Catalogue

Interview
902, EM/030
EMOHA Project

Speaker: Beaumont, Pearl, 1926 - 0, Interviewee, Female, Retired hairdresser
Speaker: Hyde, C, Interviewer, Male

Summary of interview item: Interview 1: Describes childhood in Cheltenham Terrace, Nottingham, various family anecdotes, memories of grandparents, grandmother's abusive husband, family history. Describes arrangement between mother, father and father's first wife. Recalls area around Cheltenham terrace, house lived in, childhood games. Describes start of interest in hairdressing, fashionable hair styles, copying actress Betty Grable, perms. Talks about doing hairdressing apprenticeship when family moved to Grimsby. Mentions outbreak of Second World War (WWII), describes various perms. Recalls air-raids, soldiers coming to parents' parties, ignorance of sexual matters, being warned off sex by parents who stressed importance of hairdressing career, possibility of disease. Talks about relationships with local soldiers. Interview 2: Talks further about family life in Nottingham, mentions Goose Fair, stresses closeness of family. Recalls inability to spell well at school. Describes ballroom dancing in Grimsby, meeting husband at dance. Talks about not being afraid of bombing. Outlines move to Cleethorpes to buy hairdressing business, father not wanting to marry mother, mother meeting future partner. Describes using Anderson shelters, danger from strangers in the blackout, running her own business. Reflects that the situation was serious but fun, had a lot of dates, married after the war. Briefly compares employment situation after WWII with that after First World War. Mention of wedding. Describes brief period in Harlow, Essex, reason for move to Leicester, setting up hairdressing business in Stocking Farm area in early 1950s. Describes area, perm-clubs, doctor telling her she worked too hard. Interview 3: Suggests mother and step-father living together in Grimsby not too unusual for the time. Recalls fraught relations with mother-in-law, mentions attitudes to divorce. Talks about husband, describes Stocking Farm when they first arrived. Describes her business, fashionable haircuts, apprentices. Mentions holidays in Europe in 1950s. Recalls death of husband, having to cope with the accounts without him. Talks further about the perm-club, hair styles, changing fashions. Mentions changes in the area. Briefly mentions leisure in Leicester, cinema, cafes, dancing. Mentions being playworker in retirement, talks further of life in her hairdressing shop, reflects on differences between young people today and her youth.
Place of birth: Nottingham
Education:
Marital Status: Widowed, Children: Girl: 1
Father's Occupation: Salesman
Mother's Occupation: Tailoress
Location: County: Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire
Location: Town/Place: Leicester, Grimsby, Cleethorpes, Nottingham
Periods Covered: 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s
Language: English

Recording Date: 23/4/2002
Playing time: 4 hrs 15 mins
Access Restrictions: Restricted Item Copyright: EMOHA
Summary: Yes
Transcription: No
Copies: Yes
Cross Reference:

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Last updated: 08/05/02 East Midland Oral History Archive Web maintainer This document has been approved by the head of department or section.