Eva Baglin's Later Life

As told by Florence Eveline Jenner (1901-1994):

When I'm going on a coach trip I'd observe everything, and when we are coming back I'd know if we are going a different way or not. Not like old Blanch, who'd just squat there and read a book or go to sleep. I like to be looking out of the window all of the time. That was it when I lost my ring on holiday one time. We were all on our hands and knees, crawling about looking for it. Mrs Trout had her hand down the toilet and all. And then somebody said, "Has she got elastic bottoms". I put my hand down my trousers, and there it was, trapped because of the elastic bottoms - I don't think I shall ever live that down.

Blanch and I - I suppose we have been friend for about 30 or 40 years use to collect for the `Alexandria Rose' -We'd go from Page Park, Staple Hill, all the way up one site to Trinity Church, and then all the way back on the other side of the road. We'd sell flowers in all the shops, pubs and that kind of thing. Thought nothing of it, in fact I'd used to be able to name every shop between here and town. Can't anymore, because half of them are boarded up or closed down, and that kind of thing. I observe, you know Grace doesn't, she doesn't observe a thing.

Mind you, there was that time four of us were walking along the road and this man spat on me - He had just been turned out of the Army Home. He turned on us, he cussed and in the end got so savage that he spat on me - He couldn't do it on old Doreen, who was so fussy -He had to do it on me, and it went all down my lovely uniform coat - And it was so awful, it was as if he'd been saving it up for weeks. I'd wished there was a policeman about, then we'd have told him what had happened.
When I used to go `Pub booming' (selling `War Crys' for the Salvation Army) we'd go out Mangotsfield way, and in one of the pubs, `The Salutation', a group of people would sit at one table who use to joke with us -I has an answer for every question, and they would always buy a paper - I was in my 70's then. When I used to go collection, I'd go across country, through fields, I used to walk miles -In fact I'd go anywhere for a pound -Now look at me. I had to give all that up when I was 76 because chest had got so bad. Before that I was so stupid Twice a week I was picked up by ambulance and taken to the Chest Therapy Unit, and they'd treat me like Dresden china - And then, there I was every Saturday night - Selling War Cries in smoky pubs.