Z1205/094

Female. Wartime brickworker. b. 14.01.1928 SIDE A (00 mins)Childhood in Marston. Attended Shelton village school. Father was a burner at Marston Valley brickworks at Ridgmont. 5 brothers and 1 sister. (05 mins)Family walk to pub on Sunday. Public houses were male preserves. (10 mins)Childhood games. Family potato picking on local farms. (15 mins)Boys and girls played separate games, except for "tag". Walking to school. Boys went birds' nesting (looking for eggs). Most uncles worked on farms. (20 mins)People locally would comment on sulphur smell from brickwork chimneys but not complain about pollution. Left school at 14, worked on farm, in domestic service. During war, directed to work in brickworks at Ridgmont on the presses. (25 mins)Cycling everywhere. Teenage years, attending youth club, dance and cinema at Cranfield. Airmen in Cranfield. (30 mins)Separate communities at Upper and Lower Shelton. (32 mins) End of Side A SIDE B (00 min)Girl-boy relationships. Reflections on changes in expectations and social pressure to enter into sexual relationships earlier than in previous generations. (05 mins)Liberal influences affecting sexual relationships. Not talking about "sex" when she was young. After the war, moved to Cryselco factory. (10 mins)Had children and remained a housewife until first husband died. Had to work then to support them. Got job in office, dispatching bricks, at Marston Valley Co. Moved to Stewartby following take-over by London Brick Co. Took voluntary redundancy at 58. (15 mins)Marston Valley felt more like a family firm - close relationships between workers and close relationships with management. London Brick was a larger, more impersonal firm. (20 mins)Preponderance of women in Stewartby office. No women supervisors or managers. Happy to retire. Husband made redundant soon afterwards. Enjoy retirement, doing things together. (25 mins)Grandchildren now grown up. Haven't returned to old brickworks. (30 mins) End of Side B.End of Interview Original Interview 60 mins.

23 January 2002

From: 1925 To: 2002

item

Marston Valley Brickworks,
London Brick Company,
Cryselco Ltd

brick worker, employment of women, public houses, games, potatoes, farm worker, pollution, chimneys, domestic servant, dancing, cycling, sexuality, gender issues, widow, MARSTON MORETAINE, Upper Shelton, RIDGMONT, CRANFIELD, STEWARTBY