The picture is of my Mother; Lillian Rosina Jones aged 16 years. She was born at 3, Duke of York Passage in Suffolk St. in 1903.
Her parents were Reginald Reuben Jones ( A shoeing smith ) and Jestina ( Jessie ) Elizabeth Jones ( A shopkeeper )
Jessie worked at home in 1, Duke of York Passage where she lived with her with her two sons William aged 2 years and Baden aged 1 year.
Jessie was famous for her home made Ginger Beer and I can only guess that this was the sort of thing that she would sell, with perhaps a few sweets. ( Anything to earn a few coppers )
Jessie’s sister, Frances married a Jordan and lived next door to Davidsons Bakery in Alvin St.
My mother, Lillian attended St. Marks School and continued to do so when her family moved to 34, Prince St. in 1911.
Her father, Reginald had a blacksmith shop in the yard of the Prince of Wales pub on the corner of Nettleton Rd. and Station Rd. where he was contracted to shoe the horses that were used in the First World War. ( I believe it’s still there ) He later became a Bookie at the Gloucester Dog Track.
My Father, Leonard Perry who was born in St. Catherine St. married a Suffolk St. gal in 1923 and I also married a Suffolk St. gal ( Iris Smart ) in 1958.
Before the Second World War and up to the early fifties, my Aunt and Uncle, Elsie and Alec White with their son Patrick lived in Worrall St. next door to the Harris’s about six doors away from the ‘Rec’.
Mr. Harris would often cram his front room with parents and kids who sat on the floor to watch his Cinematograph (as it was then called ) The Silent black and white movies in 1936 were a great treat, more so if you were only 6 years old as I was then.
Elsie became a dinner lady at St. Marks School before the family finally moving to the other end of town.
Peter Perry. June 2006.
By
Peter Perry
