Z1205/050

Female brickworker. Married to Polish immigrant brickworker. b. 12.03.1932 Side A (00mins)Growing up in Marston Moretaine. Family of five children. (05 mins)Father was brickyard labourer all his life. (10 mins)Father's army experience during Second World War. (15 mins)Mother very strict with children. Father easy-going. Catholic family. (20 mins)Marston was mainly a community of Methodists. (25 mins)Mother's Dublin convent background. Interviewee's first job at Crysalco factory. Side B (00 mins)Pay & pocket money. Moved to work at Marston Valley brickworks. (05 mins)Many girlfriends worked there on the presses. Polish, Latvian then Italian men also worked there. Moved to London brick Co. at Stewartby. Paid less than men for same job. Moved to Ridgmont presses. (10 mins)Met husband at Brogborough Club dance in 1953. Married in 1955. Moved to Bedford. Worked in Meltis confectionery factory. Mother objected to her marrying a foreigner. Husband worked as dumper truck driver at Ridgmont, then at Robinsons, then Eastwoods brickworks. Finally moved to Vauxhalls engineering works in Bedford. (15 mins)Husband's redundancy. Onset of cancer. (20 mins)Popularity of husband. (25 mins)His love of Marston. (29 mins)End of Side B.End of interview Original interview 60 mins

1 October 2001

From: 1930 To: 2001

item

Cryselco Ltd,
Marston Valley Brick Company Limited,
London Brick Company,
Meltis Limited,
Robinson. I R S,
Eastwood Flettons Brick Company,
Vauxhall

brick worker, immigration, Polish, World War Two, Catholicism, Methodist Church, Polish, Italians, wages/conditions, employment of women, driver, cancer, MARSTON MORETAINE, Dublin, STEWARTBY, RIDGMONT, BROGBOROUGH