‘Ar,’ said Annie, ‘it’s good for women who are past child-bearing years an’ all.’
‘In what way?’ Kath asked.
‘Well, make it into wine or a tonic and it beats off the sweats for anyone going through the change of life,’ Annie said simply, ‘and if you mix the oils from the flowers with castor oil, it helps hold the wrinkles at bay a while longer.’
‘How’s that then?’ Violet asked.
‘It holds the moisture, it seems,’ Annie replied.
‘Well I am not drinking castor oil!’ Mary said, pulling a face.
‘You don’t drink it!’ Annie said with a laugh. ‘You rub it on your face!’
‘Oh,’ Mary replied as laughter rang out yet again.
‘Annie!’ Violet said suddenly, making everyone start.
‘What?’ Annie said, looking round immediately for Harry suspecting he had woken and she’d not heard him.
‘This cream, couldn’t we make it and sell it on the stall too?’
‘Good idea,’ said Kath.
‘We are already working flat out with the hair wash,’ said Mary with a frown.
‘Well,’ Violet added feeling excited now, ‘we could take on more workers!’
*
The meetings of the ‘Wives’ as such no longer took place as they all worked together on the hair wash and face cream, so anything of note was discussed then. Joyce had left her job at the nail-making factory to join them in their little business venture and Joshua had filled her position almost immediately. Yet another woman in work.
Joyce told of a tale she had picked up at the market as they worked. It appeared a woman, waiting for her husband to come home from the Green Dragon Hotel and seeing his dinner begin to spoil, had marched down to the public house to drag him home. The fact that women were not allowed in had not deterred her and pushing open the door she had stomped in. Silence immediately descended at the gumption of the woman as she had stood in front of her husband at the bar.
Everyone was listening carefully to Joyce, ‘Well, she pokes a finger in his chest an’ says to him, “you get yourself home right this minute before I set the Wednesbury Wives on you!” You’ll never guess…’ drawing the tale out a little more Joyce continued, ‘but he run home like a scalded cat!’
Howls of laughter filled the kitchen and Violet said, ‘It seems, ladies, we have acquired ourselves quite a reputation!’
*
Making her way to the glassworks to once more discuss an increase to the order of pots, Violet passed Phillips Carpenters, on Holyhead Road, the factory that made wooden packing crates as well as furniture and an idea formed.
That evening she brought it up with Spencer. ‘If,’ she began, ‘we could hire a few carpenters to make small boxes, really nice ones, we could put a jar of cream and a pot of hair wash in the box and sell them as a specialty. We might even attract wealthier custom.’
‘It sounds a grand idea, sweetheart. Would you like me to visit the “bread line” to acquire some woodworkers on your behalf?’
‘That would be wonderful, Spencer, as I’m not sure anyone would take up the offer if I were to ask… I wonder how the carpenters would feel about having women as their managers.’
Spencer kept his word, finding four carpenters to work the small wooden boxes. Having drawn up a little sketch of what was needed and passing over two empty pots for sizing, the work had begun. The men worked from their homes, so Violet’s surprise for presenting the finished article to the ‘Wives’ was kept secret.
Violet asked Spencer how the men felt about working for women. ‘They are actually being managed by a man,’ he said with a smile, ‘I asked Jim Forbes to oversee the workers, which got him out of the coal pit. Annie asked me to try and find him work outside of mining and I thought this would be the ideal opportunity. I hope you don’t mind and… your little business can cover the wages!’
‘Oh Spencer, thank you!’
‘There is another difficulty though, their house is tied to the pit.’ Spencer watched his wife frown as they sat thinking about how to remedy the problem of Mary and Jim having to find another home.
*
Mary came bustling in the next morning, ‘Hey wenches…’ she shouted, ‘my Jim’s got a new job, he isn’t in the pit anymore!’
Applause rang out and when Martha asked about Jim’s new work, Mary said, ‘I’m buggered if I know, he’s overseeing carpenters making something or other. I’m just glad he’s out of the mining!’
They toasted Mary with cups of tea and Violet said, ‘Have you noticed how the role of the “Wives” has changed? Although still a force to be reckoned with, we appear to be well known for our good works.’
Joyce piped up, ‘Just as well we ain’t known for our bad ones!’
Laughter rippled through the kitchen as work began once more on the hair wash and face creams.
‘Mary,’ Violet said quietly, ‘with Jim no longer working in the colliery, won’t you have to give up your house?’
Mary nodded, saying, ‘Yes, we have to be out by Friday.’
‘Bloody hell!’ Martha gasped. ‘I forgot about that!’
Kath said, ‘That’s not a problem, Mary, you and Jim can move into my house in Hobbins Street, it’s only a few doors away anyway.’
Mary cast a glance at Joyce and said, “What about Joyce? She lives there too.”
‘I know, but Joshua said for you to move with me Joyce. There’s more than enough room in that big house. All we need to do is move your belongings over there.’
“It wouldn’t be fitting that I move into my old gaffer’s house Kath,” Joyce smiled.
Kath returned the smile with, “it would, if you became his housekeeper! Of course it would depend on how you feel about that.’
“I could do that I suppose,” Joyce said, “it wouldn’t take much to cook the odd meal and tidy round.”
Kath turned to Mary and said, “So what do you say Mary?”
‘Oh Kath,’ Mary sobbed, ‘I don’t know what to say!’
‘Say yes!’ Violet gushed.
‘Yes!’ Mary said and applause rang out as everyone rushed to hug Mary and help dry her tears.
*
Jim Forbes arrived at Gittins Lodge one morning and Mary was thrown into a panic.
‘I haven’t come to see you woman,’ he said, the love for her showing all over his face, ‘I came to see Violet.’
Violet showed Jim into Joshua’s living room and he produced their very first box. Holding it carefully, he passed it to her, saying, ‘I hope this is all right.’
The small box had been planed smooth and polished with beeswax. On lifting the lid, Violet gasped, ‘Oh Jim, it’s perfect!’ The inside had been lined with russet-coloured chenille, which she suspected once covered someone’s dining table, and gave the box a luxurious look. The small pots snuggled inside making the whole thing look expensive. The cost of the box, pots, hair wash and cream were nothing compared to what they could charge in the right social circles. ‘Well done Jim! Please give the men my congratulations on a job very well done. Now let’s go and show the others.’
As they entered the kitchen, all hands stopped work.
‘Jim and I have something to show you,’ Violet said quietly before producing the box.
Glances of puzzlement passed between the women as she placed the box on the table and lifted the lid. Gasps of awe escaped lips that weren’t covered by hands.
‘Jim is overseer of four carpenters employed by us,’ Violet said.
‘You crafty bugger!’ Mary aimed at her husband who grinned cheekily.
‘It was to be a surprise,’ he said, feigning innocence.
‘Well, it certainly is that!’ Annie added.
After discussion proving the business could stand its own financially, Jim set off to instruct the carpenters that more boxes were needed. Speed was of the essence but not to the detriment of quality.
Giving Violet a hug, Kath said, ‘Daughter of mine…
I’m so proud of you.’
Forty-Three
The business was keeping all of the women very busy with exigent demands from the women of the town for their hair wash and face cream products.
Word had come through the grapevine of a fancy new shop recently opened in New Street, Birmingham, and Violet and Martha set their minds to visit in the hope that the shop might buy a stock of the new boxes. Spencer drove them there in his carriage and it was agreed he would be on hand for discussions, as male businessmen – no matter the business – would still not always deal with women.
Dressed in their Sunday best, they set off, the first of the boxes made tucked safely under Violet’s arm.
As the carriage rumbled along the Birmingham streets, they saw the poverty in this town was as bad as in their own. People milled about as if having nothing better to do. Men hung around on street corners talking and smoking. Women with gaggles of small children around their legs stood gossiping, the odd errant child receiving a smack round the ear for some misdeed. Horse-drawn carts and wagons rolled along heading for Gas Street Basin where they would unload their goods. The buildings here were blackened too from the smoke from house and factory chimneys. The steam trains puffed out there smoke further adding to the smell in the town of burning coal.
Arriving at the shop, the manager, at first, refused to see the women until Spencer stepped in, saying, ‘I suggest you hear what the Wednesbury Wives have to say before dismissing them out of hand!’
The mention of the name was an effective emollient on the manager, it seemed their reputation had made it even this far. The man listened patiently, an eye always on Spencer.
When the manager first saw the box, he was unable to contain his surprise.
‘Well of course,’ he said, quickly composing himself, ‘I couldn’t pay a lot for these, as I’m sure you are aware, I cannot guarantee they would sell from our salon.’ Looking at Violet, his deprecating smile vanished.
‘You’ll pay what we are asking and will be wanting to order more before you know it!’ she snapped. Salon indeed! It was a bloody shop, the same as all the others!
Regaining his composure, the man said with a sniff, ‘I will take one dozen and see whether or not our clientele would be interested in such trinkets.’
Spencer shook hands with the manager in a gentleman’s agreement and Violet huffed her way outside her indignation evident.
*
Martha was at home busy preparing an evening meal of sausage, mash and cabbage when Nancy came in sporting a swollen face.
‘What happened to you?’ Martha asked.
‘A woman hit me in the face,’ the girl said, bursting into tears.
‘You what!’ Martha demanded. ‘What woman?’
‘You know the family who live on the barge called The Margaret Rose?’
‘Ar,’ her mother said, moving to look at Nancy’s swelling face.
‘Well, they’re moored up in the Basin and wanted me to have their kids for a week while they took some coal down to Worcester.’
‘Bloody cheek!’ Martha said putting a cold wet cloth to her daughter’s face as Nancy winced.
‘Well, when I said no because I only look after the kiddies in the daytime… the mother hit me and called me a spiteful mare!’
‘Did she now… Right you’re not going to work tomorrow, you are coming with me! The wenches can manage without you for one day. Now, get that cup of tea down you.’
Martha related the incident to the women the following morning in Joshua’s kitchen.
‘I am not having that woman strike my child!’ she snapped.
Instantly shawls were grabbed as the ‘Wives’, with Nancy in tow, set off for the canal basin.
Marching down the towpath looking for all the world like a women’s militia, they halted by the side of The Margaret Rose.
‘Hello!’ Martha yelled, her voice splitting the air. ‘Anybody in?’
She watched as the canal folk climbed onto the decks of their barges. This particular issue was going to have to be settled out in the open. She didn’t like public confrontation but she also knew they would not be getting an invite to step aboard the boat.
A sallow-looking woman with dirty hair trying to escape the confines of a bun poked her head through the hatchway. ‘What you want?’ she yelled back.
Immediately seeing this was not going to go well, Martha’s anger rose. ‘You the one who smacked my daughter?’ she shouted as she dragged Nancy into view.
‘What of it?’ the woman jeered.
Anger bubbled just below the surface as Martha said, ‘Get your arse down off that boat!’
‘I ain’t doing no such thing,’ the woman replied.
‘Then I’ll come up and bloody drag you down!’ Martha exploded.
Kath and Joyce grabbed her arms, holding her back as the cheers of the canal people sounded loud and clear. Looking around, Martha saw a crowd gathering and someone from the next barge shouted, ‘You go get her, missis, she’s causing trouble on the “cut” all the while!’
The woman yelled at him, ‘You shut yer mouth, this ain’t nothing to do with you!’
Martha yelled again at the woman, ‘Are you coming down here, or am I coming up there?’
‘Bugger off!’ the woman shouted, a nasty grin showing on her face.
Before anyone could stop her, Martha was on the boat having escaped the grasp of her friends. Quick as a wink, the woman’s head disappeared into the belly of the boat, the hatch slammed shut and the bolt was heard sliding across, locking her safely inside.
To the accompaniment of shouts and applause from everyone watching, Martha hammered on the hatch with her fists. ‘You haven’t heard the last of this, lady!’ Martha yelled. ‘The Wednesbury Wives won’t let this matter rest!’
‘What are you going to do about this Martha?’ Kath asked once Martha had climbed back onto the towpath.
‘Buggered if I know,’ she said, watching where she stepped.
‘Well, if you ask me, I wish her boat would sink!’ Mary grumbled; she carried on walking as the rest of them stopped.
Turning, Mary rolled her eyes, muttering, ‘Oh Christ – not again!’
Forty-Four
Striding out once more for the canal basin the following day, the women knew they had limited time to sort out The Margaret Rose but had to ensure no one was aboard at the time.
The man who had shouted to Martha the previous day eyed them as they approached.
‘She ain’t in, nobody is there, missis.’
‘Good,’ Violet said as she stepped forward, ‘I need a favour, one that will pay handsomely.’
‘Oh ar, what you want then?’ he asked.
‘We want that boat a bit wet – inside!’ Violet said quietly, tipping her head to the barge in question.
Nodding, his head the man said, ‘Well now, if you happened to be strolling past later in the day you might want to stop by again.’ Giving her a wink, Violet replied with a smile and a nod and the women turned for home.
‘What’s he going to do, Martha?’ asked Mary.
Martha’s patience exhausted she snapped, ‘Now how the hell would I know!’
Kath said, ‘Maybe we’ll find out later, Mary.’
*
Work finished for the day, the women again strolled towards the canal in the early evening sunshine.
At the edge of the canal towpath they saw a crowd of people gathered and, with an easy pace, made their way towards it.
A lot of shouting could be heard as they neared the crowd and the woman who had hit Nancy pointed, shouting, ‘Them! They did it!’
The crowd turned and Violet asked her, ‘We did what?’
Pointing to her barge, she spat, ‘That!’
‘I’m sorry, I don’t understand!’ Violet said unable as yet to see what the woman referred to.
‘There’s water everywhere!’ the woman yelled.
‘Yes, I can see that, and there are boats on it,’ Violet rep
lied, barely able to contain her grin.
‘Oh ain’t you funny?’ The woman said sarcastically. ‘There’s water everywhere – inside! Look at this – it’s sodden!’ She held up a small rag rug which dripped dirty canal water.
Glancing at the man they had spoken with earlier in the day, who was sitting on his own barge, he doffed his cap and it was all Violet could do not to laugh. Instead she said, ‘How do you suppose we did that?’
‘I don’t know how you did it, but you did!’ the venomous reply came.
‘I’m afraid you are mistaken,’ Violet said with as much dignity as she could muster, ‘my friends and I have been working all afternoon.’
Martha yelled, ‘Just as well you didn’t have the coal loaded else she might have gone down altogether!’
Howls of laughter erupted from the crowd.
‘I’ll have you for this, you see if I don’t!’ The woman, in a rage, was pacing back and forth on the towpath.
‘That right?’ shouted Martha in response, ‘Word of warning, you don’t want to be messing with us “Wives”. Still an’ all, I expect you’ll be too busy drying your stuff out!’
Cheers rang out as the woman spat on the ground and marched away.
The man jumped down from his boat and walking close to Violet said quietly, ‘Job complete.’
Violet discreetly handed him a small bag of money, saying, ‘Payment made.’
Strolling back the way they had come, they chatted about the woman and her wet boat. It would take time to dry out the things the man had drenched, but at least he hadn’t sunk the boat thus leaving the woman and her children homeless.
‘I wonder how he managed it.’ Violet queried.
‘A couple of buckets of water would be my guess, but then I’m not a “cut rat” so what would I know?’ Martha laughed.
‘Blimey, Mum,’ said Nancy when they told her of the event, ‘it doesn’t pay to get on the wrong side of you lot!’
It was considered justifiable retribution… yet again.
*
Later in the evening, Joshua and Kath sat on a bench in the garden of Gittins Lodge discussing their wedding plans. ‘I saw the vicar today,’ he said, ‘and he assured me no one would know about the service other than those attending.’
The Wives’ Revenge Page 22