Oxford Childhood

The Pride of the Morning

In this personal reminiscence of growing up in Cowley, Oxford in the 1920s, the author’s detailed memories describe every aspect of life in the years following the Great War. The clothes she wore, the furnishings of her parents’ house, and the food they ate are graphically remembered. She describes the fun they had with a newly made rag rug, trying to identify the pieces of old clothing that it was made from, and remembers that on bath nights, in front of the fire, mother covered the hearth with newspapers to prevent splashes staining the black leading. She describes schooldays, shopping, street games, the "cat’s whisker" crystal set, and the arrival of Welsh miners who walked to Cowley from Wales to find work at the new Morris Motor Works. This charming book is illustrated with drawings by Max Surman and some delightful contemporary photographs.