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A series of largely unedited interviews summarise the courting rituals of young people in Leicester during the first half of the twentieth century, including a frank look at the lack of sex education, and subsequent ignorance about menstruation, contraception and pregnancy. Interviewees recall the practice of walking in groups along London Road on a summer Sunday afternoon as the most popular way to meet people of the opposite sex. One woman describes the “Staggers” – peeping Toms who spied on courting couples through holes in the wall of a park. We hear how if a boy kissed a girl “you were practically married” and how young women were expected to remain chaste until their wedding day. There is a discussion about the lack of sex education, in which we hear how girls had no idea about how babies were made and were not prepared for their periods. One woman recalls how women who became pregnant outside marriage would be shunned by their local community. A man recalls that you had to be able to dance – the Quick Step or Foxtrot – if you wanted to be popular with the girls. A woman recounts the “sixpenny hops” held weekly at various halls around the area while and others remember the Palais in Leicester, and train trips to Nottingham for dance competitions. Women recall how although the dances started at 7.30 or 8pm they were expected to be home by 9.30 - 10 p.m. or they would face serious consequences. Participants who worked with the travelling fairs, or married people from them, refer to the courtship of travelling showmen. There is a small amount of tape hiss in the background and slight distortion throughout the recording but the material is audible throughout. The original recording is held by the East Midlands Oral History Archive (EMOHA ref: 426, L0/046/C46), more information can be found at http://www.le.ac.uk/emoha/. This audio files duration is 53 minutes and 9 seconds.
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| Creators: |
Interviewee - Hawes, Mrs.
Interviewee - Boyall, Mr.
Interviewee - Gregory, Mr.
Interviewee - Rowett, Mr.
Interviewee - Barrs, Mrs.
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Subject: |
Men, Women
Oral History
History
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| Contributors: |
East Midlands Oral History Archive - Other
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Date created:
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01 / 01 / 1989
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Language:
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English
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Country:
Region:
City:
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United Kingdom
Leicester
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Rights:
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Community Media Association has non exclusive rights for the use of the work in The Showcase, but the overall copyright rests with East Midlands Oral History Archive. Copyright East Midlands Oral History Archive.
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