Z1205/002

Female. Oral History Project Leader at the Forest of Marston Vale. b. 30.08.1949 Side A. (00mins)Born in Italy, came to England at age 19, in the early seventies. Large traditional family of six children from Brindisi Province in Puglia. Father worked hard on the land, and encouraged children to do well at school. He taught them all to read. Only boys were allowed to do further education. (05mins)Mother very traditional. Keen to enforce old generation rules. Boys allowed out into the world to do what they liked, but girls had to be at home with mother learning household skills. Two older brothers and a younger one. Eldest not keen on school. Private tuition to coach the boys. The Iliad from Homer became her inspiration. Mother objected to her head in the books. (10mins)Left school at 12. Father's workmates didn't send children to school. Father ridiculed for sending his boys. Boys travelled 7km to school. System in Italy required to stay at school until fourteen. There were not enough schools in Italy for children to go to. Lot of migration because it was a hard life. (15mins)At 15 or 16 you couldn't get jobs without a school diploma. Studied at home, mother left home to go and help her brother so girls were left to cope. They couldn't do their examinations. At age 17 or 18 she became depressed, and thought about going away. Opportunity arises to come to England with friends of the family. (20mins)Came to Baldock, but couldn't speak English. Needed a permit to work here, but company applied for one to enable her to work for a year. No chance to practice English, was a machinist. Day trip to London. Evening Standard advert gave opportunity of a new job. (25mins)New job in London for £23 a week. Past experience helped do job. Moved to London. Enrolled in college in Finsbury Park learning English for two years. Lived in Hornsey. (30mins)Fascinated by accents. End of Side A. Side B. (00mins)Married an Englishman. Lived in Biggleswade. Started evening classes for 'O' level or GCSE in English at Stratton Upper School. Challenge as rest of class were English students. Passed exam, after son was born. Gave up London job. Started evening classes. Fascinated by George Orwell, Down and Out. (05mins)Came across the W.E.A. First course was equal opportunities for women. Various speakers. (10mins)Course on children's literature. Feeling confident for the first time. (15mins)Course on popular literature. In touch with the Catholicism in Brideshead Revisited. (20mins)Course on American literature. Related to Emily Dickens poems, as she was a housewife secluded in her own little world. Related to the every day language. Started to work freelance at home. Went to evening classes for French. Was asked to teach Italian at Stratton Upper School. Community college (25mins)Advanced French classes. Went to teacher training for adults. Learned skills from other teachers. Had first student to learn Italian. Taught Italian for nearly twenty years. End of Side B. Continued on ST002C2. Side A. (00mins)Taught Italian to adults at evening classes at Biggleswade and Sandy Community College for a number of years. Divorce changed her life. Access course advertised at Bedford College. (05mins)Accepted on Access course. Attended two or three times a week. One year course on Geography, History, Literature, Study Skills, Science and Maths. Examination at end. Court case for divorce settlement same day as exam, but did exam before it. Court laughed when she spoke of doing a degree. Passed the exam and was offered a place at De Montfort University Bedford, on a new Modular Degree course. (10mins)Chose to do History, Literature, Sociology and Drama. Later dropped Sociology and two modules of drama. Maximum grant, husband paid no maintenance. Moved to Bedford before she started the degree. Students ranged in age. Fitted college around children, trying not to disrupt their lives. Biked to college. (15mins)Did well in History she enjoyed it. This course was three years. Son came reluctantly to her graduation ceremony. Teenage years difficult. (20mins)Graduation at the Bedford Corn Exchange. Great sense of achievement. Gained job as a supply teacher for Italian in an Upper School, year nine to 'A' level, September to June. Eager children at St Thomas Moore School. (25mins)Difficulty with lack of experience dealing with difficult classes. OFSTED inspection while she was there. Inspectors observe the 'A' stream children, and were impressed. (30mins)Offered a part time job at Luton University starting with three hours a week. End of Side A. Side B. (00mins)Work increased to six hours, then nine hours. Finally to twelve hours. Luton just starting as a University was to be inspected by the University bodies. Inspection OK. Given a new course to set up on Women's History in Europe. She did the Italian side of the women in the 20th century, changes in the law and society. Did an MA in Women's History at Royal Holloway University of London. Taught Italian for a year at Biddenham Upper School. (05mins)Started to do research with the Italian Community in Bedford. After the degree and teaching posts, got involved with Community Arts. Bedford Library had no collective information on the life experiences of the Italian people living in Bedford. Adult Education Association sponsored her as an adult tutor. She designed a course on migration, the first experiences of coming here. Italian people enjoyed talking about their experiences. (10mins)First course went well so asked to design the next one on childhood. Continued for a number of years covering various topics such as home remedies, witchcraft, food, family celebrations, courtship, marriage, fables, storytelling etc. Support from the County Council Record Archive. They needed material on ethnic groups and paid for a training course she did to collect oral history. She set up an exhibition using photos and extracts from the first generation Italian in Bedford. (15mins)Exhibition taken to places such as Luton Museum. Italian community started to feel valued. They had a sense of pride as their photos, stories and artefacts were in an exhibition at the Central Library. She wrote a book using the material, a bi-lingual book limited to 100 pages. (20mins)Still doing a lot of voluntary works with the first generation Italian. (25mins)Leading the Oral History Project at Marston Vale called, 'Changing Landscapes, Changing Lives.' Funded by the Heritage Lottery. She has interviewed very interesting people from seventeen villages. The project is a success. She has done over. 270 interviews. The collection reflects and represents people from all walks of life and age groups. End of Side B. End of Interview. Original Interview 120 mins

18 August 2003

From: 1950 To: 2003

item

agricultural land, EDUCATION, women's education, gender issues, MIGRATION, LANGUAGE, wages/conditions, Stratton Upper School, children's literature, HISTORY, volunteers, Marston Vale Trust, Brindisi (Province), Baldock, Finsbury Park, Hornsey, BIGGLESWADE