Albert's Memories

I was browsing through some old family bits and pieces the other day and found a couple of very interesting items which might interest the readers of Teynham News. 

The first thing I came across was a newspaper cutting dated August 1996 and it showed a picture of a group of ladies in 1939 who were cherry picking , or had been and were having their photograph taken whilst they celebrated a successful harvest.  It was of particular interest to me because I remember the ladies in the picture coming from Frognal Lane. 

Now the second thing I ran across was a small snapshot, possibly taken from a Kodak Brownie.  This also showed a group of ladies in similar pose, but this picture was taken nearly 20 years earlier in the mid to late 1920’s.  The ladies in the photograph I knew well because they all came from Frognal Lane where I was born and I was around six or seven years old then.  I will give you the names of each lady, except for one, because my Grandmother is amongst them.  Going from left to right of the picture: 

Mrs Wigg (my Grandmother), Mrs Amos, Mrs Clarke, ?, Mrs Furminger, Mrs Probert, Mrs Jeffery and her daughter Ada Jeffery as she was then.  The two children were, I think, the children of Mrs Clarke.  I was at school with Rodney Clarke (her son) and Ernie Furminger who, of course was well known to everyone in the village.  He was the son of Mrs Furminger. I’m sorry I can’t identify the lady showing between Mrs Clarke and Mrs Furminger.  You will note both Mrs. Jeffery and her daughter are shown in both of the photographs. 

As a matter of interest Mrs Amos and Mrs Clarke used to live next door to one another in a couple of cottages along the Lower Road just past the farm going towards Sittingbourne on the right hand side.  They have long been demolished of course but I believe it was worth mentioning. 

It is possible there are living relatives in the village who might be interested in the photo to add to their family album. 

My sister Ena, who also lives in Brighton, was of course interested in both items and she said “How’s this for a list of Teynham ‘gals’ in the 1920’s and 30’s.

Iris Cole Vera Seager Gwen Kite Maisie Cork Sunshine Baxter Madge Probert Mary Miles Doreen Rickwood Josie Cornwall Joyce Mills Elsie Back Ilma Ford Glad Mount Dora Back Joan Austin Queenie Batchelor

 The above names are of course their Maiden names and my sister said she still has fond memories of all of them.

Albert F Back 

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