WEB PAGE NO.2796 26th JUNE 2021 1ST PICTURE: Ena Sharples 1971

2nd PICTURE Minnie Martha and Ena in the Snug

3RD PICTURE Her last appearance

4TH PICTURE The Glad Tidings Mission Hall

Ena Sharples One programme, in the early days, that my mother and grandmother would never miss was Coronation Street just to see what Ena Sharples was gossiping about this week. Ena Sharples (née Schofield) was played by Violet Carson. She appeared in the first-ever episode, broadcast on 9th December 1960, and stayed with the show until 2nd April 1980. Ena was the widowed caretaker of the Glad Tidings Mission Hall and spent much of her time criticising the activities and loose morals of the street's residents. One of the main characters during the 1960s, she was featured less regularly in the 1970s due to the declining health of Violet Carson, and was written out in 1980. Always wearing a double breasted overcoat and hairnet, she spent much of her time with her two cronies, Martha Longhurst and Minnie Caldwell, in the snug bar of The Rovers Return drinking milk stout. Ena particularly criticised Elsie Tanner whom she believed had loose morals. In turn, Elsie strongly disliked Ena for her seemingly incessant gossip and desire to know about the private lives of others; and the two confronted each other frequently. The final episode featuring Ena was broadcast on 2nd April 1980. It attracted little media or public attention, as the producers intended her to continue in the serial – the character was merely going to stay with a friend in St Annes while her flat was being renovated. Unfortunately, all subsequent storylines involving Ena had to be scrapped owing to Violet Carson being too ill to appear. She died on Boxing Day 1983 at the age of 85, thus putting to rest any rumours of Ena's return. Following her departure in 1980 no further mention of Ena was made, and it was assumed she had moved to St Annes permanently. The back story is this:- Ena Schofield was born in Weatherfield on 24th November 1899. She had two elder siblings, Alice Raynold (née Schofield) (1885–1965) and Tom Schofield (d.1973). During her school days Ena met Martha Hartley and Minnie Carlton establishing lifelong friendships. A student with a strong Christian upbringing, Ena became devoted to her religion and developed a firm belief in the importance of rules, regulations and morals. She also quickly learned to be self-sufficient, taking on factory work when she was 11. In 1915, Ena became engaged to Phil Moss, he enlisted for military service in the Great War and was killed. Around 1917, Ena met Alfred Sharples, who had been sent home because of a leg injury. Ena was upset to learn he was already married, and broke with him. When the war ended Alfred and Ena met up again and he told her that his marriage had been in name only – he'd had to marry the daughter of someone his father had owed money to. Alfred informed Ena that his wife had recently died, so Ena decided to give him another chance. Ena married Alfred in 1920 and they had three children: Vera, Madge and Ian. Ian died after only two days and Alfred died in 1937 during the Depression, leaving Ena a widow with two children. As Vera and Madge grew up Ena alienated them through her judgemental and frequently interfering nature. Madge and her mother became almost completely estranged after Madge emigrated in 1950. In 1960, Ena was in conflict with the Mission's new lay preacher Leonard Swindley who objected to her frequenting the Rovers. Ena collapsed due to the stress, but walked out of hospital to return to her post so that Martha Longhurst who had taken on her responsibilities while she recovered, could not steal her job. In 1961, Ena was sacked for spreading a rumour that Coronation Street was being demolished, which turned out to be untrue. Mr. Swindley was forced to re-hire her when a suitable replacement could not be found (Ena had bribed the other candidates to turn the job down). Still unhappy with the working conditions Ena walked out of the job later in the year and moved in with Minnie Caldwell . She was eventually offered her job back. Ena had a health scare in 1962 when she suffered a minor stroke, she quickly regained her speech and mobility, but the following year was diagnosed with arteriosclerosis. Despite her willingness to gossip Ena was very guarded about her private life, and berated Martha for discussing her health problems with Ena's daughter, Vera. Ena's great nephew visited and invited her to her brother's home in the US for an extended stay. Ena jumped at the chance to meet the family she never knew she had. Upon her return, Ena was horrified to see the Mission converted into a Community Centre with a social worker employed there full-time. She quit upon hearing the news and moved in with Minnie. Despite being out of work a disoriented Ena was caught accidentally stealing from a supermarket. In court Ena pleaded not guilty, but refused to give her age when questioned, saying only that she was over 21. She was subsequently fined 40/-. When the Community Centre at the Mission closed down, Ena moved back into the vestry. Ena’s daughter was ill for several weeks until she died in Ena's bed in January 1967. The Mission was closed permanently a year later, when it was demolished along with the factory to make way for a block of two-storey maisonettes. Ena was offered a place at an old people's nursing home, which she unsurprisingly declined, nevertheless when the maisonettes were built Ena moved into No.6, a purpose-built OAP ground floor flat. Ena was pleased, as it occupied the exact spot where the vestry had been. In 1969, Ena became bored with the maisonette and moved into a flat over the camera shop. With Glad Tidings gone, the closest place of worship was the Victoria Street Mission, and Ena kept close tabs on the comings and goings there. When the maisonettes were demolished in 1971, one of the buildings which replaced them was a community centre. Despite her age, Ena was determined to secure the position of caretaker, and scared off her competitor by warning her about the violence in the area. With no-one else to take the job, Ena was selected for the job and she moved into a flat adjacent to the Centre. Ena's age and ability to do the work was a constant concern to the Council. A co-caretaker was foisted on her though she insisted on being called Senior Caretaker. In 1973, Ena suffered two heart attacks, but refused to move away as she wanted to die in the street. When she disappeared with the Centre keys at Christmas, preventing the children from getting any presents, Ena assumed she'd be sacked; she left to stay in St. Annes, however she was allowed to keep her job. Martha had died in 1964 and Minnie left in 1976 Angered by the lack of progress in the redecoration of her flat that prevented her from moving back into her home, Ena left to stay in St. Annes, unsure about whether or not to return to Coronation Street. Ena was never seen in Weatherfield again, and all subsequent references to her were in the past tense You Write STAY IN TOUCH PETER gsseditor@gmail.com

WEB PAGE NO.2794 19H JUNE 2021 Crayola Crayons 1ST PICTURE: Range of Crayons

2nd PICTURE Original Packaging

3RD PICTURE Tin of Crayons

4TH PICTURE Crayola Factory and Crayola Experience

Crayola Crayons Today you can buy a box of Crayola crayons in 152 colorus today, but way back in 1903, they only came in eight colours. And that first-ever box of Crayola brand crayons was a huge improvement over the first crayons ever sold, which only came in black. Wax crayons were mostly used for industrial purposes until two cousins Edwin Binney and Harold Smith introduced their brightly coloured crayons for kids. Edwin’s wife, Alice, made up the name Crayola by combining “craie” (French for chalk) with “oleaginous” (which means oily). In other words, oily chalk! It’s hard to understand just how different modern crayons are from their ancestors without a look at the history of the crayon. In 1864 Edwin’s dad, Joseph Binney, started the Peekskill Chemical Works in upstate New York. The firm made charcoal and lamp black, a black pigment made from the soot left over when oil is burnt. When the two cousins took over in 1885, they started making new things, like a red pigment for barn paints and a carbon black that made rubber tires stronger. They made a number of industrial products, but from 1900 to 1902, they started making pencils and dustless chalk for school blackboards. Coloured crayons were a natural next step. But the original pigments they had used were not safe for children so they developed crayons that would be safe if swallowed. The first box they sold had just eight colours and the colours were black, brown, blue, red, purple, orange, yellow, and green.. Over the years, as the company has grown, it has introduced more than 400 different colours. You can find metallic crayons, crayons with glitter in them, crayons that smell like flavours’, crayons that wash out of clothes, and even egg-shaped crayons. Nowadays, plenty of other companies make coloured crayons for children too. However, europe was the birthplace of the “modern” crayon, a man-made cylinder that resembled contemporary sticks. The first such crayons are purported to have consisted of a mixture of charcoal and oil. Later, powdered pigments of various hues replaced the charcoal. It was subsequently discovered that substituting wax for the oil in the mixture made the resulting sticks sturdier and easier to handle. Surprisingly every one of these iconic art supplies are made at a factory in Easton, Pennsylvania. The plant churns out the top-selling crayons at a rate of 650 crayons per minute, with a total production of up to 13.5 million per day in 400 different colours. On average, the facility makes 3 billion Crayola crayons per year. Beyond Crayola, other brand name crayon manufacturers today include Rose Art Industries and Dixon Ticonderoga, the successor to the American Crayon Company. Numerous suppliers create generic brand or store brand crayons. These are typically found in supermarkets. In 2000 there was concern about potential contamination of asbestos in many popular brands of crayons after the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported in May of that year that they had tests performed finding that three brands of crayons contained asbestos. In a follow-up study released in June the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) found traces of asbestos fibres in three crayons and larger amounts of transitional fibres which can be misinterpreted as asbestos as a result of using talc as a binding agent in additional crayons. CPSC declared the risk to be low, but said that because of the concerns it had asked manufacturers to reformulate the concerned crayons and commended them for their swift agreement to do so. I remember using Crayola Crayons at school and also buying them for my children and grandchildren. Isn’t it great to know that there are some things that have not changed over the years!!! STAY IN TOUCH PETER

WEB PAGE NO.2792 12TH JUNE 2021 JUNIOR SCHOOL 1ST PICTURE: MY CLASS AT JUNIOR SCHOOL

2ND PICTURE:. THE DREADED OUTSIDE TOILETS

3RD PICTURE :ICE IN THE PLAYGROUND

4TH PICTURE: COCONUT MATTING

WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER OF YOUR JUNIOR SCHOOL DAYS? EVEN THOUGH WE ALL CAME FROM VERY DIFFERENT FAMILIES I AM WILLING TO BET THAT WE ALL REMEMBER THE SAME OR VERY SIMILAR THINGS. TO START WITH MANY OF US REMEMBER THE DIFFERENT SMELLS AS WE PROGRESSED AROUND THE SCHOOL. FIRSTLY, WINTERS AT SCHOOL IN THE 1950’S WERE VERY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT THEY ARE TODAY. MY THREE OVERWELLING MEMORIES AT SCHOOL IN WINTER ALL INVOLVE THE TEMPERATURE. THE SCHOOL HAD SOLID FUEL BOILERS WHICH WERE FIRED BY COKE WHICH WHEN AT FULL POWER FILLED THE ATMOSPERE WITH A CLINGING GASEOUS VAPOUR WHICH WAS FAR FROM PLEASANT. THE SECOND THING IS THE EXTRA DAYS OFF WHEN THE OUTSIDE TOILETS FROZE. THIS WAS A GREAT DELIGHT TO US BUT NOT SO TO OUR PARENTS. FINALLY MAKING MY WAY TO THE LOWER PLAYGROUND THROUGH THE ICE AND SNOW AND CONSTRUCTING LONG ICY SLIDES UNTIL ONE OF THE TEACHERS CALLED US OFF AND STOPPED US USING THEM. AN EARLY EXAMPLE OF HEALTH AND SAFETY REGULATIONS I SUPPOSE! ONCE OUT OF THE PLAYGROUND IT WAS INTO THE CLOAKROOM WITH ITS PERFUME OF WET CLOTHES AND WARM KIDS WITH A SUBTILE UNDERLYING ODOUR OF CLEANING FLUID AND DISCINFECTANT. THEN IT IS OFF TO THE CLASSROOM FOR OUR NEXT NASAL EXPERIENCE. THIS CONSISTED OF CHALK DUST, POLISH, GLUE OR PASTE, MILK AND CRAYONS. THE CLASSROOM PERFUMES VARIED DEPENDING WHO THE TEACHER WAS. I REMEMBER ONE TEACHER WHO WAS ALWAYS ACCOMPANIED EVERYWHERE (I DON’T KNOW HOW IT WAS ALLOWED) BY HER CORGI, SHE ALWAYS SMELT OF DOG. ANOTHER TEACHER LIBERALLY USED EAU DE COLOGNE AND ANOTHER ASHES OF ROSES, QUITE OVER POWERING. FINALLY MANY OF THE MALE TEACHERS OFTEN PROJECTED EITHER THE SMELL OF WOODBINES OR PIPE TOBACCO AND ONE EVEN SNUFF! STILL TALKING ABOUT THE WINTERS DURING THE HARSH WINTERS IT WAS A COMMON SIGHT TO SEE THE SMALL CRATES OF MILK OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOMS WITH THE SHINY BOTTLE TOPS STANDING PROUD ABOVE THE BOTTLES ON A COLUMN OF FROZEN MILK. OF COURSE, THE ONLY WAY TO DEFROST THE SCHOOL MILK WAS TO PLACE IT BY THE RADIATOR, AND THEN WE WERE ALL DRANK WATERY, LUKEWARM MILK. OUT IN THE PLAYGROUND MOSTLY THE AIR WAS FRESHER AND CRISP IN THE WINTER. BUT THEN CAME THE SUMMER MONTHS WHEN WE HAD PT OR PE IN THE OPEN AIR. THIS IS WHEN WE HAD TO GRAB AN INDIVIDUAL RUBBER MAT OR A COCONUT MAT TO LAY ON TO DO OUR EXCERCISES. BOTH THESE MATS HAD A TERRIBLE SMELL WHEN YOU LAID ON THEM. BUT THE RUBBER ONES WERE MOST DEFINITELY THE WORST ! IN MOST SCHOOLS THERE WAS ALWAYS THE OVERARCHING SMELL IN THE BACKGROUND OF SCHOOL DINNERS. SOMETHING THAT I NEVER EXPERIENCED LIVING SO CLOSE TO HOME. FINALLY, I MUST TAKE A LOOK AT THE MEDICAL INPUT AT OUR PRIMARY SCHOOL. VISITS FROM THE SCHOOL NURSE I HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT BEFORE BUT IT WOULD BREAK UP THE DAILY ROUTINE. THE NIT NURSE USED TO MAKE REGULAR VISITS TO CHECK FOR HEADLICE AND ALL THE CHILDREN IN EACH CLASS WOULD LINE UP TO BE EXAMINED IN TURN, THEIR HAIR BEING COMBED CAREFULLY WITH A NIT COMB TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY INFESTATION. THERE WERE ALSO ROUTINE EYE AND HEARING TESTS, AND VISITS FROM THE SCHOOL DENTIST. THERE WAS ALSO THE POLIO VACCINE, GIVEN AT SCHOOL TO EVERY CHILD ON A SUGAR LUMP. MEASLES, GERMAN MEASLES AND MUMPS WERE NOT VACCINATED AGAINST; MOST CHILDREN CONTRACTED THESE DISEASES IN CHILDHOOD. GERMAN MEASLESCAN AFFECT UNBORN BABIES IF CONTRACTED IN PREGNANCY, AND SO IF A GIRL IN THE CLASS CAUGHT GERMAN MEASLES, IT WAS NOT UNCOMMON FOR HER MOTHER TO THROW A TEA PARTY FOR THE REST OF THE GIRLS SO THEY COULD ALSO CATCH THE DISEASE. OF COURSE THIS WAS ALSO THE AGE OF THE 11-PLUS, A SERIES OF TESTS THAT THE CHILDREN IN THE OLDEST CLASS AT JUNIOR SCHOOL WOULD TAKE BEFORE MOVING ON TO FURTHER EDUCATION. WE WOULD PRACTICE PREVIOUS PAPERS IN SCHOOL IN ORDER TO PREPARE FOR THESE TESTS, WHICH INCLUDED WRITING AN ESSAY, A MATHS PAPER AND REASONING PAPERS DESIGNED TO TEST A CHILD’S IQ WITH A PUZZLES AND PROBLEM-SOLVING QUESTIONS. ALWAYS – AND STILL SO TODAY – A CONTENTIOUS METHOD OF SCHOOL SELECTION. AHHH MORE MEMORIES STAY IN TOUCH PETER

WEB PAGE NO.2790 5TH JUNE 2021 WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO USE PUBLIC TELEPHONES IN 1940S/1950S BRITAIN 1ST PICTURE: THE TYPICAL RED PUBLIC PHONE BOX

2ND PICTURE:. THE PHOTO GIVES A VERY GOOD IDEA OF INSIDE A RED PUBLIC PHONE BOX. NOTE THE TELEPHONE ON ITS CRADLE, THE FABRIC-INSULATED LEAD, THE COIN SLOTS, THE BUTTON A, BUTTON B AND THE LARGISH COMPARTMENTS FOR TELEPHONE DIRECTORIES.

3RD PICTURE: WOODEN BOOTHS OF PUBLIC TELEPHONES AS FOUND IN THE LARGER RAILWAY AND COACH STATIONS AND OTHER PUBLIC PLACES, SOMETIMES DEPARTMENT STORES.

4TH PICTURE: A PHONE AND PAYING MECHANISM AS SEEN IN PUBS AND GUEST HOUSES.

VERY FEW FAMILIES HAD PHONES AT HOME IN THE EARLY 1940S, AND 50’S IN FACT WE NEVER HAD A PHONE AT HOME AT ALL WHEN I WAS YOUNG. SO THE PUBLIC PHONES WHEREVER THEY WERE SITUATED WERE IN FREQUENT USE FOR KEEPING IN TOUCH AND MAKING ARRANGEMENTS. TELEGRAMS WERE USED IN AN EMERGENCY OR FOR SPECIAL GREETINGS AT THAT TIME. FINDING A PUBLIC TELEPHONE PUBLIC TELEPHONES COULD EASILY BE RECOGNISED ON THE STREETS BECAUSE THEY WERE IN BRIGHT RED TELEPHONE BOOTHS AND THERE WERE PLENTY OF THEM IN POPULATED AREAS. THE TELEPHONE BOX WAS THE SMALLEST THING DESIGNED BY THE ARCHITECT SIR WILLIAN SCOTT, WHEREAS THE LARGEST THING WAS LIVERPOOL’S ANGLICAN CATHEDRAL. IT IS NOTED THAT IN A SIDE AISLE OF THE CATHEDRAL IS A TELEPHONE BOX (NOT CONNECTED TO THE SYSTEM) SO SIR GILBERTS ACHIEVEMENTS BOTH LARGE AND SMALL CAN BE SEEN IN THE ONE PLACE. MIND YOU IN LATER YEARS OUT ON THE STREETS YOU WERE LUCKY TO FIND ONE WITH A TELEPHONE DIRECTORY IN IT AND UNVANDALIZED. IN BUS AND TRAIN STATIONS, SEVERAL WERE LOCATED TOGETHER, USUALLY IN MORE SUBDUED WOODEN BOOTHS. HOWEVER, FINDING A PUBLIC PHONE BOX DID NOT NECESSARILY MEAN THAT IT WAS WORKING OR THAT IT WAS UNOCCUPIED. THERE WAS QUITE OFTEN A QUEUE AND IT WAS RATHER OFF-PUTTING TO TRY TO CHAT WHILE PEOPLE WERE WAITING OUTSIDE, POSSIBLY EVEN BANGING ON THE WINDOW, IF THEY THOUGHT THAT A CONVERSATION WAS TAKING TOO LONG. ANOTHER REASON FOR PEOPLE WAITING OUTSIDE PUBLIC PHONE BOXES WAS THAT THEY WERE WAITING FOR A CALL. PUBLIC PHONE BOXES HAD THEIR OWN NUMBERS AND COULD BE PHONED INTO. SO, PEOPLE WOULD ARRANGE TO PHONE ONE ANOTHER AT AN AGREED TIME AND THEN WAIT OUTSIDE THE PHONE BOX UNTIL THEY HEARD ITS PHONE RING. MAKING A PHONE CALL FROM A PUBLIC PHONE USING BUTTON A AND BUTTON B IS SOMETHING I HAD TO TEACH MY WOLF CUBS WHEN I WAS A SCOUT LEADER. IN ORDER TO MAKE A CALL FROM A PUBLIC PHONE BOX, YOU HAD TO HAVE THE RIGHT COINS. THIS WAS NOT TOO ONEROUS BECAUSE COINS WERE IN EVERYDAY USE AS THERE WERE NO CREDIT CARDS. NEVERTHELESS, IT WAS NOT AT ALL UNUSUAL TO BE STOPPED IN THE STREET AND ASKED IF ONE HAD CHANGE FOR A PHONE CALL. PEOPLE ALWAYS TRIED TO OBLIGE EACH OTHER IN THIS RESPECT, AND I NEVER KNEW OF ANYONE GETTING MUGGED WHEN THEY GOT OUT A PURSE OR DELVED INTO THEIR POCKETS FOR MONEY. CALLERS PUT THEIR COINS INTO THE COIN SLOT, DIALLED THE NUMBER THEY WANTED AND PRESSED BUTTON A TO BE HEARD OR BUTTON B TO GET THEIR MONEY BACK IF NO-ONE ANSWERED. IN BUSY CITIES QUEUES WOULD FORM, ALTHOUGH IN URBAN AND RURAL AREAS THIS WAS UNUSUAL. SOME PEOPLE RECALL THAT IN THEIR TEENAGE YEARS THAT IF TWO FRIENDS WISHED TO 'ACCIDENTALLY' BUMP INTO SPECIAL YOUNG LADIES, THEY WOULD COVER THEIR LIKELY ROUTES OF TRAVEL AND USE THE PUBLIC TELEPHONE TO ADVISE WHERE A FORTUITOUS MEETING COULD OCCUR. OTHER USES FOR BUTTON B AS A CHILD, YOU DID NOT PASS A PHONE BOOTH WITHOUT PUSHING BUTTON B ON THE OFF-CHANCE IN CASE THE LAST CALLER HAD FORGOTTEN TO COLLECT THEIR LEFT-OVER COINS. IT WORKED MORE OFTEN THAN YOU MIGHT HAVE THOUGHT AND 4D BOUGHT YOU A LOT OF SWEETS. HOWEVER, SOME CHILDREN STUFFED A RAG UP THE REFUND CHUTE ON THE WAY TO SCHOOL AND ON THE WAY HOME PULLED IT OUT HOPING THAT BUTTON B HAD BEEN PRESSED IN THE MEANTIME. IF SO THE REFUNDED MONEY, HAVING BEEN BLOCKED BY THE RAG, CAME TUMBLING OUT. STAY IN TOUCH PETER