Z1205/061

Female. Husband and father were brickworkers. Caretaker of Stewartby Village hall. b. 18.07.1931 CS061C Side A (00 mins)Childhood in Marston Pillinge. House was one half of a converted farmhouse with large rooms. (05 mins)Mother youngest of 13 children. Five sons took part in First World War and only one escaped unharmed (two died). (10 mins)Two uncles lived at home, plus granddad. Further extended family stayed at Christmas. No electricity or piped water in the house. Father and granddad grew own vegetables. (15 mins)Family house rented from London Brick Company. Father's work at brickyard. Pre-war plan to introduce fork-lift trucks, thwarted by Second World War. (20 mins)Loading and unloading hot bricks, after firing. Mother working on farms during 1939-45 war. To help feed hens, children gleaning for left-over corn ears, with mother, on local farm, after threshing. (25 mins)Washing day procedures before the age of electric washing machines. (30 mins)Collecting drinking water in buckets, using yoke, from neighbour's tap. Eventual extension of water pipe to give cold water inside the house. End of Side A Side B (00 mins)Husband was driver at London Brick. (05 mins)She became live-in caretaker for Stewartby Village Hall. London Brick Company (LBC) dinners, children's Christmas parties, village functions. (10 mins)Wedding receptions. Village hall "centre" of community. Change of ownership from LBC to parish council. Widowhood. Retirement. (15 mins)Living in Sir Malcom Stewart retirement home for ex-brickwork employees and their spouses. Husband used to drive lorry carrying Italian immigrant suitcases from the English ports up to Bedfordshire hostels. End of Side A.End of Interview. Original interview 50 mins

16 October 2001

From: 1925 To: 2001

item

brick worker, caretaker, village halls, farm buildings, World War One, Christmas, electricity, water, gardening, World War Two, gleaning, hens, CHILDREN, threshing, wash houses, driver, married woman, parish council, widow, Sir Malcolm Stewart Trust, Italians, lodging houses, immigration, STEWARTBY, MARSTON MORETAINE