Doris was a very nervous child, she had been scalded badly as a toddler, she pulled a boiling hot cup of tea over her was scolded very badly and carried the scars on into later life. Doris did not go to hospital, all of her skin was coming off and a lady from a nearby street, Mrs Brown nursed her and changed her dressings every day. Her father blamed himself because the tea was in the enamel mug that he brought home from the war. The mug had belonged to a friend of his while they were in the trenches during the first world war. His friend was killed and another of his friends took the mug, he then also died and her father took the mug. After Doris was scolded Father hammered the mug until there was nothing left of it. He called it the cursed mug.Billy was a territorial and went away to camps to carry out training and manoeuvres. He once went away to a camp in Blackpool and got a fiver for going. Eventually, Billy finally plucked up the courage to ask out Doris properly and Doris came down to meet him and became his girlfriend. Billy had pestered and pestered Doris and he had said to his friend that he liked that girl and he was going to get her. On their first date Billy took her to the pictures, her father said that he could only take her out if it was early and he had not been to the Pub.
After leaving school Billy worked in a china shop in Gallowgate, Newcastle, as a shop assistant and a handyman. He eventually left the china shop to take up a job as a chauffer; he drove a large black Austin limousine. At this time he worked for a brewery boss. This was Jeffries Breweries (this became part of Newcastle Breweries) he earned 30 shillings per week and was highly annoyed that Doris was earning 32 shillings per week as a shirt maker. When he used to complain Doris would simply state that she was a skilled craftsman and she deserved the extra money. Doris as a shirt maker and worked for John Feldmans in Malborough Crescent and had done since she was 14 years old. She served a 4 year apprenticeship and stayed here a total of 9 years. She used to walk home each day for her lunch and return thereafter.
Doris and Billy were now officially courting and Doris's family now moved from Wellington Street to Highland Road in Montague in the north of Newcastle in the summer of 1938. This was a direct result of Doris's mother being very unhappy about living in close proximity to a pub. Too much bad language and drunkenness could be observed.
By 1938 Doris and Billy had been courting for around 2 years. It was around this time that the Italians were invading Abysinia and the territorial’s were called to alert. At around this time the Brewery Manager retired and Billy was finished with work. Doris thinks that he managed to get some work but cant remember what. The Brewery Manager gave Billy a wonderful reference.
Billy had lots of friends but his best friend was a lad called Billy Fenwick. Billy Lemin and his friends would spend lots of time at his mother’s house playing cards and she would spend lots of time making and buttering them stotty cakes.
