Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    Z1205/096
  • Title
    Male brickworks electrician b. 12.01.1948 SIDE A (00 mins)Maternal grandfather moved down from depressed Glasgow shipyards in 1930s to work at Robertson's engineering firm in Bedford. Childhood attendance at local football and rugby clubs. Paternal grandfather from Bedford. He was in Indian Army. Fought on the Somme during First World War. (05 mins)After WW1 paternal grandfather worked as rigger for Shorts building airships at Cardington. He used to cut interviewee's hair, as a child. Grandmothers died in their sixties. (10 mins)Schooling. Playing in fields during summers. Bedford River Festivals with decorated floats. Swimming in the river. (15 mins)Two open-air swimming pools on the river in Bedford. Newnham Swimming Pool (near present Aspects Leisure) and Commercial Baths near Prebend Street, both fenced off areas of the River Great Ouse. Secondary school experience. 11+ examination. Vast majority "failing". Reflections on education system. (20 mins)"Careers" advice at school. A number of major engineering companies in Bedford, all offering apprenticeships - hundreds each summer. Joined London Brick Company in May 1963 as the only apprentice electrician. Cycled to work from Bedford; got up at 5.30am and started work at 7am. (25 mins)Studied one day a week (day-release) at Mander further education college - achieved full City & Guild's Electrical technology Certificate after 5 years. Apprentices from many other firms studied there. Gender divide as to career options. Wide-ranging experience as apprentice electrician at Stewartby, including domestic work on village houses. (30 mins)Enjoyed variety of work there. (32 mins)End of Side A SIDE B (00 mins)Work allocated on Monday mornings and materials collected from stores. When apprenticeship ended, got top electrician's rate pf 9 shillings and a halfpenny (45p); for 40 hours, he was paid £18. 1s. 8d (£18.08p) per week. (05 mins)Joined electrical trades union. He was given an electrician's mate to carry his tools and assist by collecting materials from the stores. A mater would earn something like £10 a week but had no responsibility. (10 mins)Left Stewartby brick works, after 10 years, and went to W.H. Allens in Bedford. (15 mins)When at Stewartby, he cycled to work for 2 years then bought a Honda 50 motorcycle. Finally, bought a small Austin 30 car for £55. Collected his weekly pay on Friday evening - actual cash in an envelope. Then filled up his car with four gallons of petrol, costing 18 shillings (90p) (4s. 6d.(22 ½ p) a gallon). He was the first person in his family to drive a car. Remembers driving on the M1 (Britain's first motorway) when there was hardly any vehicles on it. Used to take the family out in the car, including to the seaside in Norfolk. (20 mins) Hundreds of workers used to cycle to Stewartby. Each brick firm had a different colour for their lorries: orange for Marston Valley Co.; yellow for Eastwoods at Kempston Hardwick. There were chimneys at Elstow, Coronation, Kempston Hardwick, Stewartby, Millbrook, Marstone Moretaine, Ridgmont - the whole countryside was chimneys. Sulphur emissions made it hard to breathe when you were playing football sometimes. (25 mins)Less emphasis on health and safety issues when he was young. Got married and moved to Allens to save on transport costs. (30 mins)He could work 7 days a week at Allens, testing equipment for ships. There from December 1973 to February 1985. Moved to \Lloyds TSB bank computer centre in Milton Keynes. Was on call every night. Moved to Newport Pagnell in 1988 and moved to Abbey National building society. As building services engineer. (32 mins)End of Side B.END OF INTERVIEW Original Interview 60 mins.
  • Date free text
    26 January 2002
  • Production date
    From: 1940 To: 2002
  • Reference
  • Level of description
    item
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