Lived: Simonsbath, Exford
Recording made: 1998
Length of recording: 2 hrs 5 mins
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MILLIE CURTIS
Born:
Withypool,
Somerset, 1932
Lived:
Simonsbath,
Exford
Recording made: 1998
Length of recording:
2 hrs 5 mins
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Millie Curtis moved to Simonsbath as a child, when her father became a shepherd on the Fortescue estate. Her mother had a hard life; three children close together and then twins when Millie was 16. She used to cut up logs with the cross saw, milk the Galloway and wash the nappies in the stream. She also took in washing, walking over the fields to collect it. Millie spent a lot of time looking after the babies for her.
She started work at the Exmoor Stores in Exford on her 14th birthday, mainly making up orders; groceries, paraffin and bread would all go into the delivery van together. There were six of them working there. After she and Stan married she ran the Simonsbath post office for eight years before going back to Exford, to waitress at Exmoor House cafe. Then she looked after her parents, and later Stan's father. She says they were no trouble at all really and that they miss them all very much.
postscript - Millie Curtis died in April 2007