File:Aerial view village 1938.3.jpeg

Aerial view village 1938

Note the new Jubilee Hall built just 3 years before this photo was taken. Also see if you can see Granny Gardner's washing on the line.

Granny Gardner took over the washing of the Manor when Mrs. Halstead became too elderly to do it. Also being left a widow with young children, she found that taking in people's washing brought enough income for her to pay the rent and pay for food. But in order to make ends meet, she took in washing from the large houses in Stratford also. As soon as the washing was dried, ironed and aired, she would carefully fold them up and put them in her cart. Then she would push her laden cart to Stratford and deliver her laundry, and bring back with her the next dirty washing.

Mrs. Halstead had a special building at the back of her house (which she shared with her neighbour) that was its own wash house. Granny Gardner had just a pokey kitchen. Mrs. Rees Mogg paid for alterations to her cottage which, of course, Mrs. Rees-Mogg owned, so the Gardner's finished up with a reasonable kitchen with plenty of room for sheets etc to hang on long clothes airers hanging from the ceiling. But when a good day came along, the sheets etc went outdoors in their long garden with its long clothes line