Jean Roberts

Jean was born in Hunslet Carr and then moved to Widkirk where she has lived for the past forty years.

She attended St Joseph's School on Joseph Street in Hunslet. The school was part of a site that included St Joseph's Catholic Church, a presbytery and a convent. Jean went to school with Ernest Edward Ward and his wife. She enjoyed her time at school, especially sums, compositions, spelling and netball. She remembers the winters at St Joseph’s because the water would drip from the iron roof and form icicles. “We used to throw stones to bring them down so that we could have ice lollies.”

St Joseph’s Church is no longer there but they still hold Mass in the school hall. “It was strange going back to the hall for Mass. I remember being caned in that hall. I said thank you after the teacher had done it. He asked why? I told him that my mum had always told me to say thank you for what I got.”

She worked for 14 years at Hemworth, which is now Next and earned 15s 11d. She started as a runabout or gopher and moved up to be trained on machining and working on a conveyor belt. Her hours were 8am to 6pm weekdays and 8am till 12 noon on Saturdays.

Jean grew up in a 2 up 2 down house, with a bath, on Playfair Road. They were not crowded as there were ony her parents, Jean and her sister, so they had a bedroom a piece. Though Playfair Road is still there, Jean's house is not. Most of the houses were demolished in the slum clearances and replaced with new houses