Corton House

Attitudes have changed (1935-2018)

The Reverend Jane speaks about her life: wartime, on a farm, horses, working for the church, and being ordained as one of the first Church of England women priests. Early life and the War I was born in Southern Rhodesia. My father had fought in the First World War and all soldiers could have some […]

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Giving as a guiding principle (1947-2015)

Frank was leisure manager at the Norwich Union sports park at Pinebanks. His motivation: ‘I like to do things for people that they enjoy. And I’ve been doing it for years, even when I lived in Thorpe.’ Frank is motivated by the principle of, ‘If you give, you receive; because the Lord said that, and […]

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If it hadn’t been for the War… (1937-1982)

Hilda describes her varied working life, beginning with her first job at Mansfields Factory. During the Second World War, Hilda was called up to work for Home Security in Cambridge. Hilda eventually qualified as an Established Civil Servant. After the War years, Hilda worked as a Clerical Officer for Telephone House. First job at Mansfield’s […]

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Norfolk County Library Services (1962-2000)

John describes his life during and after university, including early difficulties, his time at university, misdiagnosis of schizophrenia, printing, and Norfolk County Library Services. University and German exchange I read German and French at Bristol University.  At the time, Bristol University had an exchange arrangement with Hannover, the place our Royal family came from at […]

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Open all hours (1940s-1980s)

Jean worked in her father’s shop as a girl and remembers the war and the soldiers who came into the shop. Building up the newsagents Our lives changed when I was nine years old. Father worked on a P&O liner but the war affected liners’ work in 1939. We left our home in Eastwood in […]

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Secretary in Colman’s Transport Department (1939-1945)

Eileen started work as a secretary  in the transport department at Colman’s and experienced the wartime bombing. She met her husband ‘across a crowded room’ at Colman’s. He became Operations Director and had a long career with the firm.  I was born in Lowestoft. Mother died when I was three months old and I was […]

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