Barbara Clare Solman Nee Bell Born on the 9th May 1934 in A Private Nurses Home by Nurse Whiteman Mayfield.
Barbara is the 4th of 6 Children (her mother had been one of 10) and the one who was to help hold the Family together. Sadly, her father passed away at the young age of 36 From Silicosis Disease. He fired the bulbs at New Bulb Brick, this fatal illness was an occupational lung disease caused by inhalation of crystalline silica dust. Her mother worked hard to provide for the family in his absence.
Home life was always full of fun, laughs, lots of noise and cheekiness. Barbara said they were always surrounded by family once her Dad passed away as the Aunties regularly dropped in to check in on us all and there was always something to be done around the house.
Her mum would always be in the middle of the noise and laughter, if there was a bit of banter between us kids.. Mum would be in there Dishing out as good as she got. If there was a Classic water fight in the yard.. yep Mum would be in there to making as much mess as all of us kids. We never had a Lot BUT we made the most of what we had.
Growing up in Mayfield everyone knew each other, family all around and the Neighbours always looked out for each other and all the Children in the area. Barb was always a chatty child and if her Mother wasn’t able to find her at the end of the day. All she had to do was go check with the Neighbours as Barb would surely be chatting to one of them
Barb got an exemption from School to leave early so she could gain employment to help the family with money to get by. Her first Job was at the Dry Cleaners in Mayfield. She loved it very much and her first Pay check she bought herself a pair of shorts much to her Mothers disapproval . We always wore dresses or slacks. Never Shorts.. I remember getting ready to go out with my new outfit. I walked out to say Goodbye to Mum and she threw a bucket of water over me and said… Oh Dear, You will have to get changed now!
She then gained employment at a nice boutique at the top of town. where she loved the fashion and as always having hand me down clothes or clothes sewed by her Mum. It was a lovely and exciting Job.. The skills she had learnt from family had also helped her fall in love with making her own accessories and hats and clothing as well.
When Barb was 15 She Met A Bloke Called Allan through a mutual friend who Fancied her, but the feelings weren’t mutual. Window shopping through the streets of Mayfield one day Allan asked to take her to the movies.. and the rest is history. They dated for 4 years with picnics with the local Motorcycle club with games of Egg and Spoon on the Bikes. Local Dances where the question was regularly asked… So who has caught your heart. To finally getting married on the 5th December in1953. The same year the Queen was coronated
They together had 3 children Allan Jnr, Phillip and Jane who are still the apples of her eye. Her Job as a Stay-at-Home Mother is all she could have wished for and has loved watching their own lives grow and families become bigger and stronger.. and they were cheeky kids so that was a full time job in itself.
Barbara told me that she had quite a traumatic birth delivering her first son Alan, due to the birthing Doctor not listening to Barbara & her explaining she had been told the baby needed to be turned, she ended up having a c-section completely unconscious. She said the midwife had to ring & beg the Doctor to attend, he was known to have an alcohol problem... so he was really not fit to be working.
Alan ended up needing an operation on his head to remove a blood clot due to the trauma as well.
It took her another 8 years to fall pregnant with son Phillip, due to the issues from her first birth. He was 10lb & she ended up having a prolapse, cervical repair, & a hysterectomy.
Their third child Jane was adopted, due to Barbara no longer being able to have children. She was adopted at 23 days old from Crown Street Women's Hospital in Sydney.
Her daughter Jane did try to find her birth mother when laws changed, & contact could be made, but sadly she was in hospital, quite unwell by the time the letter reached her, & passed away just a day after receiving it. Thankfully a friend, could fill in some of the details & let Jane feel she knew a little about her birth mother.
When her Mum became unwell, Barb and Al lived in Belmont and her Mother was Still in Mayfield. She tells stories of when she would ride over on Allans Triumph Bike, Barbara in the Side Car along with Newborn Baby Allan Jnr. They would pack all the fresh vegetables from her Mums vege patch into the Side Car. Then the sleeping Allan Jnr then Barb into the Side car.. Then they would ride back to Belmont home.. Also Barb and Allan Snr were the first in their street to get a phone put into the house, as her Mums health was not the best and they needed that extra bit of communication as Belmont was a fair drive from Mayfield back then..
She still has trouble with her Mobile Phone and oh the funny stories the Grandkids can tell of Allan Snr with his Mobile phone
Barb now has 6 Grandchildren and 3 Great Grandchildren who drop in from time to time. Check in on her, keep her busy and always love her snacks and having a cuppa with her, life is less busy these days and the visits she has definitely make her day.
Her family is her life and since the passing of her beloved Husband June 2020 it has left a large hole in it. She keeps busy with her love of books, Her knitting of her famous coat hangers and loves meeting up with her new coffee ladies. She says she is grateful for all that we have and that time is a gift.
