Annie Neal
Picnic in Roe Wood, early 1900s Annie Neal Image courtesy of Lewis Boam  A Sunday School parade from Lopham Street Methodist Chapel, date unknown. Image courtesy of Mary Pilgrim Annie Neal was born and brought up in Pitsmoor/Burngreave and still lives here! In this extract, taken from 'School Days: how we remember our time, in peace and war', produced by the Firshill and Pitsmoor Local History Group, she describes some of the entertainments available for children in the early 1900s. I grew up in Pitsmoor in the early 1900s. Sometimes in the school holidays, we would take a picnic into Roe Wood. We would have a bottle of water and some bread and jam and we would think we were having a rare old treat! We also sometimes went on the annual daytrip to the seaside with Pitsmoor Working Men's Club. I remember that we would have a party at school at Christmas time and there would be jelly and buns and everyone singing carols. I liked that bit! I used to go to church every Sunday in Denholm Street where I sang in the choir. I loved singing. When we had the sermons, we had to wear white dresses which my mother used to make from any white material which she could get, old curtains or anything! We used to walk to Firth Park with the bands and banners and when all the Sunday Schools met up in the park, everyone would sing together. It was a very special event in those days. Extract from 'School Days: how we remember our time, in peace and war', produced by the Firshill and Pitsmoor Local History Group, summer 2005. |