Z1205/047

Female wartime brickworker b.13.08.1930 SIDE A (00 mins)Childhood in Marston Moretaine. 3 brother & 3 sisters. Father worked nights in the knot hole (clay quarry) at Stewartby brickworks (prior to that, at munitions factory in Cardington). Outdoor bucket toilet. Washing clothes in old copper (coal-fired cauldron) and personal baths in barn. Large garden for vegetable growing for family of 7 children. (05 mins)Father cycled to work. Meals mainly stews and rabbit pies. Yorkshire pudding and roast on Sundays. Children went to chapel on Sundays. (10 mins)Marstone Moretaine School until 14. Walked home daily for midday meal. Classrooms formed by dividing big room by a curtain. Left school and went to work on presses in brickyard at Stewartby. Brothers went into army (this was wartime period). (15 mins)Childhood memories of watching clay pipes being made in Marston (near rose & Crown pub). Eldest brother killed in war, in Norway. Picked up by lorry every morning to take young women to work. Dusty work conditions. Taught by male foreman. Majority of workers women during war, but male foremen and managers. (20 mins)7am start to 5.30pm, with 1/4hr tea break and 1pm dinner break. Cycled home for meal with Mum then straight back. Hard work lifting bricks but got stronger over time. 5. 5s (5. 25p) per week (3 to mum for board (food & accommodation) & rest for clothes). Bus to Bedford for shopping. Sometimes to Cranfield to cinema on Sunday night. Rarely to dancing. Father very strict and didn't like her to go out much. Met Polish man working on farm and after 2 years had child by him. Father refused to let her marry him. Brought up son alone, with mum's help. (30 mins)Preferred men's company to women's. End of Side A SIDE B (00 mins)Required to leave brickworks at end of war. Briefly moved to Crysalco for 3 months, then to Marston Valley brickworks, aged 18 years. Worked on conveyor belt, piece work, producing special faced bricks. Preferred there to Stewartby. More friendly. Quite a few "girls" working there. She was last woman working there, when transferred to Ridgmont. (5 mins)Left when she married, aged 30, in 1960. (10 mins)Met husband at Ridgmont. He was foreman over the presses. Moved to Bedford, where he lived. After 5 years, moved back to Marston, when they bought a brand new house. Had 2 more sons and a daughter. Husband (who started at brickworks in 1930) worked there until he retired. She enjoyed being at home, bringing up the children. (15 mins)Sad about decline in brick industry locally. END OF SIDE B.End of interview. Original interview 50 mins

17 September 2001

From: 1925 To: 2001

item

London Brick Company,
Marston Valley Brickworks,
Cryselco Ltd

brick worker, World War Two, Ministry of Munitions, toilets, gardening, cycling, rabbits, Methodist chapels, army, general manager, employment of women, wages/conditions, cinema, farm worker, Polish, foreman, household goods, MARSTON MORETAINE, STEWARTBY, CARDINGTON, Norway, CRANFIELD, RIDGMONT