• Ref.Number: FB013
• Date: 2.3.07
• Interviewer (I): Rose Smith
• Subject: Life on Calgarth
• Period: 1945-1957

H

But I do remember if the doctor came to your house visiting, you had to pay 5 shilling a visit.

I

Gosh, that was a lot of money then.

H

Because, you see, nobody had any cars in those days so if you were ill, you couldn’t walk from your house up to the bus stop, up to Windermere and then walk from the bus stop to the doctors. So the doctor had to come to the house and you’d to pay 5 shilling a visit. And there was no Family Allowance in those days, at all.

I

So that must have been, that’s probably why most people didn’t go to the doctors or have the doctors in those days.

B

That’s right, yes.

H

And Ron’s wage was £6 a week. And I’ve got some - can I show you after - some pay slips there. He got on the electricity board at Kendal accepting this job £400 per annum. And I thought, well that can’t be right. It must be a month. And I went to the next one. £430 per annum. And the next one £450 per annum. And I thought, good gracious me I had to ...

B

Those were ...

I

Can you remember what your rent was then?

H

No I can’t.

I

Doesn’t matter. Goodness. You just can’t imagine it now can you.

H

But you had your rent and you had your coal as well as your food, and Ron’s bus fare to Kendal every day. Mind I think the bus fare to Kendal in those days was only about 11d or a shilling.

B

That’s right, yes, yes. It was only a penny to Windermere wasn’t it? Penny to Windermere and a penny back.

H

Yes and I think it was 7p return to Ambleside wasn’t it, from Troutbeck.