Audrey Wilson
I was born in Harehills Lane. My mother and father ran Walkers Furniture Shop on Harehills Lane. My dad died in February 1939 before the war broke out and we had to come out of the shop because there was nobody buying furniture. They were selling it but not buying it. So we had to come out of the shop. We had no dad and no house so we were in a bit of a state. Anyway it turned out ever so strange because I found out the house we went into many years later, a very dear friend of mine came out of the house because they couldn’t afford it. Mrs Preston got my mum the house.
The Government asked people to take war workers in. Doris was our first girl. We ended up with six war workers in the end. It was fabulous there because my mother took over looking after them. She wanted to know who the girls were going out with so she could check up on them. I think I might have been a bit jealous. Afterwards all the lads started coming over. We had Americans, Canadians, loads of foreigners came. The six girls all called Mam “Their Leeds Mam”. She took the job of looking after them very seriously.
I am 87 now and I must admit I have had a fabulous life. My husband was an electrician. He was the kind of man that would put up with me! I can remember when we bought a house on the Green. We went and paid the deposit and my mother was the only one on the telephone; she was in business in the Lane then and she came over to me and said “Audrey they want you back. They want £25 off you”. She said “Well actually it’s the builder who wants it because he’s put you a glory hole in”. There was only three on the Green at that time that had this ‘glory hole’ (this was my name for a small room upstairs.)
My husband and I were married then. We didn’t have £25 between us!
Seacroft Gala
I was the Entertainment secretary and I used to do the Pick a straw stall. The Pick a Straw was very good. I’ve tried to contribute to this area. I left school when I was 13. My granddaughter is a lawyer and my grandson is a manager for Halfords. I used to work in Burtons in the Head Office. It was one of the best jobs.
When I first joined here (Village Hall) I think my friend Barbara Ackroyd said we’ve £17 for the Gala. We were desperate for money none of us got paid, I do believe they get paid now because times have changed but the funny things that happened at the Gala. There was one where we decided to have a stall where the children put their hand in. They called it the Bran tub. Anyway Simon Peters gave it out. We never thought about how many children were on the green. Well, they all paid for the Bran tub and I don’t know what they paid I think it was maybe ten pence.
Anyway there was a friend, my friend’s sister who had no children, didn’t know anything about children, we persuaded her into doing it. Anyway, all these children ran all the way to the Bran tub and the next thing we heard was Annie shouting to the kids “Get in line you little buggers” Mary my friend, she nearly died! Well I collapsed with laughter. There wasn’t one parent who complained. Not one! But I mean when a hundred kids descend on you! She had none. She didn’t know she was shouting at them. Well I was hysterical. Mary didn’t see it in the same light but I can assure you it was funny.
I think we started in 1972. I worked at Burtons in the Head Office. I had a marvellous manager who put up with me. Anyone that could help me in any way I used to get to know them and I got to know a bloke who worked at Elida Gibbs and he said if I gave him so much money, if I gave him ten pound, which was a lot of money back then, he would see me all right with prizes. He used to bring them and all these prizes; we didn’t know what to do with them. I said “Well if you come to my house, I’ll show you what I call my Glory hole and it used to be well known, full of stuff. Anyway, my boss said to me one day, “Do you know this stuff you’re getting from Elida Gibbs for the Gala? What if the Burton twin boys want to look and see what material we’ve got for coats and suits?” There was these cupboards for big rolls of cloth. He said “What am I going to say when they come down”. He said “You have to get rid of them”. (The Gala prizes)
So Harry who was next in charge for the Gala said he would come down and pick me up. So between my boss and me and somebody else, we got all the stuff to the kerb. Harry never turned up! The snow started coming down so we had to take it all back in. He went potty did my boss! It’s a wonder he didn’t sack me actually.
Another time I got to know a bloke. He worked at Burtons and he made wine and he looked after all the boss’s cars. He came to me one day. You’ve got to imagine this is head office! He bent over me and said “It’ll be ready in a fortnight” So Peter, my boss put his pen down and said “Who’s he?” I said “You should know who he is he looks after all the bosses cars”. “I’ve never seen him in my life”! he said “what’s he doing with you?”. I said “He’s making me wine and I use these bottles of wine to give away as gifts for the Gala. He said “This is not that kind of an office where you have men coming in like that” and he said “How much is the wine?” So I said “Its half a crown a bottle” so he said “Half a crown a bottle? Can you get me some?” so I said “Yes of course”.
There was another bloke who got me stuff. He had a factory where they made teddy bears but he couldn’t give me the price that I wanted to buy them at. He said I would have to take 100 teddies. Can you imagine a room full of 1 hundred teddy bears?
I think the most important thing was that we had £17 to start with. So anyway every house got a teddy bear. We got rid of those. And then there was another girl and she worked at, I can’t remember if it was Rowntree or Cadburys and she said to me one day “Audrey, we have got a load of toffee tins, there’s no toffee in them. Do you want them?” So I said “If the price is right.” It always had to be if the price is right, you see. So anyway I went over with Frank Myers who was our boss and we bought all these toffee tins which then we gave out. I don’t remember whether we filled them or just gave them out just as prizes. But we did everything if we could get it at our price. It was unbelievable really. But I can tell you it was an awful lot of fun.
I was once on the bar with a friends husband and this women was going round with a pint glass and Ernest said to me “Audrey, what are you doing” and I said “I’m listening in” he said “what you listening in at?” I said “This woman” ,so he looked up and said “Who is she collecting for” so I said “Us” so he said “But we don’t get paid!”So I said “That’s why she’s collecting for us” and I heard her speaking to this bloke and he said “Well what do you want me to put in”. So she said “Anything. Put ten pence in”. Now don’t forget 10 pence was not 10 pence like it is now it was a lot of money.
At the Gala, there was my stall, which was Pick a Straw and then there was this lady who did the straws for me, where you had to twirl a ticket and stick it down your straws. It was very hard to do. I couldn’t do it because my hands were never good enough. There was pop and crisps. My daughter Bev and her friend Shona ran this stall. Shona’s auntie Annie ran the Bran Tub.
We had the vintage car parade, side shows, Punch and Judy, dogs, First Aid and Judo, children’s rides, Bingo, five a side football. Simon Peters was a disc jockey and he was on radio 1. This girl at head office said to me “Do you want me to get you someone on the mike?” I said “yes” she said “Would you like me to get Simon Peters?” Who was like getting Elvis Presley! I said “Can you get him?” She said “Yes”. It was funny because I came out of the house on a Gala day and I saw him on the Green. He was telling everybody where to go and I heard him say “Well there’s Audrey Wilson just leaving her house” and I froze and he was helplessly laughing at me. And I just thought you stupid woman; nobody knows who the hell you are. The fun we had!
We even had things that weren’t funny. Sister Hazel and Brenda were on the committee. Brenda did a stall and she had this boy helping her and she said he was ever so generous, this boy. He was buying everybody ice cream but he was buying them all from the takings!
This family that came they had this boy. There was something the matter with this boy. He wasn’t quite well in one way and I picked up on it and this family did everything they could to win this football for him and I was determined that he was going to win. But they gave it up in the end. So his little face, it fell a mile. So I switched the numbers round so he would win. He was thrilled to bits.
One year we were sinking because it rained that much and Frank Myers went and got a farmer, a friend of his and they came round putting the straw down so we wouldn’t sink any further. I don’t think there were any bad times.
I left the committee because I got too old. If I could stand up now I would still do it.
There’s a lady called Lilly that’s on the Green, and she said to me that I am the only one who gives me the most prizes. Because I ‘m the only one who natters everybody. I think they are frightened not to bring the prizes. I’m a nattering devil! Shona helps with this still, everyone is very kind
The first time we rejuvenated the place (Village hall) for want of a better description it was like a canteen it was terrible really but I thought it was marvellous. Everything was so warm. I think that was the best when both Mary and Annie, they’ve both passed away now. When Annie was saying “Get in line you little buggers”! Nowadays people would complain. She didn’t know anything about children. She was overwhelmed with them.
So Harry who was next in charge for the Gala said he would come down and pick me up. So between my boss and me and somebody else, we got all the stuff to the kerb. Harry never turned up! The snow started coming down so we had to take it all back in. He went potty did my boss! It’s a wonder he didn’t sack me actually.
Another time I got to know a bloke. He worked at Burtons and he made wine and he looked after all the boss’s cars. He came to me one day. You’ve got to imagine this is head office! He bent over me and said “It’ll be ready in a fortnight” So Peter, my boss put his pen down and said “Who’s he?” I said “You should know who he is he looks after all the bosses cars”. “I’ve never seen him in my life”! he said “what’s he doing with you?”. I said “He’s making me wine and I use these bottles of wine to give away as gifts for the Gala. He said “This is not that kind of an office where you have men coming in like that” and he said “How much is the wine?” So I said “Its half a crown a bottle” so he said “Half a crown a bottle? Can you get me some?” so I said “Yes of course”.
There was another bloke who got me stuff. He had a factory where they made teddy bears but he couldn’t give me the price that I wanted to buy them at. He said I would have to take 100 teddies. Can you imagine a room full of 1 hundred teddy bears?
I think the most important thing was that we had £17 to start with. So anyway every house got a teddy bear. We got rid of those. And then there was another girl and she worked at, I can’t remember if it was Rowntree or Cadburys and she said to me one day “Audrey, we have got a load of toffee tins, there’s no toffee in them. Do you want them?” So I said “If the price is right.” It always had to be if the price is right, you see. So anyway I went over with Frank Myers who was our boss and we bought all these toffee tins which then we gave out. I don’t remember whether we filled them or just gave them out just as prizes. But we did everything if we could get it at our price. It was unbelievable really. But I can tell you it was an awful lot of fun.
I was once on the bar with a friends husband and this women was going round with a pint glass and Ernest said to me “Audrey, what are you doing” and I said “I’m listening in” he said “what you listening in at?” I said “This woman” ,so he looked up and said “Who is she collecting for” so I said “Us” so he said “But we don’t get paid!”So I said “That’s why she’s collecting for us” and I heard her speaking to this bloke and he said “Well what do you want me to put in”. So she said “Anything. Put ten pence in”. Now don’t forget 10 pence was not 10 pence like it is now it was a lot of money.
At the Gala, there was my stall, which was Pick a Straw and then there was this lady who did the straws for me, where you had to twirl a ticket and stick it down your straws. It was very hard to do. I couldn’t do it because my hands were never good enough. There was pop and crisps. My daughter Bev and her friend Shona ran this stall. Shona’s auntie Annie ran the Bran Tub.
We had the vintage car parade, side shows, Punch and Judy, dogs, First Aid and Judo, children’s rides, Bingo, five a side football. Simon Peters was a disc jockey and he was on radio 1. This girl at head office said to me “Do you want me to get you someone on the mike?” I said “yes” she said “Would you like me to get Simon Peters?” Who was like getting Elvis Presley! I said “Can you get him?” She said “Yes”. It was funny because I came out of the house on a Gala day and I saw him on the Green. He was telling everybody where to go and I heard him say “Well there’s Audrey Wilson just leaving her house” and I froze and he was helplessly laughing at me. And I just thought you stupid woman; nobody knows who the hell you are. The fun we had!
We even had things that weren’t funny. Sister Hazel and Brenda were on the committee. Brenda did a stall and she had this boy helping her and she said he was ever so generous, this boy. He was buying everybody ice cream but he was buying them all from the takings!
This family that came they had this boy. There was something the matter with this boy. He wasn’t quite well in one way and I picked up on it and this family did everything they could to win this football for him and I was determined that he was going to win. But they gave it up in the end. So his little face, it fell a mile. So I switched the numbers round so he would win. He was thrilled to bits.
One year we were sinking because it rained that much and Frank Myers went and got a farmer, a friend of his and they came round putting the straw down so we wouldn’t sink any further. I don’t think there were any bad times.
I left the committee because I got too old. If I could stand up now I would still do it.
There’s a lady called Lilly that’s on the Green, and she said to me that I am the only one who gives me the most prizes. Because I ‘m the only one who natters everybody. I think they are frightened not to bring the prizes. I’m a nattering devil! Shona helps with this still, everyone is very kind
The first time we rejuvenated the place (Village hall) for want of a better description it was like a canteen it was terrible really but I thought it was marvellous. Everything was so warm. I think that was the best when both Mary and Annie, they’ve both passed away now. When Annie was saying “Get in line you little buggers”! Nowadays people would complain. She didn’t know anything about children. She was overwhelmed with them.
I was involved with the Village Hall right from the beginning. I was born in 1929. I didn’t come up to Seacroft until 1964. No one was using the Hall it was very, very run down. We had the bar put in and we made do with the furniture that we had because we had no choice we had no money but all we were dedicated to was making money.
The dances were five shilling if I remember right and one New Year’s Eve I did a supper and they queued all the way round the Village hall to get in. What happened was Brenda was coming over with the key and they wouldn’t let her in they told her to go to the back of the queue and she said “none of you will get in because I’m opening up” I remember at one dance we always wore long dresses. I did fish and chips suppers. For my first one I’m pretty sure I did chicken portions. Mr Fulton started off with the chickens and I used to do them for New Years Eve. It was always a sell out!
Joan Curtis
We used to go all over, Audrey was the entertainment secretary and she would be going round and she would say “oh we’ll go suss this place out. We’ll go for a meal” on a Sunday night every so often we used to go to a pub called the Crown and they did barbeques and you had a steak and you cooked it yourself but we got Gordon Walkers team. He was the butcher. We went all over.
We used to do kids parties. They wouldn’t let children under 18 in the Village Hall because of the bar. We could hire a room because that was a private party. So what we did was, there was loads of bar staff and on Boxing night they would bring all their children. they would take in turns of running the bar. They would organise games and all sorts for the kids. Roll a penny down the line to win a prize. As the kids grow up they are not interested. We had a children’s party upstairs and we had a trip to the pantomime. We found a little boy that didn’t belong to our group. So we phoned City Varieties and his parents were demented. I don’t know how they had come to miss him off their bus. The other time we decided to have a children’s party and we’d got it all set out and they were going to all sit down and we had buns and cakes and everything and a certain person came round and gave them all them blowers
I remember this woman who had a fabulous party upstairs in the Village Hall. I cannot remember who she was and she said to me “will you tell those downstairs that if they want a sandwich will they come up and have a sandwich up here. Tell them to help themselves. Other lady, we had two chaps that sat there, they decided to go up and they came down with a sandwich and a full joint of beef! The lady came down asking where it had gone! She had a big apple pie that was taken as well.
The dances were five shilling if I remember right and one New Year’s Eve I did a supper and they queued all the way round the Village hall to get in. What happened was Brenda was coming over with the key and they wouldn’t let her in they told her to go to the back of the queue and she said “none of you will get in because I’m opening up” I remember at one dance we always wore long dresses. I did fish and chips suppers. For my first one I’m pretty sure I did chicken portions. Mr Fulton started off with the chickens and I used to do them for New Years Eve. It was always a sell out!
Joan Curtis
We used to go all over, Audrey was the entertainment secretary and she would be going round and she would say “oh we’ll go suss this place out. We’ll go for a meal” on a Sunday night every so often we used to go to a pub called the Crown and they did barbeques and you had a steak and you cooked it yourself but we got Gordon Walkers team. He was the butcher. We went all over.
We used to do kids parties. They wouldn’t let children under 18 in the Village Hall because of the bar. We could hire a room because that was a private party. So what we did was, there was loads of bar staff and on Boxing night they would bring all their children. they would take in turns of running the bar. They would organise games and all sorts for the kids. Roll a penny down the line to win a prize. As the kids grow up they are not interested. We had a children’s party upstairs and we had a trip to the pantomime. We found a little boy that didn’t belong to our group. So we phoned City Varieties and his parents were demented. I don’t know how they had come to miss him off their bus. The other time we decided to have a children’s party and we’d got it all set out and they were going to all sit down and we had buns and cakes and everything and a certain person came round and gave them all them blowers
I remember this woman who had a fabulous party upstairs in the Village Hall. I cannot remember who she was and she said to me “will you tell those downstairs that if they want a sandwich will they come up and have a sandwich up here. Tell them to help themselves. Other lady, we had two chaps that sat there, they decided to go up and they came down with a sandwich and a full joint of beef! The lady came down asking where it had gone! She had a big apple pie that was taken as well.