Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 58]
by the time she was five. I don't think I have mentioned that when the babies were christened we took them to Earlwood for that as Nanna lived there and she always had a nice dinner and cake for us, she was terrific.
Well now another Christmas over and we are in January 1935 and I am pregnant again. We started looking for a house suitable for us to carry on with the rug business and with plenty of room for 4 children, Uncle Albert. Ray and I, and it would be much easier for me being pregnant and looking after the 3 children and doing the machining for Albert of rugs and muzzles. He did the other work like leads collars and fittings of rugs and all the cutting out. By now we have stacks of patterns and all the gear. Anyway it was around March as Beryl was 3 now, that we found this house in Ramsgate. nice big brick place and the yard went right through the block at the back, but I asked the agent could it be fenced off halfway and around the sides as we had 3 young children. Anyway they agreed to do that and Uncle Albert had an old car and there was a shed for that so we got all settled down there.
The work was booming and I said to Uncle Albert we better register and get a sales tax number or we will get into serious trouble. We were supplying Dinny O'Brian in Newcastle, John Brush in Sydney. Anthony Hordens. Mick Simmons, a few other small city shops. I can not remember their names also Ray used to take his gear to the dogs at Wentworth Park and Albert and I decided to register in the name of "Togs for Dogs" in E. Wood as his name being Edward and mine Edith, all going well and Ray has to let the unemployment office know as he was still doing relief work, and so he was the salesman.
Well one day off he went to Newcastle and did not arrive for nearly 3 days (no money), he had been drinking, it was a shame but Albert gave him a talking to and he settled down again. All went very well then Albert said to him, "listen it will be better if you go to Farleigh Netheins etc. and do the buying and that will save my time and give you more to do".
Well by now Merle's 5th birthday is coming up in the August so I have to make arrangements for her for school, it was not far away. Anyway I go to the school and I enrolled her and the teacher said to me "you did not have to wait till she was 5". I said "that's alright its only next week, but I might bring her sister when she is 4 as I will have another baby in September". Well Merle started kindergarten and she was no trouble at all. I had to take her and go and meet her, but sometimes her dad did it and sometimes Uncle Albert used to do it depending on what I was doing.
When we moved to Ramsgate we had acquired some furniture from Aunty Jessie, Nanna's sister which was very helpful. Ray was being very good at this stage and believe me he had to as we were very busy. This particular night we said we would work right through and get the order finished, but the early hours of the 5th of September came and I said "I can't sew anymore the baby is coming, I have to go to the hospital". So Uncle Albert took me in his car and Ray had to stay with the children, although they were all in bed, so he did. When Albert came back he came to the hospital. It was the Cottage Hospital at Kogarah, a lovely little hospital. I had everything organised in the kitchen and all that. Anyway Ray waited till the baby was born