GLADYS DUBERLEY
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1911 - 1988
An active member of both Ruardean Drama Group and Dean Writers Circle, she wrote plays, acted and produced and wrote short stories as well as her childhood memoir. |
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Early Life
Gladys Worgan was born in Cinderford in 1911, to parents George (1885-1961) and Ethel (nee Gamble) (1884-1958) who had married in 1906. When Gladys was born the family had not long moved from Longton in Stoke-on-Trent, with her father taking a job as a coal miner, evidence suggesting his father had roots in the Forest of Dean and in mining. Gladys was later joined by sisters Violet (1915-2001) and Phylis (1919-?), and brothers George (1922-1986) and Edward (1926-1986).
Shortly after coming to Cinderford the family moved to Littledean Hill which is where they were living when Gladys’ father signed up for military service for WWI in 1915 – this despite his job in mining being a reserved occupation for married men. During this time the rest of the family moved to Soudley to live with George’s relative, Aunt Charlotte, in the railway crossing keeper’s cottage – pictured on the cover of Heaven Lies About Us.
Gladys attended Bilson School in Cinderford, and Soudley School during the period the family were living there. She progressed to Double View, and then Cinderford Higher Elementary School the forerunner to East Dean Grammar School.
Shortly after coming to Cinderford the family moved to Littledean Hill which is where they were living when Gladys’ father signed up for military service for WWI in 1915 – this despite his job in mining being a reserved occupation for married men. During this time the rest of the family moved to Soudley to live with George’s relative, Aunt Charlotte, in the railway crossing keeper’s cottage – pictured on the cover of Heaven Lies About Us.
Gladys attended Bilson School in Cinderford, and Soudley School during the period the family were living there. She progressed to Double View, and then Cinderford Higher Elementary School the forerunner to East Dean Grammar School.
father Injured
In 1917 at Ypres Gladys’s father came under heavy shelling and was hit in the head by shrapnel. This resulted in the loss of both eyes. He underwent a long period of recovery, rehabilitation and retraining at St Dunstan’s, the headquarters of the Blinded Soldiers and Sailors Care Committee at Regents Park in London. On returning home the family moved to a shop in Commercial Street, Cinderford, George drawing on his re-training at St Dunstan’s to go into business making and supplying coir matting and repairing shoes.
move to ruardean
Around the time she was starting at secondary school, Gladys moved with her parents to True Blue House, Ruardean, the village where she would spend the rest of her life. Living in the house opposite were the Duberley family - an extensive and long-standing Ruardean family (members of whom until relatively recently ran both the village butchers and Post Office in the village).
becoming a teacher
Gladys left school at 18 years old in 1929 and trained as a teacher at Joys Green School. According to her son Nick, Gladys also worked at the laboratories at Northern United Colliery. Gladys worked as a teacher until she retired.
MARRIAGE AND FAMILY
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In 1932 Gladys married Percy Douglas Duberley (1903-1960) who had lived in the house opposite in Ruardean. They moved to The White House on Varnister, Ruardean where, after Percy passed away, Gladys lived for the rest of her life. They had three children: John (b.1932), Wendy (b.1934/5) and Nick (b.1955).
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Gladys with son Nick, c.1957. Photo courtesy Nick Duberley.
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wRITer, actor, producer
Gladys became active in the Ruardean Women's Institute. As with many other W.I.s in the Forest of Dean (and nationally) they were keenly involved in amateur drama, in this case setting up Ruardean Drama Group. Gladys was a leading member in the group as producer, and also acted in the plays. The plays performed were largely those bought in, many published plays being squarely aimed at this market many with largely female dominated casts and modest staging requirements. Whilst no stage play scripts written by Gladys herself have yet been discovered, a radio drama comedy script by her is now in the Forest of Dean Writers Collection at Dean Heritage Centre. Adverse Assets was Gladys's entry into a Radio Times competition.
Gladys also became an early leading light in the Dean Writers Circle. Several of her short stories were published in the Circle's annual Forest Leaves anthology. In the Writers Collection at Dean Heritage Centre are four short detective mysteries for adolescents set in the fictional 'Firgrove School' featuring a small cast of schoolboy detectives.
Gladys also became an early leading light in the Dean Writers Circle. Several of her short stories were published in the Circle's annual Forest Leaves anthology. In the Writers Collection at Dean Heritage Centre are four short detective mysteries for adolescents set in the fictional 'Firgrove School' featuring a small cast of schoolboy detectives.
Ruardean Drama Group, c.1950s. Standing L-R Ruth Caan, ???, Gladys Duberley, George Norris, Dorothy Wilce, ???Seated L-R Christine Knight, Esme Trigg, Connie Williams. Photo courtesy of Caroline Smith.
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In 1986 Gladys's memoir Heaven Lies About Us was published by local publisher and owner of The Forest Bookshop Doug McLean. The date of publication is mistakenly given in the book as 1978 - both Doug and local newspaper archives confirm it was in reality published in 1986. The book details Gladys's early childhood on Littledean Hill, the move to Soudley to stay with 'Aunt Charlotte' whilst her father was away in the War and then recovery and rehabilitation at St Dunstans. The book is also illustrated by Gladys herself. Her son Nick confirms that the published book was only ever intended to be a 'Part One' of several. He has subsequently edited and published online parts Two and Three of his mother's memoir.
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