WE have had a couple of responses to the photographs of Westham and Radipole Steam Laundries published in Looking Back in March.

Valerie Gillim, who sent in the original image of a laundry leaving party, has been back in touch with a list of names.

They are, from left, front table, Mrs Stelling, Margaret Larcombe, Valerie Banks, Doris Wilson, (to her left): Cis ?, Ena Herridge, Blanche Hawkins, Mr Daws (driver) and his daughter Rhoda, Ruth ?, Mary King, (delivery men at the back), Glenis Smart, Daisy Parsons, Ada ?, Jenny Banks, Brenda Larcombe, Mrs Larcombe, Joan Larcombe, Mrs Denning, (two sister in front of Mrs Denning, one is named Rita), Mrs Clap (office staff member).

Vic Griffiths of Wyke Regis also contacted us. He said: “The recent photographs of Westham and Radipole Steam Laundries published under Bygone Days triggered off some memories for me.

“Although I never worked there, my mother, Maud Griffiths (nee Richardson) started work there in the early 1900s as a ledger clerk. Her best friend happened to be Ethel Mayes (nee Samways) and my mother was very proud of the fact that she helped her get a job there when she left school.

“Although in the 1920s my mother married, started her family and left Weymouth, they kept in regular contact with each other, writing on a regular basis.

“Is letter writing now a lost art?”

Vic added: “When my father died just before the Second World War, my mother with four kids to support, was desperate to get back to her family and friends in Weymouth and I believe that Mrs Mayes helped her, along with other friends and relations, to achieve this.

“By this time Mrs Mayes and her husband were managing the two laundries and they kindly gave mum her old job back immediately as there were no benefit system in those days.

“As a point of interest Mrs Mayes’s brother owned Samways cycle shop in Crescent Street. I bought my first cycle there. They also had one daughter, Ruth, who also was a good friend of my sister.

“I’ve never confessed this to anyone before, but Ruth was my first teenage crush, I used to eat, sleep and dream of her 24 hours a day. But I had a problem, I was terribly shy – and still am – and I was terrified of asking her for a date, frightened stiff she would reject me, so it never happened. Talk about love’s young dream!”