Requests for Contributions
Women of Cornforth Requests for Contributions
Mam worked full time, also helped out with the family business and brought us up but she couldn’t have done all that without help. I was lucky to have been looked after from time to time by a number of caring, capable, strong women. I loved them, called them all aunty and still do.
From the beginning life was hard for people in Cornforth. Work at the pit was tough as well as precarious. Other work was also hard, working conditions weren’t always good and the working fay was long for everyone. Tragedy seemed to be never far away but people valued life and still had fun. It took special men to do the work.
I believe that behind every special man is an equally special woman. Keeping a clean home, with men and children fed and dressed was usually up to the woman of the house. How did they do it without any ‘mod cons’? They did and I know I took it for granted. I must have been protected from life’s harsh realities because as a child it seemed to me that the sun was always shining and people were always smiling. We knew our place but we knew we were loved; we were allowed to do things for ourselves and have adventures.
The postings on the Cornforth History Page show beautiful women, handsome men, people at work and play, families who scrubbed up well, celebrating amazing achievements with interests and hobbies outside the home. They are posted and received with love, affection, and no small amount of humour. Social media used like this is brilliant.
You can help put together stories of Cornforth women of all ages; those born here, women who came later, women who stayed, moved on or passed through. We want to know about women who worked in the home, and women who worked elsewhere, married women, and single women. Often the only time we share accounts of our loved ones’ lives is at their funerals. Family recollections capture the essence of those we love in warm, often funny, true descriptions of their life and times.
There are fantastic stories of Cornforth women that deserve to be heard and widely shared. Whole life stories, stories about weddings and family events, school days, the daily routine, shopping, cooking, and other house work, stories about jobs outside the home and stories about things we did in our free time. A paragraph or a page whatever you want to share will be received with interest and gratitude.
We want to reach as many different people as possible. Your memories can be written, in story or note form, in poems or told to us. We are happy to meet with you in person, talk on the phone, use facetime and skype to listen to your stories and will write them up if you wish.
If you would like to meet, talk or send something about the woman (or women in your life) please get in touch with Julie Leitheiser. By
e mail: at J.Leitheiser@sky.com
Post: Julie Leitheiser, 199 Todmorden Road, Littleborough Rochdale Lancs OL15 9EG Telephone: 07540 131975. We are looking forward to hearing from you and your friends.
Questions and answers.
Who do we want to hear about?
If you are a woman; yourself and, or, a relative or friend, living or dead, who has lived or worked in West Cornforth for any length of time.
If you are a man tell us about a female relative or friend, living or dead, who has lived or worked in Cornforth.
What do we want to know?
Anything you want to tell us (if the person is living check with them first and have them agree what is written) if the person is dead please focus on positive things that you know are true. The following suggestions of information to include that may help you focus.
The woman’s/your name. (and if you are writing about someone else your relationship to them)
Her/your date and place of birth.
Her/your parents’ names and occupations.
A little bit about her/your brothers and sisters.
Where and how she/you spent her/your child hood, her/your school days, and things that she/you was/is involved in, childhood illnesses, training and employment.
Is she/are you single? Married?
Where did she/you meet her/your husband?
Tell us about her/your courting days?
Marriage(s): date of, place, name of husband. Tell us about the day, what was the dress like, what was eaten, where? What traditions did you follow? Where was the honeymoon?
What were/are her/your hobbies, sports, interests, activities, and other enjoyment?
What did she/do you like doing, what drove her/drives you mad?
What was/is an average day/day of celebration like?
What were/are Sundays like?
What were/are family holidays like? Where did/do she/you go on holiday?
Information about her/your children and times shared.
Her/your religion especially if it was/is important to her or you.
Things that she/you achieved; things she/you tried hard to do but found/find difficult.
Good times and the not so good times.
If she/you has/have left; how she/you came to leave, why you left and what you are doing now.
Personal qualities, humour; the things that are important.
Do I have to write the whole life story?
No it is up to you; you can focus on a single activity, or family event such as housework, school days, youth club, hobbies, the church or a wedding. It would help to know the relationship of the person to you and the date and place of the occasion.
How much will I have to write?
Anything from a paragraph up to 500 words. A drawing and a sentence or two from a child will be acceptable.
Do you only want to hear about adults?
No we would like to hear from girls and young women living in the village today as well.
You said that you would offer help. What kind of help would you give?
We could arrange someone to meet you and interview you, help by telephone or in person to write up your thoughts. Consideration will be given to requests for help you may feel you need. Anything written about you or the person you want to include in the collection of memories will be checked and agreed with you first.
How will this be published?
Initially on the website .
Is there a deadline?
No the attraction of the website is that pieces can be published as and when they come in. .
Have you an example?
Yes, if you contact me, Julie Leitheiser by emailJ.Leitheiser@sky.comor by phone on 07540131975 I will send you the piece I did on my mam.
Do I have to type my contribution(s) up?
No you can send your information hand written, electronically, in note form or by completing relevant bits of the guidance or you can tell your story to someone, by telephone, skype or facetime. We will type stories up for you and go through it with you once it is written. We will include letters, photographs whatever you choose to share. Nothing will be published without your permission.
Thank you very much for taking the time to read this far. Looking at the pictures and reading all the comments everyone has posted on the Cornforth History Facebook pages has left us all wanting to know more.
There are a few of us who are keen to make a permanent record of the life and times of women in Cornforth and would welcome anyone else who would like to help.
Looking forward to hearing from you.