agnes purseglove

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Agnes milligan

Agnes was born on June 9th 1925. She had a very interesting childhood. She went to nursery school aged 3 (which was unusual at that time since most mothers did not work). Several nannies watched Agnes after school while her mum was in hospital with septicaemia for 7 months following the birth ofAaudrey. After nursery school she attended St Athanacius School, Hawthorne Road Elementary, Balliol road junior school and then Litherland central. Agnes also attended sunday school and went on many outings. Often they went to Wirral - either to Raby Mere or Barnston Dale where they were able to play on swing boats and big slides. For the first week in September each year when Agnes was between the ages of 2 and 14 the family would go on holiday to the isle of man.

Being an only child, Agnes was always lonely. She continuously asked her mother if her best friend, Anne, could come to stay. She was delighted when she returned from a trip to Sheffield to find that Anne had come to live with them. Anne was one of 12 children so was very happy to be able to join them.

Agnes always loved sports. Her mother used to take her swimming to Balliol Road pool in Bootle and she won many prizes in swimming galas. When the family moved to Litherland Agnes started to play tennis but just after she had signed up to join the tennis club war broke out and the club had to be closed down. If she couldn't be a tennis player Agnes wanted to be a chorus girl. She passed the audition but her father wouldn't let her join. She had always been to dance classes and especially enjoyed tap dancing.

When the war began out Agnes had to leave school (aged 14). Her mum got called up to the munitions factory because she had no children under the age of 14. Agnes wanted to be in the wrens but her parents wouldn't let her because they didn't want her to leave home so she began working at James' men's shop. In 1941 the blitz came (Agnes was aged 16). After 7 nights of bombings her parents sent Agnes to Buxton to live (there was never another raid after this!) She stayed with her aunty Laura's husband's family along with her cousins Sheila and Laura. Agnes worked in a laundry there and loved the country lifestyle.

When she came back from Buxton, her mum had moved back to Kirkdale. Agnes ended up working at Munitons when she was 18 which she didn't enjoy because it was so boring. Later Agnes started work at Lewis' on the haberdashery. She particularly liked the stock taking.

"Everyone stopped taking their gas masks with them but there were checks for this and identity cards so girls would carry lunch and make up in the gas mask boxes. Agnes"

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