Irene was the eldest of 3 sisters born on 10 April 1921 to Bertie and Florrie Houghton (nee Johnson). Her parents married on 23 Oct 1920 at St James Church, Flockton, Denby Grange, Yorkshire. The Houghton and Johnson families were both from Yorkshire although the Houghtons originated from Sleaford in Lincolnshire. Bertie was a coal miner working down in the pits until he broke his back in an accident. He was working at the Grange Ash Colliery in Flockton when the roof collapsed when he was on the coal face. When he recovered enough he worked in the lamp room. The family lived in Common End until Irene was 3 and then they moved to Flockton village near the Wesleyan Chapel. When Irene was 8 her grandmother Hannah Johnson died and left Florrie £30. Florrie used this money for the family to have their first holiday in Blackpool. Irene contracted Scarlet fever when she was 9 and was in hospital for about 6 months coming home when she was 10. When Irene was 15 the family moved to Kirkheaton and lived at 2 Quarry Lane, Lepton where Bertie and Florrie lived for many years. Irene started work at Farrers the Cotton Mill in Huddersfield when she was 14. She worked there for nearly a year as a weaver and was paid 12s6d per week. She then went into service in Middlestown village with Doctor Charlie Smith and his wife. They had a cook, a housekeeper, a chauffeur and a gardener with Irene as their housemaid. She was paid 10s per week and lived in. She had an argument with Mrs Smith one day and was dismissed after throwing a silver teapot at her! Irene then worked in service for another family for a few weeks and then at another mill as a winder. It was near the canal in Huddersfield and Irene's dislike of water meant she didn't stay there long. She then started work at Woolworths where she met Harry. Here she was paid 25s per week and she gave her mum 20s of it for board.