"I had to put my knee in her back while I pulled the laces as tight as possible to make her waist look small."
Hello, I'm Kathleen, but everyone calls me Kath. I'm 71 years old and live in Stoke on Trent. Infact I've lived here all my life. My son and daughter, as well as their Grandmother and aunts have all worked in the local pottery industries for many years. I keep myself busy and creative by writing. I love to compose poetry. I've even had some published - along with a book of childhood memories.
During the 1940s my young brother aged six and myself age eight were brought up by my sixty year old grand-mother. My jobs at home were to clean and black-lead the fire grate until it shone and scrub the passage floor that led to the kitchen, jobs that had to be done every morning before I went to school. On Saturdays the day my brother Tommy and I looked forward to, after all the work was done Grand-Mother would make a big fire and we would toast our bread, we would sit and listen to her telling us stories to make us laugh. To me Grandmother was an angel. She was my role-model and I wanted to be just like her. After the table had been cleared, out would come a thick sheet it was put onto the table to do the ironing. Granny would lift out the little black lid from the hob of the grate,I could see the fire underneath,she placed the iron on top of it to get hot. She had three satin blouses, one pink, one green, and one blue,she taught me to iron, I watched her press every bit of blouse with such care. Once the ironing was done she would go upstairs to get ready, after a few seconds she called me upstairs to help her with her corset. It was made of thick pink cotton with metal fasterners all down the front, at the back were long pink laces. I had to put my knee in her back while I pulled the laces as tight as possible to make her waist look small. I said to her Gran if I pull any harder you will pop out of the top of the corset. She laughed so much she nearly fell over. She was a smart lady and would come downstairs in one of her satin blouses, and a long ankle lenth skirt, and green buttoned shoes with a cuban heel. I think I am like my Grandmother, in everything I do. She taught me everything I know.
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