Transcription of Aunty Dorothy’s memories given to Mary.

My mother, Lily May Gordon married Alfred Charles Boddy (my Father). (not sure of date – 1903)

Children:

1904 Allan lived for 2 days. Born August 10
1905 Eric George Boddy born 25-7-1905
1907 Mildred May Boddy born 22-7-1907
1911 Dorothy Mavis Boddy born 14-8-1911
1912 Geoffrey Alfred Boddy born 20-11-1912 Geoff died 1989

Parents always a loving couple. No arguments or fights. Father a happy worker manager of Stockton Cooperative Store which was on the corner of Beaumont and Denison Streets, Hamilton. We lived in the house next door in Denison Street. – Gittens and Eastmans Wickham was a latter one – Mother, fair to each child having favourite food sometimes during the week for all of us. Children often too noisy – mother would say – “What will the neighbours think” about the noise etc. One could talk to her and be listened to – but her word was “law” at times.

The parents were always a loving couple – had no arguments nor did they allow the children to argue much.

I (Dorothy) remembered one time when I said I was not going to answer if called Dot, to be told by my father that I would have to answer to him if he called me no matter what he called me – mostly he called me “mate”.

The parents decided to go back to this house in Thomas Street Mayfield which they had lived in when first married. This was while Dad went to Wickham to work at Gittens & Eastmans.

Later they decided to rent a shop in Hamilton and we moved to 66 Beaumont Street Hamilton to a Grocery shop. I’d had my 6^th Birthday at Mayfield and had my 9^th Birthday at Hamilton.

We were allowed to eat any biscuit that we liked except for the chocolate ones and these we never did eat.

After many years in the shop Mr Gow (owner) wanted to put menswear in our shop so he put shopfronts on 2 two storied houses he owned in Lindsay St and we moved into 59 Lindsay St. 3 Bedrooms and bathroom and & a large lounge room were upstairs, a dining room, kitchen, (up 2 steps) & laundry were downstairs behind the shop.

Mother was a very good person, friendly too and cheery & could give advice if asked. She also helped in the shops early in the morning & cleaned the doorway & front each morning.

Her hair was naturally curly (as was Erics), the envy of the rest of the family.

I used to cut mothers hair & one of the ladies of the church called in one day and asked if mother would tell her where she had her hair cut. I think mother was pleased because she just said “Oh Dorothy cuts it”. This she told us when we got in after work that day. Mother was quick in her movements & in doing her work.

Mostly washing & ironing on Mondays, cooking meals & had us all sit down to table together at dinner at night. Cooking our favourite meals, looking after four children whose ages ranged about 7 years from 1^st to last.

Later Mildred went to college in Sydney, staying with Auntie Ada and Uncle Joe Taylor & family.

I worked for the Aunts in the studio and later at home in the shop with Dad , Eric and Geoff. We were then at 59 Lindsay St, where from I got married & went to Sydney and in a month or two to Goulburn to live. Mother was in her seventies when she died, but she and Dad lived at Fennells Bay & away from the shops for quite a few years before that.

Dear Mary

Is this what you were wanting? I guess there are lots of things we did in our time if I think back on them. Church was always one of Mothers things. She liked doing Lady’s Aid etc