.
I used to sing at a lot of associations, churches and chapels and used to go over Mexborough way, and sang all over at various places. I had chance to go semi, so then you got paid, this man came to see us, and I had the chance to go to Bridlington and then turn professional. I was singing on stage from the age of 8 years old.
I had to choose from leaving home, leaving mum, dad, and finishing with Joe, but I didn’t want to do that and ended up having a break down. On recovering from it I went back to singing a bit more, but nothing like I did before.
I had chance to go to a do at City Hall and sing at side of Beverley Sisters, but I was recovering in the hospital.
I never regretted it, only thing I have regretted was, there was Ivy Benson’s Band and all that, I could have done it, and been well off.
Joe and I started a youth Club behind the old Salvation Army on the High Street about 47 years ago. Social workers from Chesterfield and Sheffield said it was the only place that had no trouble, but Joe was very strict. There was a part where you danced and a part for playing snooker.
There was another room which was used for kids to come and do their homework there.
Memories recorded / collated by Linda Staton
