Growing up, all our family and extended family lived close by to each other, there was always someone or other calling at the house or we would call at our grandmothers or one of our aunties at any time. After my eldest brother got married (at 16), his two daughters were looked after by my mother during the week so that their mother and father could go out to work. Although younger than us, they were like little sisters to me and my sister – we took them out with us, to the park, the shops and took them to school. Come Friday night when it was time for them to go home, there were often tears, I don't think their mam and dad were too happy about that! 

When me and my sister got married and left home, we still all lived near each other so there was always someone there to help you when you needed it. Later, we all went on holiday together, mainly to Scarbrough, three families, 6 children, staying together in and B&B, They were wonderful holidays, days spent on the beach, it didn't matter to the kids what the weather was like and it was a lovely break from the drudgery of work for us.

Me and my sister lived next door to each other for 40 years before she died last year. We often had jobs where we worked together – mainly cleaning jobs – the last 27 years we both worked at the Grand Theatre in Leeds. When our kids were babies we also worked delivering the Christmas post as temporary post women which lasted for about 4 weeks. It was hard work. You had to go back to the sorting office for another bag once you had delivered your first lot of post, but it was good money. One of my neighbours saw me one day trudging in the snow, lugging the bag of post and she came out and lent me a pram to put it on – what a relief!