Octogenarian Needlewoman in the News at Conisbrough

June 1955

South Yorkshire Times, June 18th, 1955

Octogenarian Needlewoman
In the News at Conisbrough

‘You’ve caught me at the wrong time’ said Mrs. Emma Hirst to a ‘South Yorkshire Times’ reporter during a pause in her washing on Tuesday, and after telling him that she had to start preparing a dinner soon, she proudly displayed some fine examples of her needlework.

Mrs. Hirst who has been in the news following a handicraft exhibition in the Co-operative Hall, Doncaster, for one of the main exhibits was a cut away cloth, by Mrs. Hirst, the result of many hours of painstaking work at her Co-operative sewing class in Conisbrough.

This cut-away cloth is of special significance to Mrs. Hirst, for over a period of seven years she made fancy bags and ordinary cloths, but never anything like a cut-away cloth. But at last her instructress Mrs. Frances Simpson gave her this most intricate and involved piece of work to do.

Not all Mrs. Hirst’s cloths are ‘ordinary.’ A crisp piece of white linen, delicately embroidered in pastel shades, which was once Mrs. Hirst’s cap when she was a member of Denaby St. John Ambulance Brigade.

Mrs. Hirst has been a widow for 24 years and needlework is her only recreation. Her husband, the late Mr. John Hirst worked for many years at Conisbrough glassworks and was also a Sunday school teacher at the Parish Church for 42 years.

This grand old lady does not live alone, however, for an unmarried daughter still lives with her and she also has a boarder.

Mrs. Hirst, who has lived at her present home for 58 years, was unable to give our reporter any more of her time because she ‘ just had to get that washing finished and start preparing dinner, and so with a cheery wave she finished folding a shirt and turned to the oven.