Mary's Memoirs - A Poole Childhood, Dorset War Work and Post-War London, 1925-1950
The Early Years
Helen Mary Norman was born in the Cornelia Hospital, Poole on October 1st 1925. This hospital was named after Lady Cornelia Wimborne who was a local benefactress. Mary’s mother, Phyllis, was living with her own parents at the time because her father was serving in the Navy, on HMS Tiger. Mary said: “I believe I might have been baptised on this ship.”
In fact Mary was baptised at All Saints Church, Branksome Park on 13th December 1925. Mary had been named Helen after a great friend of her Aunt Doris (and also after Doris whose full name was Doris Helen but she was known as Mary all her life.
In 1926-27 the Norman family moved into their first house in Wroxham Road, Poole.
“It was called 'Morodad' which was a rather ‘naff’ version of 'More of Dad' because my grandfather who was a carpenter and builder built the house.”
It was an almost square house with a front room, back room and small kitchen downstairs. There was a minimum of kitchen furniture compared to kitchens nowadays. At the back it had a small yard with a coal shed and an outside loo. Upstairs there were two double bedrooms and a box room. There was a bathroom with a toilet, basin and an old geyser, which was dangerous because when the wind was blowing the wrong way the pilot light blew out.
“When I was about five I was in the bath on my own, Mum came in to dry me and get me out and as she tried lifting me out, I kept slipping backwards in her arm. I had been slowly poisoned by the gas.”
They changed the geyser after that! The house was very basic but well built with lots of wood because Frank was a carpenter.