Life & Style

Beautiful photos of women's hands tell their stories through the years

A COLLECTION of photos of women's hands tells their emotive stories down through the years.

The Hands of Time 2018 calendar, shot by students from Reading College, has been produced for the Hibernian Society in Reading.

The Hibernian Society was established in 1994, and aims to improve the quality of life of elderly members of the community.

The proceeds of their new calendar, which costs £5, will go to the lunch club at the society, where hot meals are provided to members three times a week.

The Hibernian Society also provide regular hairdressing and chiropody services, along with yoga, bingo and quizzes, special events including the summer tea dance, and day trips, making a tangible difference to the elderly.

Each month of the calendar introduces a different member of the Hibernian Society Lunch Club - like Rita, Barbara and Sparkling Rosie - and offers a snippet into their lives.

One woman was sent to a workhouse as a child, while another was evacuated during the war and one was Mayoress of Reading.

Read some of the women's stories below...

January - Phyllis

I was born in 1942 in Barbados. I started school at four and left at 14, then I was instructed in needlework for one year and after that, shorthand and typing.

I came to England in 1962 and began working at Krimpy Krisps in Winnersh for two years. I lived in one room and was very homesick for Barbados.

I then met my husband in Reading and was married in 1964; we had three children and bought our first house around that time as well.

We moved in 1972 to my current house. I returned to work in 1981 to work at Marks and Spencer until retirement in 2002.

I enjoy bingo, listening to music, supporting my local church, and walking - which is why I have my trainers in the photo.

March - Rita

I was born in 1926 in Belfast. My mother died when I was very young and we moved to Ballyshannon in Donegal.

My father died in an accident and we moved back to Belfast to be with my grandmother. My first job was at the Admiralty Office in Belfast.

I got married in Manchester in 1952 and we moved 17 times due to my husband’s job. We had three daughters. I worked at Lloyds Bank in the City for 10 years, commuting from Essex.

When I retired, I lived in Banbury, then moved to Southampton. In 2008, I moved to Reading. I love going out, gin and tonic and Jim Reeves.

June - Barbara

I was born in 1934 in Reading. My mum died when I was five and we lived with my grandparents in Kidmore End. Dad went to the war and we did not see him for five years.

When he came back, he married again. My stepmother was very cruel and we were all filthy with no clothes, no blankets, not even a comb. Neighbours reported neglect and one morning the house was surrounded by police and the NSPCC.

My stepmother was jailed and we were taken to the workhouse in Henley. We then went to Shillingford Children’s Home. Eventually I trained as a pinner, mending nylons and worked in a big store.

I came to Reading and met my husband and married at 20, having three children and a very happy marriage.

August - Betty

I was born in Highgate in 1927 and I have one brother. My school was in Wood Green. During the War, I was evacuated to Reading in 1939. After school in Reading, I got a job at Reading Library.

I loved dancing, especially tap dancing! I even met my husband at a dance at the Reading Agricultural Hall. My husband was a Japanese prisoner of war.

We lived with my parents until we could afford to buy our own house. I was the Mayoress of Reading in 1998/1999, when David Geary was Mayor.

I have had a good and full life and I live with my family in Reading.

November - Nora

I was born in Kerry in 1927. I left school at 15 and worked in Killarney. I came to London in 1947 and after a few months decided with friends to go to Butlins in Skegness. We worked in coffee bars.

I met my husband in 1947 in Skegness and got married after three years. We lived in Essex and had two children. My husband worked for Ford in Dagenham. He died at the age of 72.

I moved to Reading in 2010 and found the Hibernian Society Lunch Club at the Irish Centre I was made so welcome and got my life back.

December - Sparklin' Rosie

I was born in Shoreditch in 1929 and when I was six weeks old, my grandmother and auntie came and took me with them to Reading. I went to Katesgrove Junior School at 15 and worked in the GPO.

I met my husband Tom in Reading and we married in 1950. We had three children. I looked after my bedridden grandmother for seven years. In 1960, we all went on holiday to her village Senerchia in Italy. We stayed for two months.

My husband was a wonderful man; he was a naval commander in the Second World War. My friends call me Sparkling Rosie, because I love wearing sparkling jewellery.