Twopence to Cross the Mersey

So how resourceful would you prove to be, if your fine house and fine income were whisked away? Helen Forrester's once-prosperous family was forced to find out in 1930s Liverpool. They become the very image of pre-Welfare State poverty: seven grubby children and two feuding parents, their clothes and shoes falling apart, barely nourished by bread, margarine, potatoes and tea. Once in a while a windfall brings them a bar of soap, or allows them to gorge on fish and chips. Helen is driven to the brink of despair, but somehow emerges with improved prospects and a knack of storytelling with feeling; more volumes to follow.

This is a brilliantly written and evocative autobiography, describing how the author's family became bankrupt during the 1930s and spent many years in abject poverty in Liverpool. She struggled to help her irresponsible parents make ends meet and to look after the children. Gripping and very moving.

** spoiler alert ** It is hard to believe that such poverty existed in my home city. Helen portrays herself as a somewhat plain Jane, who has to forgo many basic needs in life to care for her siblings while her once rich parents work.

Helen, despite her situation never gives up on her dream of educating herself and finding a better life despite her mothers plans for her to simply look after the children.

A must read, the book serves as a social commentary rather than an autobiography account.

A lesson to be learned as the 1950 protection of welfare, health provision and education is being stripped from the UK. Several of the reviewers blame her parents for not making the best of the situation they were in but 'child mothers' were a common way for families to make ends meet and of course we only ever hear her side..... reading about her I'm glad she went on to have a long and satisfying life. And she brings the physical city of Liverpool alive.

This is the author’s memoir of when she was a child. She was the oldest of seven siblings, and at 12(?) years old, her well-off parents declared bankruptcy. It was the 1930s, and they moved to Liverpool, where Helen’s father had grown up, but there was a crazy amount of unemployment there. The family was very poor for a long time and Helen (though she should have been in school until 14) was kept home to look after the youngest kids while her mother first got over an illness, then went to work herself.

Oh, how frustrating were those parents, especially Helen’s mother! How irresponsible of them! They were renting pretty furniture for the living room, while their kids (and themselves) didn’t have enough to eat. And they didn’t show more have proper beds, clothes, or blankets, either. Helen, though, seemed to be the worst off for food. Even her mother got more (though not always) because she needed to be presentable for work; this is also why the others got more – they needed to be presentable (as much as possible, anyway) for school.

When Helen was finally able to get a job (though that took a lot of fighting on her part, as her parents (particularly her mother) still wanted her to stay home with the younger kids), and she eventually managed to hold on to a little bit of money to buy herself some new clothes (well, new to her), her mother would often either “borrow” them and wear them out herself, or she would just pawn them, often to pay the people coming to collect on what they were owed.

I’ll add that this actually included a second part to the memoir called “Liverpool Miss”. It did end a bit abruptly, though with an epilogue by Helen’s son to explain where Helen eventually ended up (in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) and how she got there. But with regard to the abrupt ending to Helen’s part of the story, it does seem there is a continuation. I will be putting it on my tbr. show less

A lesson to be learned as the 1950 protection of welfare, health provision and education is being stripped from the UK. Several of the reviewers blame her parents for not making the best of the situation they were in but 'child mothers' were a common way for families to make ends meet and of course we only ever hear her side..... reading about her I'm glad she went on to have a long and satisfying life. And she brings the physical city of Liverpool alive.

This book was interesting well more of a reality check. Sometimes when we think we're having a hard time it nothing compared to what our fore fathers went through. So in some ways society has improved I don't see anyone dress in rags or worn out shoes. This book for me was a once off read, engrossing as I read it which is unusual for me. I usually have to return to reread anything I read as my comprehension is nil.
The biggest let down with this book was Helen never got to cross the Mersey to see her granny I suppose that proves how hard the times were anyway I better not go on any more as it might spoil the read for others.