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In the 1970s a series of interviews were undertaken with local people in Lancashire. The extract below is from an interview with Nellie Malone; a weaver at Havelock Mill. 

I: What was your first job after school?

 

N: Weaver … me mother learnt me to weave

 

I: Where at?

 

N: At err, Chadwick Street Mill ... I were there while mill finished. And then we got work at Havelock Mill … that’s another weaving place down Waterfall………………………

 

I: And did you still do weaving when you got married?

 

N: Yes, I got married when I were in Havelock MillI: And did you live in Havelock Street after?

 

N: No I didn’t … we lived in Stanfeld Street … yes and you could get to ‘Velock mill down a little back down Wellington Road

 

I: Tell me some of your weaving tales

 

N: Oh no … oh no, no oh no, no …

 

I: Why not ?

 

N: Well I’ve forgotten ‘em !! .. .but I were always like lively, you know,me and me mates …

 

I: Did you never have a row wit tackler (xiv)?

 

N: Oh no, oh no … well I were I were next to me mother you see …and I used to help me mother … your best friend int’it … we thought so … happen they don’t today … eee I don’t know

 

I: So how long were you weaving altogether ?

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N: Oh my god, oh dear me…well I were weaving practically all me …well until me daughter were born …see there wasn’t much else going in Blackburn when we were young. They used to say “Learn it toweave….……fingers” (xv)…………………

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I: And what were it like in Blackburn in them days?

 

N: Ohhh, well, I tell you what we didn’t get big wages …. but it went further … and they were happier days … we were happy … well when I were a teenager me and me friend … a girlfriend not a feller friend in them days … and we used go dancing. We used to go every weekend to Canterbury Street Barracks. And you know we enjoyed ourselves better there … it were every Saturday and we weren’t afraid about coming home or anything. It were good, honest fun … it was lovely …

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I: And what were it like round market?

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N: Oh well it wasn’t this new market, it were all canvas …Yeah I used to go on market wi me mother … you used to wet from drips off canvas … but it didn’t worry us....

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I: And what did you get ?

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N: Well, they had some nice things … I used to get skirts and things..................

 

I: I bet there were a lot of mills in Blackburn ?

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N: Oh yes, see it were full of chimneys … there were a lot of mills but you see I were only in Chadwick Street and Havelock Mill …. … Eh, have we finished ?

Views and Insights from a Havelock Weaver

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