Granny Was a Buffer Girl
Encyclopedia
Granny Was a Buffer Girl is a young adult novel by Berlie Doherty
, published in 1986. The novel recounts stories of love, loyalty and change in several generations of a Sheffield
family from the 1930s to the 1980s, linking them to the changing fortunes of the industrial city. It won the Carnegie Medal
for 1986.
called "Sheffield Buffer Girls" showing two young women in their work clothes.
The second chapter is set in the 1930s and concerns Jess's maternal grandparents, Bridie and Jack. Bridie comes from a large Catholic family and Jack's parents are deeply religious Protestants. They fall in love and marry secretly, knowing their prejudiced families will oppose their marriage.
The third chapter centres on Dorothy, Jess's father's mother, the "buffer girl" of the title. It introduces Jess's great aunt Louie, Dorothy's elder sister, who gets Dorothy a job at a local buffing shop. At the Cutlers' Ball, 1931, Dorothy dances with the boss's handsome son, but when the next day he fails to recognize her in her grimy work clothes, she gives up her dream of escaping the narrow streets and grudgingly accepts the matter-of-fact proposal of her boy-next-door sweetheart, Albert, a young steelworker.
In the next two chapters Jess's father Mike appears in his teenage years, as a rebellious would-be teddy boy
, awkward around girls and nervous about his imminent National Service. As he leaves on the train he meets Josie, Jack and Bridie's daughter, whom he will marry several years later.
The sixth chapter is about Danny, Mike and Josie's first child, born disabled, and in a wheelchair from the age of six. By this time, Mike has matured from a rebellious teenager into a stable, loyal and devoted husband and father. On his eighth birthday Danny asks his parents for a baby sister, so although already concerned about the responsibility of caring for Danny, they decide to take the risk, and John and Jess are born over the next two years.
At Jess's birth the book switches back to first person narrative and from then on concerns Jess's memories of her family: Danny's death at the age of 17, her other brother John and his pigeons, her great-aunt Louie's fierce husband Gilbert, and Jess's own first romantic encounter, with an older man who unknown to her is married.
The book ends as Jess departs for France, confident about the challenge of changing from a child to an independent adult after hearing her family's stories.
by the author in 1990, and published in play form in 2003.
Berlie Doherty
Berlie Doherty is an English novelist, poet, playwright and screenwriter. She is best known for her children's books, for which she has twice won the Carnegie Medal...
, published in 1986. The novel recounts stories of love, loyalty and change in several generations of a Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
family from the 1930s to the 1980s, linking them to the changing fortunes of the industrial city. It won the Carnegie Medal
Carnegie Medal
The Carnegie Medal is a literary award established in 1936 in honour of Scottish philanthropist Andrew Carnegie and given annually to an outstanding book for children and young adults. It is awarded by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals...
for 1986.
Title
The title is somewhat misleading, as Granny Dorothy's story is only a small part of the book, but it sets the focus on family history. A buffer girl was a worker in the Sheffield cutlery industry who used the polishing machinery on the steel tableware: a hot and dirty job which needed protective clothing. The author was inspired by a painting by Sir William RothensteinWilliam Rothenstein
Sir William Rothenstein was an English painter, draughtsman and writer on art.-Life and work:William Rothenstein was born into a German-Jewish family in Bradford, West Yorkshire. His father, Moritz, emigrated from Germany in 1859 to work in Bradford's burgeoning textile industry...
called "Sheffield Buffer Girls" showing two young women in their work clothes.
Plot summary
In the first chapter the narrator is Jess, an 18-year-old girl who is about to leave home to study in France. Her extended family gathers for a celebration, partly to say goodbye, partly because it is the birthday of her brother Danny, who died when she was 8. Jess is troubled by a secret she has been harbouring. As the characters talk, they promise to reveal their own stories and secrets.The second chapter is set in the 1930s and concerns Jess's maternal grandparents, Bridie and Jack. Bridie comes from a large Catholic family and Jack's parents are deeply religious Protestants. They fall in love and marry secretly, knowing their prejudiced families will oppose their marriage.
The third chapter centres on Dorothy, Jess's father's mother, the "buffer girl" of the title. It introduces Jess's great aunt Louie, Dorothy's elder sister, who gets Dorothy a job at a local buffing shop. At the Cutlers' Ball, 1931, Dorothy dances with the boss's handsome son, but when the next day he fails to recognize her in her grimy work clothes, she gives up her dream of escaping the narrow streets and grudgingly accepts the matter-of-fact proposal of her boy-next-door sweetheart, Albert, a young steelworker.
In the next two chapters Jess's father Mike appears in his teenage years, as a rebellious would-be teddy boy
Teddy Boy
The British Teddy Boy subculture is typified by young men wearing clothes that were partly inspired by the styles worn by dandies in the Edwardian period, styles which Savile Row tailors had attempted to re-introduce in Britain after World War II...
, awkward around girls and nervous about his imminent National Service. As he leaves on the train he meets Josie, Jack and Bridie's daughter, whom he will marry several years later.
The sixth chapter is about Danny, Mike and Josie's first child, born disabled, and in a wheelchair from the age of six. By this time, Mike has matured from a rebellious teenager into a stable, loyal and devoted husband and father. On his eighth birthday Danny asks his parents for a baby sister, so although already concerned about the responsibility of caring for Danny, they decide to take the risk, and John and Jess are born over the next two years.
At Jess's birth the book switches back to first person narrative and from then on concerns Jess's memories of her family: Danny's death at the age of 17, her other brother John and his pigeons, her great-aunt Louie's fierce husband Gilbert, and Jess's own first romantic encounter, with an older man who unknown to her is married.
The book ends as Jess departs for France, confident about the challenge of changing from a child to an independent adult after hearing her family's stories.
Awards
Granny Was a Buffer Girl was awarded the Carnegie Medal, the Burnley Book Award and the Globe-Horn Honor Book Award.Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
Granny Was a Buffer Girl was adapted for BBC RadioBBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
by the author in 1990, and published in play form in 2003.