The task of husband and wife in those days was very much more clearly defined than it is now for various reasons. The conditions that have turned up over the years have altered the way of living a great deal. But this talk is about what went on in the twenties and thirties and in those days, when they got married, the husband was the chap who earned the money and brought it home. He did the gardening, and in other words, he provided for the family.
The wife’s job was to run the house. She looked after the money. Wages never rose and the prices never rose, so the wife knew what she was going to receive every week. She knew just how she was going to spend it and this went on forever. There wasn’t any change.
Wives at Home
There was the saying that wives were tied to the kitchen sink which of course is a complete myth. When I was over twelve, I suppose, we all knew everyone in Sturges Road and very often I was told, “Take this down to Mrs So-and-so. So I probably entered most of the houses in that road, and when I entered a house in the afternoon, the wife was always very nicely done up, sitting down, doing a sedentary job. The general rule was that these wives did their work in the morning and provided lunch for the husband and kids. When she cleared that away, she went upstairs, put on her second best frock, did up her hair and went downstairs ready to receive visitors or go and visit. She would also do needlework, embroidery or read.
When the husband came home in the evening it was, all hands to the wheel, for tea in those days was a great meal. One sat around the table. There was a table cloth, cut bread and butter, sometimes celery, watercress and cake. When the kids were home they had to set-to and clear the table.
I knew a family of Goddards. There were seven of them. We amused ourselves with party games. When the time came Mrs. Goddard said, “Clear the table. It’s time we had tea.” So the Goddard family got tea. Mrs Goddard sat by the fireside, until it was time to come to the table, and was time to pour out the tea. And when the tea was finished she retired to the fireside again. The family cleared the table, did the washing up and put everything away, before we were allowed to play games any more. That was the routine at home.