Betty remembers growing up in Sprowston, pinching apples, decorating chocolates, and frying fish, and talks about living in Mile Cross today. Childhood in Sprowston I grew up in Sprowston and I must admit I was happy because a lady who lived near my mum used to think I was wonderful. She used to look after […]
Mile Cross Residents
Cowslips, primroses and bundles of roses (1925-2010)
Dorothy tells of growing up in the countryside, working in service and living in Mile Cross. I was born in Wramplingham, just outside of Norwich, on the Barford Road. My father was a farm worker all his life, he did milking and all the rest of it, hedge trimming all sorts of things. I only […]
From Machinery to Mail (1934-1977)
Victor tells of his early life in Cambridge, the Territorial Army in Norfolk, working at Mann Egerton, and the best years of his working life as a postman in Norwich. Early life in wartime I left school in 1934. Nothing much happened in Cambridge, well it didn’t anywhere then. I lived right near the railway […]
Growing up in Mile Cross (1920s-1990s)
Olive and Rosina grew up on the Mile Cross estate. They talk to us about their childhoods, what they think of the estate now, what it used to be like and their lives in this community. Olive: I was born at my grandmother’s up the top of Kett’s Hill, in, well I’m now 87. Rosina: […]
Living in Mile Cross today (1996-2008)
Sylvia describes what life has to offer in Mile Cross today and finds it a good place to live. I moved to Mile Cross in 1996 and I quite liked it from the beginning. Obviously it’s a bit strange when you go anywhere new. I live in a terraced house. There’s a lot of terraced […]
Mile Cross from the twenties to today (1920-2009)
Ronnie and Mary share their memories of living in Mile Cross and working in the shoe industry. Childhood – fresh bread and chestnuts Mary: I was born, ten minutes before my twin sister, on 30th December in 1927. We were born at home in Alma Terrace, between Aylsham Road and Waterloo Road, on the original […]
Mile Cross was a very nice place to grow up in (1920s-2009)
Tilly describes a tough childhood in Mile Cross before a long and happy marriage, full of singing and dancing. Childhood and happy schooldays in Mile Cross I went to live in Mile Cross when I was about five years old. We lived at the Gildencroft because we were Quakers but then my dad was thrown […]
The clicker and the seaman (1934-1980s)
Charles recalls his life in Norwich, working as a clicker in the shoe industry, and being at the helm during his time in the Navy. Early days I was born in Armes Street, just off Nelson Street, in Norwich. I’ve been in Norwich most of my life, apart from when I joined the Navy. I […]
The Land Army – anything that men could do (1940-1950)
Jean tells us about working for Bally and Haldinstein’s making shoes before joining the Land Army at the age of 20. After I left school I went to work for Bally and Haldinstein’s where they made shoes. The factory was in Queen’s Street in Norwich. The working day was quite reasonable. I worked from 8am […]
The land of lost content (1927-1950)
Jack submitted his recollections growing up on the Mile Cross estate and describes how it affected his life. The period covered extends from about 1927 or 1928 to 1950 with a gap between 1942 and 1947 for Army service. I have been asked to try to remember my experience of growing up on the Mile […]