T43 – Summary – Ramsbottom Heritage Society

The transcript is an interview with Frank Woods as transcribed by Microsoft Word and summarised by ChatGPT and subject to errors.

Name: Frank Woods
Born: August 1923, in Edenfield Police Station, Lancashire.
Father: Bobby Woods, a policeman stationed in Ramsbottom, Edenfield, and surrounding areas.
Mother: Worked in service before marriage (hard domestic work).
Early Home: Family lived in the police station, which doubled as their home. It had small rooms, a cellar used temporarily as a gaol, and outdoor “tippler” toilets.

Schooling:
- Attended Edenfield School.
- Teachers were strict; corporal punishment (cane) was common.
- Lessons mostly English, some basic maths.
- Used pen and ink wells; lighting was electric bulbs.
- School dinners were not provided; pupils went home for meals.
- Doctors inspected children’s health periodically.
Games & Play:
- Played football, cricket, marbles (bought from shops), whip-and-top (decorated tops with paint).

Easter: Family picnics at Holcombe Hill and surrounding countryside.
Whit Friday (Whitsuntide):
- Church processions (“Whit walks”) with brass bands.
- Children wore new clothes.
- Afternoon games and races in the fields; tea at school with cakes, jelly, and fruit.
Wakes Weeks: Family trips to seaside resorts like Blackpool, Morecambe, and Scarborough by charabanc coach. Mostly day trips.
Bonfire Night: Large communal bonfire on the cricket field; children collected wood. Fireworks included sparklers, rockets, and Catherine wheels. Rival groups sometimes tried to set each other’s bonfires alight early.
Christmas: Large family gatherings, parties, and presents (toys, selection boxes).

Role: Covered large areas (Edenfield, Ramsbottom, Tottington, Summerseat).
Transport: Walked his beat; no car or bicycle.
Contact: Emergencies handled by phoning the police station or finding him “knocking around.”
Public: Locals came to their home to ask for him.

First Job: Worked at Temples, a block-printing works in Stubbins, as a “tearer” for a block printer (preparing cloth for dye and colour printing).
Health Issue: Developed dermatitis from chemicals; told it would last his life.

Before 1948, visits to the doctor and medicines had to be paid for.
Family used home remedies:
- Goose grease for colds.
- Olive oil (sometimes even drunk).
- Cod liver oil as a supplement.

Shops in Edenfield included grocers and general stores selling basics like butter, sugar, and margarine.
Deliveries:
- Pop seller from Bolton.
- Milk delivered (sometimes in bottles, sometimes ladled from a churn).
Otherwise, families went to buy goods themselves.

Changes in Edenfield: Noted new housing developments and the motorway as major changes from his childhood.
Overall Sentiment: Remembered Edenfield fondly as a nice place to live, though acknowledged it was now much altered.

T43 – Summary