Z1205/056

Male. Clerical worker, brickworks. b. 10.12.1933 SIDE A (00 mins)Childhood in Marston Moretaine. Large family: 11 children. (05 mins)Weekly bath in outside barn. 9 girls and 2 boys. Brother went into army during war. Attending chapel Sunday school 3 times on Sunday. Father worked large allotment to produce vegetables for family meals. (10 mins)Kept chickens and rabbits at home for eggs and food. Wartime air raids. (15 mins)Brothers' wartime experiences. Food parcels from South Africa during war. Elementary School. (20 mins)Left school at 15 years. Joined father and uncle, plus 2 sisters, at London Brick Co., Stewartby, 3 years as office boy. After war, in wages department until leaving in 1973. (25 mins)Details of clerical duties - collating brick production figures. Long-winded calculation of wages (no electronic calculators or computers) (30 mins)Post-war influx of European workers - Italians and displaced workers such as Poles and Latvians. (32 mins) End of Side A Side B (00 mins)Intermarriage of foreign workers with English girls. Weekly collection of money from Barclays Bank, Bedford, in 3 cars, by wages department staff for pay day. (05 mins)Robbery from safe. (10 mins)Italian hostel dances. Childhood experience of Italian prisoners of war. Italians being generous to local children - Sunday afternoon film shows and free refreshments at hostel. (15 mins) End of Side B END OF INTERVIEW Original Interview 45 mins.

4 October 2001

From: 1930 To: 2001

item

brick worker, clerk, World War Two, Methodist chapels, Sunday Schools, allotments, air raids over UK, EDUCATION, employment of women, wages/conditions, Italians, Poles, Latvians, banks, robbery, lodging houses, dancing, Prisoners of war, films, MARSTON MORETAINE, South Africa, STEWARTBY