After the Second World War started in 1939 Fred served as an air raid warden. He wasn't called up because of his key role at the iron works. The family had an evacuee from Newcastle for a spell.
In 1942 Mum gained a college place to study History, Latin, and Ancient History at St Hild's, Durham. While she was there the government decided that students had to do a year's 'war work'. Mum spent her year as a 'progress chaser' at a munitions factory; the job was to quality control the detonators for the bombs they were making.
In 1946 she met Leonard Rivett, who had been de-mobbed from the RAF and was training for the Anglican priesthood. According to family folklore she first saw him dressed in Middle Eastern garb riding a donkey during Durham rag week! Mum thinks that he was attracted by her ginger hair.
Mum graduated and went on to study for her Certificate of Education. Her first job was at the Girls Grammar School in Bishop Auckland (1947 I think). She always enjoyed teaching.
"Blackpool, 1946"
(Mum second from left)
Mum was always a keen reader and loved historic fiction and history, Her favourite period is late Victorian and Edwardian, but she is widely read from ancient Greece to modern Britain.
She has always been very interested in women's rights and I'm sure that, born in a later generation, she would have regarded herself as a feminist. Though she adopted a traditional role at home, she told me this was her choice.
The only time she went on a demonstration was in support of allowing women into the Church of England priesthood in 1996.
In 1949 Dad was ordained and started work as a curate at Chorlton cum Hardy in Manchester. They got married in May 1950. Fred was now working for the Coal Board in Newcastle and the Garmonsways had moved to Heaton, so the wedding was in St Gabriel's, Heaton. There was still rationing but family and friends pulled together to give them the best wedding possible. Mum's sister, Joyce, was her bridesmaid.
The honeymoon was a walking holiday in Cornwall. Their first home was a flat in the Chorlton vicarage. Mum gave up work and began her life as a clergy wife. Here she joined Mother's Union; she's still a member today.
Mum's Christian faith has always been important to her and she regarded service as a key component to the way she lived her life.
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