Phoebe Critchley, Mollie's Auntie Pe

 Phoebe Critchley was the eldest surviving child of James and Mary Ellen Critchley. Her niece Molly writes:

    "Phoebe was the eldest. She helped to look after the rest of the family. She was a housekeeper. I think this was quite usual in those days. There was also home help from Maggie (or Margaret) who was some sort of relative. Phoebe married James Matthews. They did not have any children. At some stage, before my day, she had some sort of internal operation – very dangerous in those days – her specialist being one of the surgeons in Rodney Street, Liverpool."

    "My grandmother died in 1937. After that my Auntie Pe (owing to the difficulty I had in pronouncing her name) continued to keep house and look after her husband and her brother, Jim, who never married. By this time we had moved to Glasgow. I used to spend holidays with them in Bleak Hill."

    "I thought my aunt was a wonderful person with her infinite patience, sympathy and her lively imagination. she lived a busy life, cleaning, baking shopping and providing, but she always had time to play games and have imaginative adventures."

    "The chores had to be done first, then, after Granny's uncle Jim had had his lunch, she would be free until her husband came home from work. Tuesdays and Fridays were shopping days. There were cakes from Bowley's with pink wafers on top, meat pies and custard tarts from Mercer's. There would be meat from the market as well as well a tripe – honeycomb usually – and pork from the butchers – Critchleys (no relation I think). Perviously she would have done her own big bake of cakes and goodies. There are getting on for hundreds of recipes in her cookery notebook. Friday, too, was the day when summer flowers, grown by Uncle Jim Matty, were cut and arranged for decorating the house. I remember especially carnations, lots of sweet peas, and gypsophila as well as marguerites and cornflowers."

    "In summer too there were picnics in nearby fields down Watery Lane. If time was short, Auntie would pack a basket and we would walk round the garden several times, pretending to see new exciting things on each tour. then we would settle in a corner and unpack the food."

   "There were many other imaginary games, like the time we had a cocktail bar. The family were teetotal, but that did not prevent the making of coloured water drinks. These would be arranged in old bottle and decanters on the inside dining room window-sill, along with an assortment of cheap glasses from the household store. I would dispense the drinks from inside the house, while my aunt would present to be a customer outside."

   "The pretending extended to her holiday stays with us in Glasgow when, for a day or two, we ran the "Cosy Corner Cafe" In our garage. Food was modelled by Auntie Pe in glitter wax and we used my doll's tea set and cutlery. I still have the menu."