| This raw, unedited audio recording is of an interview with Margaret Hedges, who speaks about her early life and her school days. The interview is conducted by a group of young people. Margaret tells a number of anecdotes about the school she attended in Hugglescote, Leicestershire. We learn about the respect she had for the headmaster, and how her mother worked for the Headmasters wife. She also gives specific examples of how she and her brothers avoided getting into trouble after being unfairly accused. She describes herself as being a tomboy, joining in with tag, leapfrog and various bat and ball games. She tells of how caning was the main mode of punishment, and remembers being caned once for something she didn’t do! School lunches are described, along with exercise books, Friday afternoon English lessons and the long walk to school via country lanes. Other topics covered are weekend activities and ‘playing out’, listening to radio programmes such as ‘Dick Barton – Special Agent’ and attending Sunday school. Margaret goes into some detail about the health problems she experienced as a young girl, due to poverty at home and the responsibility of looking after her siblings, the stress of which led to her having a breakdown. This audio recording lasts 41 minutes and 56 seconds. Another interview with Margaret, focussing on her family and later life, is also available on The Showcase. The original recording is held by the East Midlands Oral History Archive (EMOHA ref.: 44, MA200/045/045). Click here for further information. |
