Oral history audio recording of Bernice Taylor Brown.
Bernice Taylor Brown recounts some memories of her grandparents’ lives, firstly her paternal grandparents Frank Wise Brown and Blanche (née Wildman). Bernice remembers Blanche as ‘a really fun lady’; a well-known local soprano, she became lonely and depressed in retirement at Felixstowe. The Browns enjoyed Felixstowe holidays and the family still has an annual ‘pilgrimage’ there to keep up the tradition. The Brown’s children were Frank Harry (Bernice’s father), Maisie Agnes and Walter Eric (Wally). Bernice worked for Maisie and her husband Bert Hardy in their successful delicatessen and off-licence in Woburn Sands, Hayler, Hayler and Sons.
Bernice and her parents lived with her maternal grandparents Thomas ‘Gonky’ Taylor and Louisa Ann ‘Nan’ from 1939 to 1950. Bernice remembers Gonky as a ‘jovial, lovely old man’; as a child she went everywhere with Nan, who was a leading light in many local activities: Conservative Club, Mothers’ Union, bowls teas, etc. She was the hoarder who kept all the family documents which form the Taylor Brown collection. The Taylors’ children were: John (Jack) Frederick Thomas, Hubert Chown and Beryl Louise (Bernice’s mother); Bernice talks briefly about her uncles.
Bernice recalls that her father Frank H. Brown was a keen cricketer and musician, but always ‘a very nervous type’ in whatever he did. Bernice recalls anecdotes he told about the Royal family through his work as steward on the Royal Train, and incidents at the Works. Frank was also an air raid warden. Bernice’s parents were closely associated with St George’s Church, Wolverton, where Frank sang in the choir for 70 years, was a member of the quartet, the Silvertones, and also played the organ. Beryl was a skilful tennis player and pianist, and after their marriage, both took part enthusiastically in amateur dramatics, as did Bernice. Beryl loved performing; she and Bernice performed a duet for a surprise party for her father’s 80th birthday in 1987.
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