Z1205/074

Male Irish immigrant brickworker b. 07.09.1930 Side A (00 mins)Childhood to 18 yrs in Dublin, Ireland. Father came over to England to find work; helped build airfield runways I East Anglia during Second World War. He came over to England in 1949 to work in Bedfordshire brickworks. He and father both lived in workmen's (government) hostel in Kempston Hardwick. Got married in 1952. Rest of family came over to Bedfordshire. (05 mins)Father returned to see wife and family once year in summer holidays. Both sent over money to keep family. Numerous Irish workers living in hostel. Eating whale meat during war-time rations period. Up to 120 men in hostel. Different nationalities had separate rooms: Irish, Poles & Yugoslavs, Italians. (10 mins)Sunday morning chapel service served by Roman Catholic priest from Bedford. Afternoon cinema held in same room. Weekly dances with live band. Women came from local workforce, Women's Land Army girls, girlfriends from Bedford. No alcohol in site. (15 mins)Nearby Chimney Corner pub and pub in Houghton Conquest. Met wife in Ampthill cinema. Also visited Luton for recreation. (20 mins)Left school in Ireland, aged 14. Both grandparents lived close. Moved to Bedfordshire. Lonely at first. Long way from a town. Eventually made friends. 3 film shows a week. Type of work done at Coronation brickworks. (25 mins)Hopper room work. Personal accident on conveyor belt. Severe injuries. 2 years in hospitals and numerous skin grafts. Pension from London brick Company. Long convalescence. Eventual job as brickworker's labourer. End of Side A Side B (00 mins)Workplace friendships. Visits to Ireland. (05 mins)Bricklaying work on brickyard site - kiln repairs. Sadness at closure of Eastwoods, Coronation, Millbrook and Ridgmont brickyards. (10 mins)Transfer to Stewartby brickworks. Redundancy after 40 years brickworking.Life in retirement. End of Side B.End of interview Original Interview 45 mins

27 November 2001

From: 1925 To: 2001

item

London Brick Company,
Eastwood Flettons Brick Company

Irish, immigration, brick worker, Airfield, World War Two, lodging houses, holidays, wages/conditions, rationing, whales, Poles, Italians, Yugoslavs, Roman Catholic priests, cinema, dancing, Women's Land Army, alcohol, cinema, public houses, injury, hospitals, Dublin, Ireland, Kempston Hardwick, HOUGHTON CONQUEST, AMPTHILL, LUTON, MILLBROOK, RIDGMONT, STEWARTBY