| Collection | Winstanley Oral History Collection |
| Description | Mrs. L. A. Frampton,(nee Austin), born 1896, interviewed in Lydd. Her father was a farm baliff labourer (Walter Austin).
Track 1 [1:28:25] [0:00:01] Introduction: interview with Mrs L A Frampton [LF] at her home, Poplar House, Lydd on 23rd Feb 1977. [0:01:10] LF born at Belgar Farm off Lydd Road, 1896. [0:01:25] Mentions father’s job as farm bailiff, his employees. Describes livestock owned by the family and food at home. Mentions school until 1908, moving house. [0:03:05] Mentions start of dressmaking apprenticeship. Comments on reasons for starting, location, what apprentices learned. Mentions Mrs. Spicer, describes her business, customers, payment, becoming an apprentice and starting on her own, prices, working hours and conditions, technology, busy times of year. [0:13:55] LF mentions starting her career as a dressmaker aged 18, her first marriage aged 21, death of first husband, employees, local competition in Lydd, working hours, interactions with customers, taking orders, pattern books, call-outs, fittings, wedding clothes, headwear. Comments on former diversity of shops in Lydd. Mentions sourcing and transportation of material. [0:20:55] Describes typical clothing of apprentices. Mentions rules, holidays, breaks. Further description of working hours, difference between before and after WW2. [0:23:54] LF mentions making men’s clothes, male customers, where men would buy clothes before WW1, where men’s clothes were made. Comments on mail order businesses, types of customers who preferred mail-order, types of local people who might go shopping in London. Mentions corset-fitting, comments on its viability, advertising. [0:29:36] Describes apprentices’ duties, contact with customers, consequences of mistakes. Mentions the other apprentices’ backgrounds, their fathers’ occupations, girls sent out to service. Comments on perceived value of apprenticing as a dressmaker. [0:33:40] Mentions her brothers, their occupations, one brother in WW1. [0:34:39] Further description of making underclothes, mentions that her mother made them herself, materials her mother used, household tools for washing and ironing clothes. Describes how mother would wash clothes. LF describes her household chores and those of her brothers, how father used to help around the house, how her mother made Christmas puddings. [0:38:53] Comments on childhood living situation, describes kinds of food at home. Describes how mother made and sold butter, animals and vehicles they owned. Describes how father used horse and cart for travel and shopping, how family made pork products. Mentions that her father bred pigs. Mentions moving to Lydd aged around 12. [0:44:13] Comments on father giving up job as farm bailiff and mentions his subsequent work. Story about father losing money. Mentions picture of father with balloon from the war. [0:45:51] Further comments on family living situation. Mentions family growing vegetables, father’s fishing hobby. [0:47:53] Describes school, mentions some names of staff, mixed classes, subjects and activities, recreation, physical education, discipline. Comments on manners compared to present day. Mentions Empire Day. [0:52:56] Comments on hygiene of children, describes parents’ precautions. Mentions poorer local people and their occupations. LF comments on her family’s status. [0:56:05] Describes career advice, school-leaving age, opportunities for further study, Sunday school, religion of parents and father’s employers. Comments on religious habits of employers and employees. LF mentions her Confirmation at church and Sunday school outings, family outings. Anecdote about having to watch cricket at Canterbury. Comments on father’s politics. [1:01:21] Mentions names of father’s employers. Describes how family would purchase fuel and in what quantities. [1:03:08] Mentions name of carriers, describes process of using carrier service, price, different uses. Comments on efficacy of service. Describes parents’ use of carrier. Comments on present state of local carrier business. Mention’s father’s bicycle, how mother would do shopping, delivery. [1:10:15] Describes family home, access to running water, gas, and heating. LF mentions relatives visiting and visiting them herself, staying with cousins in Ashford, occupations of the family, mother staying with her sister in Buckinghamshire, father’s social life. [1:15:29] Describes lighting, bathing routine, heating, matting, music at home. Mentions that father’s parents died when he was 10, then went to live with aunt and uncle. LF comments on father’s interest in her education. Describes discipline, table etiquette, meals and food at home. LF describes how her mother made jam. Mentions food delivered to house. [1:25:09] LF’s mother’s born at Brenzett. LF describes her mother’s upbringing, mentions mother’s marriage aged 18-19, her mother losing two children out of five. Story about death of LF’s brother aged 21. [1:26:59] Comments on what would happen in case of illness on the farm.
Summary created by Christian Tofte, volunteer, November 2024. |