Biography of Dora Emily FOLKER
[Ref. R.25]
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Index for FOLKER |
Biography of Dora Emily FOLKER
[Ref. R.25]
| Biography index | |
Index for FOLKER |
Doady was born at 12 Crown Terrace in Cricklewood on 3 September
1913 and was baptised at St.Michael and All Angels church in
Stonebridge Park on 2 November 1913. Her godmother was Eva Bruckshaw who was a friend of
Doady's aunt Evelyn. Doady had two small watercolours painted by Eva framed hanging in her
house in leter life.
The family moved to 13 Fowlers Walk, Brentham in about 1915. Much of her upbringing was done by her paternal grandmother as her mother would attend the filming sessions when her father was an actor and in later years assisted him in his shop in Holborn.
Doady's education started at a school run by two old dames who used to wear lace collars. Her main education took place at North Ealing Girls School. As a youngster she went to ballet classes at an establishment run by Molly Duncan whose husband was an MP. She was also a Girl Guide and spent a camp at Swanage.
Doady's first job was at Market Place near Picadilly in London for which she was paid 2/6 per week. She managed to pay her fare for the underground train from this. She was next apprenticed to a French lady milliner in a shop near Harley Street somewhere behind Selfridges store. She later worked on Maddock Street for a milliner called Mrs Brock who was the husband of the firework manufacturer. After that, Doady worked in a millinery shop in Oxford Street near Bond Street. It was near the John Lewis shop and had a name like Debenhams.
The electoral regisers between 1925 and 1939 list Doady livig with her parents initially at 103 Fowlers Walk in Ealing then at 80 Gresham Road at Osterley. The family had moved to 80 Gresham Road, Osterley round about 1929 and the Samms family also moved to Osterley and lived near the station.
Doady met Archie Smith, her husband to be, through the Samms family of Streatham, Doady was friendly with Rene Fairweather who married Alan Samms and his brother Billy knew Archie who lived nearby.
Doady's parents were keen campers and she and Archie would visit them at Climping and later at Selsey where they had their caravan. Doady confessed that the outdoor life did not suit her and that she preferred the home comforts. Doady and Archie sometimes stayed with friends at a house called St.Catherines in Selsey that had a long garden with a sun-pit at the cliff top. They used also to holiday in Cornwall and Doady's first experiences of driving were on one of these journeys, but as there was not much traffic it was not too difficult.
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