Lilian Albone [1924- 1984]

My mother was born in New Brancepeth in the summer of 1924. Her parents were Dickie Hope [1901 - 1983] and Ethel Hope [nee Dodds - 1903- 1978]. Dickie worked at Sleetburn pit at the time but transferred to Ushaw Moor pit not long afterwards. Lilian's sister Ethel was born in 1926. It is understood that  Lilian went to stay with her grandmother in Sleetburn when Dick and Ethel had twins in 1931 [Doreen and Norman]; she never returned home except for visiting. No doubt having a miner, as well as newly born twins, and daughters of 7 and 5, meant something had to give for Lilian's mother and 'the give' was Lilian to her grandmother. 

Lilian enjoyed school at New Brancepeth and reminiscenced several times over the years about how the teacher said 'Lilian you have a wonderful  head of hair'. The teacher was right about that; it was gingery golden. I cannot make a judgement about her school work other than it would have been of an elementary nature in those days. Looking at her adult letters I see that her grammar and spelling were not at all bad and therefore it is reasonable to surmise that she had not been a  bad scholar.

As she got older she became very much a domestic help to her rapidly ageing grandmother. Apart from that there were three uncles to attend to; Tommy Jimmy and Wilfrid. She kept the front door step polished to a high standard which is just as well because some people were very judgemental about steps in those days. Not polished, bright and white, equalled not worthy! 

Mum was one of the Newton Aycliffe angels during World War Two; that is to say she worked at the munitions factory. For light relief she sometimes attended army dances at Brancepeth camp, along with several friends. More than one person has remarked 'ah, camp follower' but that is so judgemental! What was a young teenager to do in 1940 in a place like New Brancepeth? She had spirit and a love of life at that time; church just would not pass muster!

She married my hard working father Matt, but it was to give me a 'name' as much as anything else. I can speak freely about it now because times have moved on and the moral landscape has changed, largely for the better.   She had a very tense and earnest conversation with vicar Welby on the morning of her marriage and decided to go ahead with it, even though he is reported as saying 'Lilian you do not have to get married you know'. That was the measure of the great man; in his conversation with Lilian he did not blind  himself, and her, with Christian dogma and condemnation.       

The marriage did not last and she eventually married Don Albone. He is featured elsewhere on site. They lived at 20 Unthank Terrace New Brancepth for several years which involved renting from her grandmother. I have good memories of Unthank Terrace but they are all elsewhere on site so I will not dwell upon them. In late 1953 we moved to 42 Whitehouse Court, Ushaw Moor   and my half brother Colin was born in March 1954; he was the second child of the marriage - Sheila having been born in 1947.

In early 1961 we moved to Workington. These were bad years for my mother. In fact 1956 to the year she died were not very nice for her. There were interludes of civilised fun but she had much unhappiness. She suffered badly from 'the change of life' and depression. She had at least two stays in Winterton Hospital and during her time there had several sessions of dubious electric shock treatment. It was all very sad but as I say there were interludes of decent life.

In 1984 she died from heart failure. Being significantly overweight would not have helped her. I travelled up from London to say goodbye to her. She was the first dead person that I had seen. On arrival my step-father told be very gently that she was in the living room. I remember putting my hand to her brow and 'saying' to her 'dear mum'. Even though I knew she had gone I was still a little startled when feeling  her so cold brow. 

WB