We really do not alter, just grow older We really do not alter, just grow older just grow really do not alter, We We really do not alter, This collection of memories, articles and creative writing provides a fascinating insight into the life of former Kirklees councillor just grow older and long-term Denby Dale resident, Winifred Wheable-Archer. From her childhood during the Miners’ Strike of 1926, through her pioneering work in local government services and her continuing active engagement with politics at all levels, the book serves as an important contribution to social history as well as a tribute to a remarkable woman. An online version, including colour photographs, is available to view or download at http://camyorkshire.wordpress.com Ninety years of Winifred Wheable-Archer Ninety of Winifred years Ninety years of Winifred Wheable-Archer The next generation − Win’s great grandchildren ISBN 978-0-9532423-4-4 Edited by Patricia Daniel We really do not alter, just grow older Ninety years of Winifred Wheable-Archer. Edited by Patricia Daniel Published in 2010 by CAM Yorkshire http://camyorkshire.wordpress.com 58 Ward Street Penistone S36 6EP Printed by www.beamreachuk.co.uk 96 Church Road, Roberttown, West Yorkshire WF15 8BE ISBN 978-0-9532423-4-4 © Copyright 2010: Winifred Wheable-Archer Permission is granted for not for profit educational use of contents, provided that they are quoted verbatim and full acknowledgement is made of their origin. The publishers would be grateful for notification of any such use made. For my unique, much loved daughter, Tessa May – Raga Woods. Distances have separated us through the years – but never wholly apart. CONTENTS Introduction 7 Family Woman 11 Teresa Veronica Mullen (Tess and Tom) 13 The General Strike 1926 16 Ron Barber and the Spanish Civil War 23 Three Weddings 28 One can fall in love at any age 34 Having Babies 36 Dynasty 39 Tom Nally 43 Will Nally 45 Alice Lister: Address to the South Lancashire Fabian Society, May 1995, on the future of the Labour Party 47 Twins 55 Pioneering Professional 59 Winifred Wheable-Archer: Curriculum Vitae 61 The best year of my life: 1962 66 The Home Help Service 68 The International Home Help Conference 71 Home Help Training 74 The Education Centenary and Reflections on the Plowden Report 77 The Seebohm Report and its Impact on Services 81 Post Retirement 85 National concern through caring organisation 86 Facing up at last to the old problem 87 Sanctuary Housing at Cavendish Mill, Ashton under Lyne 90 Me and the Women’s Institute 91 We really do not alter, we just grow older 93 Mary Stott and The Guardian’s Women’s Page 94 iv Pillar of the Community 97 Denby Dale Labour Party 99 Win in the local press 106 Visitors 108 Denby Dale Youth Club 110 Denby Dale and District Probus Club 113 Snippets of History 114 Old Love Story 114 Ratten Row 116 The Blacksmith’s Anvil 118 Poet and Satirist 121 Memoirs of the Mondays 124 Please respect me 125 New Year’s Eve 126 A sonnet to spring 127 Lucy 128 One grand sweet song 129 My Co-op 132 Accentuate the positive 134 Candidate 136 Lord and Lady Chattersby: Their Noble Life and Times 139 Butterfly 157 Further Reading 158 v vi Introduction When I moved back to Yorkshire in 2008, I had the unforeseen pleasure and privilege of meeting Win, then in her ninetieth year, through a mutual friend. In typical style, Win welcomed me enthusiastically, invited me to meet her writing group, accompanied me to a musical production about the credit crunch from the Mikron Theatre Company and shared some of her life stories (oral and written) with me. My interest as a feminist was piqued on learning about Win’s professional life as the only woman at her level in local government and her continuing active engagement with politics at all levels: an inspiration for the future as well as a mine of informed opinion on the past and how it relates to the present. I had recently edited a short book by my mother on growing up between the wars - which Win admired - and so, in one of our sessions, I persuaded Win to publish some of her memories and reflections, to coincide with her 90th year. Because there is so much to tell, this collection can only contain snapshots of that long history, but which we hope nonetheless provides a sufficient flavour of it. It is divided into four sections, which focus, in turn, on Win’s family, professional, community and creative lives. They contain original writings by Win as well as photographs and press cuttings to provide additional context. It will become clear to the reader that these four aspects are not completely distinct one from the other: they overlap in both content and style. Win’s political life informed and was informed by all her areas of activity. Additionally, along with a hard-headed, pragmatic approach to moving things forward, there is a strong romantic streak which manifests itself in Win’s work and writings. It was from her close-knit political family background that Win learned the social conscience and social activism which can be seen underpinning the successful public profile which she used to bring about changes for ordinary working women and men. This heritage continues in the work of 7 Win’s daughter who founded the national organisation for single parents, Gingerbread, in 1972 and continues to work for social justice. In her professional life Win placed an emphasis on society not only using but valuing the skills of working-class women. In her pioneering work organising Home Helps, she aimed to raise the status of ordinary women through good personnel management, improving terms and conditions of work, training and accreditation, as well as opportunities to participate in national and international conferences. In our discussions about her career in local government, Win’s reflections would always raise new insights on how things have changed - or indeed gone backwards - in public services, as in mainstream politics Throughout her professional, political and community lives, Win continued to be an inveterate campaigner and letter writer, expressing her opinion (both favourable and adverse) on a whole range of topics. One local campaign, which we have not been able to include, was the one around the closure of Bretton Hall University College - a debate that continued for several years before final closure in 2007. Win took up creative writing in the 1990s partly because, despite being active in voluntary public service, she felt mentally lazy (she at age 80 and her third husband aged 90 were featured in the local press as being “never too old to learn”). She found herself “surprised and impressed by the writing skill and imagination of other students and their gentle encouragement of each other’s efforts”. The writing group that still meets on Mondays at Win’s house has just published a collection of the work of Pat Charlesworth, one of their members who died in May 2009. In the fourth section here we have included a small selection of Win’s opinions on life, love and art and the necessity of not taking oneself too seriously, not to mention the priceless pieces of political satire on the noble life and times of Lord and Lady Chattersby. But this is still an unfinished work. Win and her ideas live on. She has just told me that she has saved the telephone kiosk across the road from Old Tavern and is now running a campaign against the abolition of chequebooks – which would particularly affect the elderly and small community organisations… Patricia Daniel June 2010 8 Family Woman 11 Family Woman Teresa Veronica Mullen (Tess and Tom) My mother, Teresa Veronica Mullen, was born on January 3rd 1895 at Shevington, near Wigan in Lancashire and was the middle child of a family of thirteen. She used to say that her own childhood consisted of looking after younger children. The family later moved to Haydock. My grandfather was of Irish descent, probably brought over as a child during the great exodus associated with the potato famine, although we do not know of any connection he may have had with Ireland or any relations. He was musical, played the violin and taught all his sons to play. Hence Tess’s expressed dislike of noise and most music: “crying children and screeching violins”. My grandfather, who was a non-practising Roman Catholic, died when mother was thirteen years old. He was an under-manager at a local Lancashire pit and went down to rescue men after an explosion. The effects of the gas killed him some little time later. There was no workmen’s compensation in those days so his widow had a hard struggle to support her family. My grandmother Winifred’s maiden name was King. She died in her late eighties. She was Lancashire born and bred, a devout Roman Catholic. She was tall and strong and her sons were all tall, well-made men. Tess was the smallest of the family, all of whom seem to have been remarkably healthy – although one baby died either through being “overlaid” in bed with her mother or through cot-death. The boys went into the army, the navy, the mines, engineering or glass-making; the girls, as far as is known, went “into service”. One sister still survives, Mrs Ciss Boulter, who was the youngest of the family, now old and frail. Also my cousin, Mrs. Freda Spencer, who was born at the same time as Ciss and became a nursing sister in Manchester.