I Found You

Part 1. The First Time Meeting You.

Diary entry: 24th September 1921.

Match Day. The year is 1921, A Saturday which only meant one thing, it was match day. Sunderland vs. Birmingham, at Roker Park Stadium, twelve in the afternoon, kick off, and the stadium is a forty minute walk away from The Peacock pub, where I currently work at. Oh, I forgot to tell you my name, the names Rosie, Rosie Taylor, or Rosalyn if you prefer, but I prefer Rosie or Rose. I'm twenty three years old, born in eighteen-ninety-eight and I come from a small mining village in Durham, North East England. I live with my father Jim to his friends, but it's James or father to us and my older brother James who is named after father or Jimmy, as he prefers, he is two years older than me, born eighteen - ninety - six. Unfortunately, my mother Elizabeth, past away five years ago, due to influenza, a few weeks after my eighteenth birthday.

We miss her terribly of course, but unfortunately life has to go on and we cherish her memory whenever we can, especially at Christmas when we pour a small glass of sherry out for her and we all toast together, of course father polishes off her glass, like he always used to do when she was alive, they used to always have a good giggle about it. Since mother died, I have had to step up my game and look after the boys and that means getting a job and earning money. A job, meaning anything that was on offer, anything that means that would accept a woman's position in a work place. Father and Jimmy would be out working down the pit of course, but that just wasn't enough for us, to be able to afford the money to keep our house, as it was either this or out on the streets on in the local workhouse, which none of us wanted.

I tried everywhere, from shop work to working in a bank, but all the "woman's" positions, were all full. So, I scoured the local newspaper and sure enough, I found a job advertisement in a pub, as they were looking for a bar maid, which is something rare to find. So, I went to the local telephone box and rang them and sure enough I was invited to have a trial shift and if I was good enough, I would be kept on. So, I took the train from my local station which would take about half an hour, all the way to Sunderland and got off at the other end and made my way to the pub, did my trial shift and just like that, by the end of it, the landlord was really impressed, with my pint pulling skills, that I got the job there and then and I've been working here for over a year now and I couldn't think of doing anything else, of course I would like to marry a rich man and move into a big Manor house and sit around drinking champagne and going to lavish social parties, but I suppose you can't have it all.

Speaking of which, I best get back to my job, otherwise I might not have one, by the time I finish writing this.

I finished scribbling in my diary, that I had just gotten yesterday, for a year on the job present, from father for being at the job, for over a year and closed the page and placed the pen back into my apron. "Rosie!". I jumped out of my skin, as I was so consumed in my own thoughts, that I didn't hear Henry shouting of me, Henry is the landlord of the pub, he's a kind but firm man, he takes no slacking, but if you treat him with respect, he'll do the same to you, he's like a second father to me, always being protective, when it comes to the rowdy and touchy feely punters. I shot my head up to look at him, his head poked around the door frame, that lead to the porch way to the flat upstairs, where I usually sometimes go, when it's quiet to write in my diary, as there is a table and chair tooked away under the stairs. "Punters need serving!". He ordered. I said nothing, other than nod my head in agreement, before getting up from off the table and chair and putting the chair back underneath the table.

I smoothed down my apron and tucked a strand of my red hair behind my ear, that fell out of my bun, that was on top of my head. I then, made my way out of the back room and I was now standing behind the bar, it was heaving with people or should I say men, as it was improper for woman to attend a football match. You couldn't see the floor or doors for the amount of bodies, that were within the room. I stood their like a deer in headlights, my eyes wide, as I was frozen on the spot, for I have seen it busy when football matches have been on before, but not as busy as today, there were even people stood all outside, as it was a clear yet hazy day, the sun trying to peak through the clouds, every so often. The noise of men shouting, swearing and singing, was enough to make anyone go deaf.