‘My mother is a very determined woman, Ma. She’ll get some kind of help for this area.’

‘We’ll see.’ Ma still didn’t appear convinced. ‘The people round here don’t really want charity. What they want is jobs. Can you do anything about that?’

‘I’m afraid not, Ma.’ He lifted his hands in a helpless gesture. ‘We’re having enough trouble trying to keep the garage in business.’

‘Own it, do you?’

‘No, I’m just an apprentice there.’ Matt leant forward, his expression animated. ‘There’s going to be a good future in cars, but we’ve got to survive the depression first.’

‘Hmm.’ Ma pointed to a patch of grease on his overalls. ‘Like working with dirty engines, do you?’

Matt grinned and sat back. ‘I love it. Now, about this centre. My mother wants to know if there’s a suitable hall around here.’

Just then Glad looked in the door and Ma waved her to come in. Matt scrambled to his feet.

‘This is Matt, and he’s looking for a hall around here,’ Ma told Glad.

‘Must have a kitchen of some sort.’ Matt continued to stand politely.

‘Well.’ Glad thought for a moment. ‘There’s the old community hall in Greenwood Street. Hasn’t been used for years, though, so don’t know what state it’s in. But if I remember rightly it did have a kitchen and some privies.’

‘Could someone show me where it is?’ Matt asked. ‘If it’s any good, I can tell my mother this evening and her committee will have a look at it.’

‘I’ll take you now if you like. I’ve got to go that way.’ Then Glad glanced at Ma and Jenny. ‘I’ve made all the arrangements for Ted’s funeral. It’ll be at St John’s Church on Friday at ten thirty. And no one’s to waste money on flowers. Agnes said Ted wouldn’t like that.’

Glad was already heading for the door, so Matt said a hasty goodbye and strode after her.

‘Well, well,’ Ma murmured when they’d gone. ‘Real polite, ain’t he? And not stuck up. Been brung up proper, he has.’

Jenny giggled. ‘Been brung up proper?’

‘Oh, you and your posh talk,’ Ma teased, but she couldn’t stop herself from smiling at Jenny’s amused expression. ‘I’ve talked this way all my life and you ain’t changing me now.’

‘I wouldn’t want to, Ma,’ Jenny said softly. ‘You’re just lovely the way you are.’

‘’Course I am.’ She chortled. ‘Awkward and bloody-minded, what more could you ask for? Now go and give Agnes and Jimmy some of that pie, and we’ll have a little bit for our dinner, eh?’