Mary And Charlie Senior

Charlie Senior was born in Failsworth, Lancashire, on 2 September 1904. His parents were both from Hunslet, Leeds, and had moved from Yorkshire looking for work.
Mary Kitchen was born in Hunslet, Leeds, on 1 May 1907. Her parents were both born in Hunslet, Leeds.

Charlie was one of ten children. He spent his early years down Middleton Broom pit, from hte age of 13, often walking to and from work. He worked down the pit for about twenty-five years. He later worked at Hudswell Clarks engineering firm, building locomotives. Many of these units are still in use all over the world.

Mary (nee Kitchen) was also from a big family, the eldest of ten. One of her brothers was a Councillor in Leeds City Council. She was a seamstress, and I still recall her getting sewing needles through her finger from the sewing machine. They lived in Hunslet, then moved to Morley, then Gildersome, finally returning to Morley.

Charlie enjoyed gardening, spending many hours tending his tomatoes. He was also a life member of hte East Hunslet Labout Club, and he went almost every Sunday for many years for a drink and a game of doms with his old cronies. As he grew older it became impossible for him to continue this pleasure. He still enjoyed spending time in his garden.

Eventually his health deteriorated, and he was taken into hospital and not expected to recover. He came home to Morley for his last days. He died on my birthday in 1999.

Even in death there can be humour. When I went to register his death the coroner was concerned that, as he had worked down the mine, his life may have been shortened from breathing the coal dust. I asked how many more years she expected him to live.

He certainly lived longer than my Father, who died aged 59.

A few months later Mary was taken into Chapel Allerton Hospital. She was not able to come home for her last days and died in hospital just six months after her beloved husband. They had been together in life for over seventy years, and now are together in death.

One of the hardest things I have ever done was to tell my Mam that her Mam had died. I had received a call from the hospital, and told my Mam that there was no rush to get there, no rush.