Ruth Hughes, currently a resident at Bluebell Care Home in Oswestry, celebrated turning 100 on 14 May, celebrating with friends and family.
Having lived for 100 years you would expect Ruth to have some stories to tell and wisdom to share, and she doesn’t disappoint. Ruth originates from Hamburg and was one of the many Jewish children rescued from Nazi Germany in 1938, escaping with her brother on one of the last trains out and eventually arriving in England. This was sadly arranged by her parents whom she never saw again. In Germany, life had become difficult for her family since Hitler took leadership, so her parents made the heartbreaking decision to save them from the threat of living under Nazi rule. This saved their lives.
As a young 13-year-old girl arriving in England with just a small suitcase of belongings, Ruth only spoke German and gradually learnt English whilst living with her adoptive family and by going to school. “I just had to get on with it,” Ruth says.
Ruth moved to Oswestry after meeting her husband Sid, who was from the town and she never left, despite the ups and downs of living in post-war society. She’s lived in Oswestry since she was 20 years old and remembers in detail the houses she lived in.
Oswestry Life sat with Ruth to talk about her memories of Oswestry and some of her life events. “I remember I was in Liverpool on VE Day, where I was in the Auxiliary Territorial Service cooking for Sergeants. We all stopped what we were doing and celebrated.”
Towards the end of her time in the Army, Ruth was eventually stationed at Copthorne Barracks in Shrewsbury, where she met her future husband (Sid). “It was Sid who brought me to Oswestry and after him also being in the army, he eventually became a cook at the Orthopaedic hospital in Gobowen. My first son Ronald was born in Morda Hospital, which of course isn’t there anymore.”
The hospital in Morda at that time had a maternity ward and had been part of the old workhouse on Weston Road. Ruth and Sid’s first home was a room in a house on Llywn Road, but life wasn’t easy after the war with shortages of most things including housing, and wages weren’t high in the area.
Ruth recalls, “We would borrow money for everyday items and pay 2 shillings a week towards big items. Once paid you would then receive the item – like a coat for instance. I remember a house we managed to get on Lilac Grove, and I thought “Lilac Grove” was a lovely name and I was pleased. It was built by the council since housing was still so short years after the war.”
Sometime after having her second child (Michael), Ruth was able to work part-time as a cook and remembers a few of her jobs later on. She was particularly good at baking and became known for her baked goods and wedding cakes in Oswestry.
“The fabric shop (Textile Express) was a pub called the Coach and Dogs, and I worked downstairs when it became a tearoom, making cakes and people would queue down the street for them – they were popular. I also sold wedding cakes from there and I loved making them for people. The building was different back then with a butchers in it and a car garage behind. I also worked at the Queen Anne café.”
Ruth worked at Woolworths in town for a period of time. The retailer had a presence in Oswestry for 76 years and is often remembered fondly by a wealth of the community.
Having received so much help as a young girl when she came to England, it’s easy to understand why Ruth says, “You get older, and you want to support everyone else.”
