The documents consist of two short pieces of writing which are typed reminiscences, one original letter and two photographs.
1. 'Talking Shop', a reminiscence about working at the branch of Liptons Ltd grocers in Hove from 1942-1950. Topics covered by the memoir include wartime rationing, the machine-gunning of George Street, the Canadian soldiers, and working at Christmas.
2.'The Big Bang', written for a competition which involved writing about a childhood memory. The 'big bang' referred to was a fireworks explosion on November 5th 1938 in Coleridge Street, Hove.
Other items are:
3. A letter of reference from EO's headmistress at East Hove Senior School for Girls, Davigdor Road, for her job at Liptons
4. Two photos of EO's father's plumber's shop at 61, Coleridge Street
Eileen Odom (nee Pickett) was born at 60 West Street, Shoreham on 15 September 1928. Her father was a plumber, and the family moved to Coleridge Street, Hove in 1938 to be near his workshops and business. She attended Ellen Street School, Hove, for one year, and then East Hove Senior School for Girls in Davigdor Road.
She left school at the age of 14 and started work on 28 December 1942 at a branch of Liptons grocers on the corner of Blatchington Road and George Street. She worked at Liptons for about 7 years, leaving when the men who had served in the Forces during World War Two were demobbed and reclaimed their jobs.
EO married in 1949 and had two children. However, before the birth of her children, she became manageress of a A. Kent biscuit shop in George Street, Hove, and later ran a watchmaker and jeweller's business with her husband, Charles Odom, in Boundary Road, Hove. Towards the end of her career, after going to college, she worked for West Sussex County Council as an officer in charge of a residential home for the elderly.
Odom (nee Pickett), Eileen, b. 15 Sep 1928
2 typed documents, 1 letter and 2 photos
Digital copies of the documents listed here have been donated to the East Sussex Record Office. The originals are in the care of the contributor, Eileen Odom.
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