Melvyn Turner (26/09/07)

Henry Gould painting… from Lincoln Road, leading t’back of Dundas Street, an’ there were a school there, a school, I think it were called, er, Lincoln… Lincoln Fields School. The building, y’know that railing there [points], well the school were there, an’ Henry Goulds were there. Y’go up Lincoln Road, that’s leading t’Henry Goulds where me mother worked in 1943, in 1943 where me mother worked. She did tailoring, and she were, she were on days, and then me Auntie Mary, she worked at Henry Goulds, an’ she were a machinist me Auntie Mary, an’ me mother were a tailoress. An’ then, also, me father worked at t’Corporation. An’ ‘is name were Mellor, Mr Mellor, an’ he were sweeping the streets, an’ then he left there, an’ then… he’d started in 1945, an’ he left in 1949. An’ then he worked at… wait a minute, he worked at, Monksbridge Forge, Monksbridge Forge an’ then he left there an’ he worked at Kershaws, an’ his boss’ name were Arthur Fowler… wi’ glasses on. I painted Sinclairs, er, Gibbs’s, er, North Leeds Working Men’s Club, North Leeds Working Men’s Club, er, Marsh Lane Railway Station, an’ then Leeds City Station, an’ then Central Station, Central Station… when me Auntie Elsie came over to England, came over in 1951 to see Auntie Nellie. Er, she were makin’ dinners, an’ dinners were a shillin’ then, a shillin’, dinners were a shillin’, she used to make dinners for a shillin’. An’ then she had a sweet… rhubarb an’ custard one day, an’ apple pie an’ custard, an’ college pudding, an’ that were about a shillin’… just same. Then she left there an’ she went to Gibbs’, an’ she ‘ad a row, an’ she ‘ad a fight and she ‘ad a row… over ‘er number. This Agnes Doolittle, said ‘er number were 53, an’ me mother, she said, ‘my number were 53’, an’ then she put her thing in… to clock it in at 53, that were me mother’s number, an’ ‘er number were 56. An’ then me mother had a row with ‘er, an’ she said ‘my number is 53 an’ you’re is 56’, then she ‘ad an argument and she says, ‘my number’s 53 an’ you’re 56’. My mother said ‘my number’s 53 an’ yours is 56’. An’ Agnes Doolittle thumped me mother, an’ then me mother thumped ‘er back, ‘an there were a fight at Gibbs’ in Mushroom Street.  

Note: Melvyn Turner contributed Henry Gould Painting and curated B. K. Kalsi’s Chakki.