Pond Street Nora

Message to Porsche Did Nora have a sister called Annie?

Originally posted by vhopkinson

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Yes Depoix .you are rite about Russian Edna. I used to work next to the Barly Corn she was always in there. Used to knock about with the Duke of Darnall. She was found murdered in High Hazels. They thought the Duke was to blame I don't know what the outcome was. Maybe someone else knows

talking to some old lads tonight and they told me an american soldier was charged with her murder

Originally posted by porsche

her full name was nora kathleen welburne,she married a man called thomas lee they had a baby together a littlle girl called kathleen, she had the baby in 1945 nora was in her early 30s.they split up and nora kept her little girl till she was 10 and she was taken off of her and put in a childrens home then fostered out till she was 18.her daughter knew about nora but because of the stigmar, kathleen didnt contact her mother,she was affraid of her as you all could understand...kathleen met a man and got married and nora saw them together once or twice and would swear at them saying ff........ men ect ect...so they tryed to avoid nora at all costs... my mum kathleen was ashamed to be who she was for a long time and didnt think she was good enough but believe me it doesnt matter where you come from its the person you are inside, and like i was saying you coundnt meet a nicer person (nothing like her mum in tempermant,)if my mum swears i look at her suprised for she hardly swears, kathleen has done well for herself regardless of the past,she has a wonderful caring husband a daughter who thinks the world of her a graddaughter and grandson who adore her....nobody really knows what nora went through and in this day and age there is alot of people like her and we dont really take note but that was in the olden days times have really changed, nora really hated men why only she knows and i bet alot of women might agree,she had a hard life.... SO FOLKS THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED TO NORA OF PONDSTREET.......from what her daughter recalls anyway ,can anybody fill in the space inbetween????? final thought you cant judge a book by the cover can you?????? nora died at 71 in 1986 in middlewood hospital of cancer and skin cancer we have the death certificate........x

 

Thank you very much Porsche for this wonderful bit of social history.We often wonder what happens to people and now thanks to you we all now know the truth about what happened to Nora.

I also agree that we cannot choose who our parents are and if they turn out not to be the best in the world so what,we can't take them back and change them can we.Like you say nowadays you see people like Nora everywhere (I now live in London and there are a lot more here) we all need to perhaps talk to them and get to know a little more about them (They may not be the Ogre we think they are).

I am glad to see your mother made a good life for herself and I can see she has a daughter that she must be very proud off.

Once again Thank you Porsche.

I was allways too afraid to get too close to Nora, But my elder sister Karen thats something else entirely.Lets just say at around 13/14 yrs old my sister was a bit wild.Upto all sorts and forever wagging school.Her favourite haunt was Pond St. Bus Station, and her pal was Nora.She used to sit on the bench with her chatting away and smoking fags with her (usually the fags she had nicked from my mom),and allsorts used to find its way from our house to Nora ,the odd food and clothes here and there.Not to mention most of my dads socks as well.Karen was also very defensive of Nora and would stick up for her regularly saying that people didn't know what they were talking about.We were all too scared to even bother to try and find out.Karen was ok with Nora though and the wagger woman left her alone cause she was teriffied of Nora an wouldn't go near her.One day the school called to say Karen had wagged it again and in temper my mum set off for Pond St to get her, any way when she gets there and has a go at Karen, Nora rears up and chases my mum out of Pond St,god did my mum run like the clappers, she never went to get Karen again i can tell you.We all had a good laugh about it.

In fact my dad was only talking about that happening a couple of weeks ago.But now as an adult i look at it all differently.Obivously something has to happen to all of the people who live lives like these,for them to live thier lives under the circumstances in which they do (or did).Its so sad that nothing could be done to help these people have a better quality of life.Thankfully times have changed, people are more tolerrent and more help is available for these unfortunate people. But Porche, never ever be ashamed of your roots,even if Nora had been my mother i would never have been ashamed of her.Yes, she was different, but something really dreadfull must have happened to make her the way she was.It wasn't her fault,it was a set of cicumstances whos culmination led to the way Nora was.She was certainly a pal to my sister for a while anyway.And in my family at least we remember her with a smile on our mouths.

Originally posted by pitsmoorboy

Message to Porsche Did Nora have a sister called Annie?

not sure ill have to ask my mum

Originally posted by Guest

Can anybody remember the local character Pond Street Nora in the 1970's? She could often be seen sitting on the benches in the old Pond Street bus station surrounded by all her belongings stuffed in carrier bags. I can remember seeing her for a decade or more then she disappeared. I wonder what became of her.

 

Mo

 

Sadly, Pond Street Nora finished up in Middlewood (my wife nursed her for a while). Nora wasn’t a well woman and was forever tapping ciggs off passers by. Youths, male and female use to go to Ponds Street, just to torment her. It got to the stage where Nora would hurl abuse at anyone passing by her.

I remeber the duke as well, just another of the characters who roamed the city in those days, including my Auntie Esther who was on the game and frequented the Black Swan. I introduced her to my future wife who began to really like her despite her being a prostitute. Another one was Russian Edna who was found murdered in Darnall.

I'd never heard of Pond street Nora until a couple of years ago when my mum was recalling the time my Dad had an operation and when he came out of the anesthetic he was calling for her!

Apparently he dreamt about her while he was under!

Mentioned this to the people at work and they all seemed to know of her. I'd like to think people remembered me when I've gone. She sounds a character alright.

Originally posted by pitsmoorboy

Message to Porsche Did Nora have a sister called Annie?

not been on here for a while ill have to ask my mum then ill let you know