Poulton-le-Fylde exterior
Postcard from Poulton-le-Fylde 
Poulton-leFylde bedroom
Postcard from Poulton-le-Fylde
Poulton-le Fylde sitting room
Exterior Stanstead
Postcard from Stanstead
Letter to the Editor
Mary Macarthur had been an outspoken champion of women workers for most of her adult life. When she died in 1921 at the age of 40, it was considered to be a fitting tribute to her to found a holiday home for working women. Such was the demand for places at the home in Ongar, Essex, that larger premises had to be found. A new home at Stansted was opened in March 1939, and another opened at Poulton-le-Fylde, Blackpool in 1948.
Mary had discussed with friends the possibility of establishing a holiday home for women workers. Following her death a Committee was formed to turn that possibility into a reality. "The Gables" opened in the summer of 1922. The aim of the home was to provide working women with rest or a holiday, with preference given to those in industrial employment. The Marchioness of Crewe chaired the Management Committee, on which many of Mary's friends also served. They included Margaret Bondfield, Gertrude Tuckwell, Ruth Lawrence and Madeleine Symons. Julia Varley joined the Management Committee in 1934 as the T.U.C.'s representative.
"The Gables" used to be a private home. It stood in its own grounds about a mile and a half from Ongar railway station. The surrounding countryside was ideal for walking. It provided accommodation for twenty-eight visitors at a time, and their welfare was the responsibility of a Matron.
Visitors were charged twenty shillings (£1) per week, although some were able to pay a reduced fee. There was a limited number of places available for non-paying guests. The home was established with an endowment, but it was insufficient to meet the annual running expenses. Appeals were made for financial assistance, and such was Mary Macarthur's reputation, and the respect in which she was held, that support flooded in.
Ten of the twenty-eight beds were endowed at a cost £65 per bed, per year, by various trade unions. This meant that they could secure free places for their members. They were asked to select cases where the need for convalescence was most urgent. Donations were also made in kind. Wander &Co. Ltd. twice sent a supply of Ovaltine. Cross and Blackwell sent a weekly parcel. Yardley & Co. donated soap, and Miss C. Macarthur donated a lounge chair. Other gifts included bedspreads, wireless batteries, a double porridge pan, carpet sweeper, garden chairs, preserve jars and material for cushions.
The B.B.C. made it possible for Margaret Bondfield, to make a national appeal, which resulted in contributions being sent from Land's End to John O'Groats. On 26th July 1924, Her Majesty the Queen visited the "The Gables". At a ceremony during the visit, she received purses (contributions) on behalf of the home amounting to £1264. Included in the total was a purse, presented to the Queen by Miss Nancy Anderson, Mary's daughter, containing £61.16/- (£61.80) After her visit the Queen sent "pictures and delightful rugs for the bedrooms".
By 1935 the demand for places was so great that the Management Committee had to find a larger property. The new home, Hargrave House in Stansted, Essex, replaced "The Gables", and was opened by the Queen in 1939. It had accommodation for 36 guests. A description appeared in the annual report. "The house stands in ten acres of woodland, arable land and pleasure gardens, and is part of an old country estate. The Home is simply furnished throughout with comfortable modern furniture and decorated with tasteful restful colours. It is centrally heated, lit by electricity, and fitted with every modern convenience." We have reproduced here a postcard from the Stansted home.
When the Second World War broke out, the house was filled to capacity and bookings for the months ahead promised a record season. On the 3rd September 30 evacuated, expectant mothers were brought to the door at half an hour's notice. The holiday guests had to be sent home and the bookings cancelled.
Another holiday home was opened by Margaret Bondfield in 1948 at Poulton-le-Fylde, near Blackpool. The postcards reproduced here show the exterior of the building, a bedroom and the sitting room.
Over the years the homes catered for many hundreds of guests, drawn from a wide variety of trades and occupations. The Princess Royal became the patron in the 1950s. The Homes closed sometime in the 1980s, because this kind of holiday had lost its appeal. The Homes were sold and the proceeds invested to fund holidays in a different way. The Mary Macarthur Holiday Trust was set up in 1991. It exists today to provide financial support for working women, who would not otherwise be able to take a break.
QUOTES (from women who stayed at the homes)
(Letter dated 30th December1954) "Just a few lines to thank you for the most wonerful (sic) Christmas I spent at the Mary Macarthur House in Stansted. Mrs Moore, the hostess was a tonic in itself, the food at the Home was certainly up to its name. A home for working women may it be a tonic for many more."
(Letter received 1931/32) "I write to thank you for the week spent at 'The Gables'. It will ever live in my memory, and I hope it will not only be in my memory, but that I will have the opportunity to pay another visit. I am not sure if I am doing right or wrong in writing this letter. If I am doing wrong, I pray you will forgive me. It is only that I wish to tell you how happy I felt through the whole week. There were things that has been like lead hanging on one's shoulders but these were completely forgotten during my stay, and I was helped to look on the brighter side of life, after my return."
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| Reference: | 708 |
| Keywords: | |
| Archive Ref: | Entry no. c2k4226 |
| Updated: | Mon 25 Jun 2007 - 0 |
| Interpretation written by | Barbara Harris |
| Author's organisation | |
| Organisation's website |