Sandra Hughes

My mother Lillian Hayes was a dinner lady at Tividale Comprehensive School and this photo was taken when she retired in 1979. She was originally from Keighley in Yorkshire and was part of a very big family — 13 brothers and sisters, with three sets of twins!
Lilian Hayes (holding the cake) on her retirement, Tividale Comprehensive School, 1979

My mum and her twin Auntie Marion both decided that they wanted to join the army. They ran away from home to join the ATS (Auxiliary Territorial Service, women’s branch of the British Army during WW2). In 1940 Mum was stationed at the army post in Oakham and went into the catering department. She met my dad at the army base as he was stationed there and they got married in 1948 after the war was all over. A year later I came along and then in 1953 my sister Annette was born.

Me and my sister went to school at Tividale Comprehensive where mum worked. It was good for me, her being there as I was never naughty and if she was serving at our table we would always get a bit extra!

She was an exceedingly good cook especially in baking. Her apple pie was wonderful and coming from Yorkshire she made Yorkshire puddings that were to die for. She was a traditional cook, but she was a good cook. When we were little we used to go to Yorkshire every summer to see our cousins, aunties and uncles. One year I stayed at home with my dad and everything we ate was out of a tin. She never would let anyone cook so we didn’t know how to. I only learnt to cook once I moved out.

My mum always worked, she was never a stay-at-home mum. She loved working in the school kitchen. Those were the friends she kept in retirement.  She was a wonderful person and I miss her dearly. She was kind, thoughtful, she would do anything for anyone. She was shy though, and had some close friends. My dad died early and I think my mum was a bit lonely after that.

She was a huge fan of Daniel O’Donnell. She and my auntie Marion used to love going to his concerts. She went to a lot of his concerts in her retirement, and they visited Ireland to see him perform. She even had a photo of her with Daniel O’Donnell that went with her to her eternal rest.

She was 82 when she died, 10 years longer than Dad. They both would have been 100 years old last year (2019). We had a very very happy childhood, we were never hungry, we were clothed. We weren’t rich, but we knew we were loved.

Get the latest updates