A RESIDENT of Kinver Grange, Dursley, has been writing reminiscences about her life in the town. Born in 1913, Elizabeth Gabb has lived all her life in Dursley. She remembers her parents, grandparents and great-grandparents to have all been avid readers of the Gazette. At the age of three she was allowed to collect the paper at the small newsagent's in Silver Street from her home at 17 Union Street. The Gazette cost only 1d at that time. Here is the first part of her memoirs:

"During the First World War I remember waiting in a queue at The Star supply stores for two ounces of lard.

When the people moved forward, I was knocked down, rescued by a huge policeman and eventually received my lard.

The store was in the vicinity of the old Star Inn - this is now a hairdresser at the bottom of Silver Street.

The shop, which is now the Oxfam shop, was an ironmonger'. The road next to this, Bolton Lane, leads to Union Street.

Champions Court, which is now a home for the elderly, was once a carpet factory.

Before that it was a brewery where my grandfather worked. My mother told me, as a small girl, she would stand outside to watch him carry away the hot hops.

My mother later worked in the carpet factory and at 14 I did too. I was a weft weaver from 7.15am until 5.30pm and for four hours on Saturday mornings.

I was paid 9s 11d a week - hard work.

At the side of the public house called The Star was a little cobbled path leading to the Broadwell, a small expanse of water which is still there and is continually fed by a spring coming down from way up on the hills.

This place caused much amusement at weekends when the locals went to The Lamb Inn in Long Street or The Old Bell and drank the local cider at two pence a pint.

The cider was so strong it did not take long to make the lads inebriated.

They were a sorry sight getting home the next day, having difficulty in negotiating Bolton Lane and Union Street.

They received a surprise one morning when the ladies of Union Street decided to teach these stalwarts a lesson.

At an agreed time they met in the street with tin trays at the ready and spoons as well - and I have heard the noise was tremendous.

This story was narrated to me by my Granny Bess, and of course it meant Grandpa Fred was one of the culprits.

At that time Dursley was only a small village and noise was accepted - it was at least 83 years ago.

I must mention, the tray-bashing and cat-calls etc happened at three o'clock in the morning.

Dursley was a pretty village then and rarely, if ever, were there any empty shops.

Mr Ernest Kemp was a well-known Dursley resident, who owned a shop in Long Street, a gentleman's outfitters.

The Kemp family also owned another shop at the top of Long Street, where everything under the name of haberdashery was sold, such as lovely hair ribbon, all colours, all prices, all widths, dainty lace and ladies and children's wear, all sizes catered for.

Even then the Market Place was a hive of industry at the weekends.

At that time the only lighting was horrible flares which were tied to the pillars - no one thought of fire risk in those days and there were lots of stalls in the Market Place, near those awful flares.

When I reached my teens there had been progress to gas lighting.

Many bargains were sold - china tea-sets for half a crown, enamel chamber pots, any size, for sixpence!"

To be continued