About Audrey

I was born in Burnley, Lancs. in 1931. We came to Coventry when I was five and I have lived here ever since. I qualified as a Radiographer in November 1951, married in March 1952 and by April 1954 I had a baby son.

Audrey's Story

The early fifties was a period of great change for me. In a lot of ways what had been nights out, whenever the fancy took you, became nights in watching our newly acquired 12 inch black and white television. (Our treat to ourselves when Steven was on the way) Programmes were very limited but there were always the interludes!!. I even became interested in pottery through watching the “Potters Wheel” interlude.

Nevertheless, although it often took some pre planning, we still had the occasional “big night out”. I was still working part time at Coventry and Warwickshire Hospital’s X-ray department and one such night out would be the Hospital Ball. Usually this was held at the G.E.C. in Stoke where dancing was to the resident six or eight piece band playing the current favourites. Most of the ballrooms had a faceted rotating globe hanging from the ceiling and the G.E.C. was no exception. If I remember correctly Matron and the Senior Sisters sat, in all their splendour, in an elevated position. Thus they could keep an eye on one and all and make sure that no hanky panky went on!

John and I travelled to the event on our Velocette motor bike quickly discarding our bike gear and my trusty head scarf with a friend who lived nearby. We could then arrive resplendent in our evening dress attire.

Preparation for such a “do” was all important. Pin curls and razor hair cuts were very much in vogue and a razor cut necessitated a, sometimes, very uncomfortable visit to the hairdressers. As my mother often said “Pride must abide”

Although one usually wore thickish stockings for everyday wear an occasion such as this would warrant fine nylon stockings and a snazzy suspender belt to hold them in place. Elegant underwear was very important because we’d had so much austerity in the previous decade. Like for every other generation before or since footwear didn’t always equate to comfort. My feet cringe even now when I think of the winkle pickers that I wore but dancing in high heels and pointed toes was a must.

Dresses were often mid calf length, strapless or halter necked. Sometimes they had a matching bolero type jacket for wear when a more formal occasion called for a cover up. My evening dress for around that time was probably a pale turquoise taffeta one. My American pen friend had sent me the sewing pattern for it The dress had a fitted bodice with a scalloped edge above the bust line which fitted onto a cream lace yoke with cap sleeves. The dropped waistline attached to a full skirt and of course the inevitable full petticoat went underneath.

The main thing I remember about make up was block mascara in it’s little box complete with brush. It sounds awful but, when water wasn’t available, one often spat on the mascara and then ran the brush over the block before applying it !!. Lipsticks were much smaller than today’s and often came in very bright shades. Pan stick foundation was very popular but it was very heavy so I stuck to a much lighter base and a bit of powder. Removal of make-up was by good old soap and water. My favourite perfume at that time was “Blue Grass” I think it was by Elizabeth Arden.

Home dressmaking was very popular, especially if you wanted to be fashionable at a reasonable price. I made most of my own dresses for both day and evening wear. New types of synthetic materials were coming into the shops which made fashion both exciting and affordable. My wedding dress was made out of a material called sharkskin a name that described it’s texture very well. Suddenly you had fabrics that didn’t take hours to iron, mind you there was the odd calamity when you forgot that a much cooler iron was needed if you didn’t want to end up with a hole where the iron had been!

In conclusion there is another particular night out that I would like to mention. It must have been around Christmas time 1951 because you had to be qualified before you could attend the Consultant’s Cocktail Party and so, having done so in November, this would have been my first one. It was held in the old timbered house at Keresley Hospital ( now the Royal Court Hotel, then housing Oncology.) Food and drink there was a plenty, I even have vague recollections of a pig’s head with an apple in it’s mouth! I had been warned about hospital cocktails but couldn’t understand why, this innocuous orange flavoured drink was delicious!!

It wasn’t until I left to meet John and had to descend the grand old wide wooden staircase that I realised that my legs didn’t quite belong to me. John probably wondered who was weaving their way towards him. Anyway off we went on the motor bike to his home. There his mother was making Christmas crackers and of course I was invited to help. All I can say is that the ones I made were decidedly skew whiff and that I’ve been wary of cocktails ever since!