Z1205/060

Male. Brickworker b. 07.10.1930 Side A (00 mins)Childhood in Lower Shelton, Marston Moretaine. Family of 5 children. Father was a drawer at Stewartby for London brick Company, before the Second World War, and at Marston Valley Co. after the war. (05 mins)Father's pattern of work. Father's work growing vegetables at home and on allotment. (10 mins)Rates of pay. Cycling to work. Very little road traffic. Mother shots during "the troubles2 in Ireland and physically disabled as a result. Schools in Marston and Stewartby. (15 mins)Started work at Ridgmont for Marston Valley Co. brickworks aged 14. Father in army during World War Two in North Africa. Happy childhood. Children made their own fun. Magic lantern slide shows. (20 mins)Working on brick presses. 45 hour working week. 7am - 5pm. Handling 11,000 green bricks per day. Hard work but father's work was harder: 32,000 bricks unloaded from the kiln chamber per day. (25 mins)Pay. Women brick workers. Move into maintenance fitters shop. Two year's National Service in army in Egypt, 1949-51. (30 mins)Wartime experiences in Marston Vale as a boy during Second World War. German bomber and fighter planes. End of Side A Side B (00mins)Remembers outbreak of war and adult reaction. He was 16 when the war ended. Worked alongside some German prisoners of war at Stewartby. Prisoners of war had better food than locals. (05 mins)After National Service, returned to Marston Valley brickworks. Shorter hours by now. Full man's pay. Transferred to London Brick Co. at Stewartby, after two years. Assembly line maintenance. Italian workers joined from 1951-52. Fitted in well. Made redundant after 45 years, aged 59. Heart attack and disability. End of Side AEnd of Interview Original interview 40 mins

16 October 2001

From: 1925 To: 2001

item

London Brick Company,
Marston Valley Brickworks

brick worker, World War Two, allotments, gardening, wages/conditions, cycling, magic lantern slides, kiln, employment of women, fitter, army, Germans, air raids over UK, prisoners of war, food, Italians, unemployment, heart attack, disability, Marston Moretaine Lower Shelton Road, MARSTON MORETAINE, RIDGMONT, North Africa, Egypt, STEWARTBY