Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    Z1205/101
  • Title
    Male. Administrative manager, brickworks b. 23.09.1936 Sides A (00 mins)Born and raised in Islington, north London. He and father supported Arsenal football club. Was living there for most of the Second World War as a child. Briefly evacuated with mother, before blitz, to Yorkshire. Remembers bombing of London. Two younger brothers. (05 mins)Remembers being scared of "doodlebug" V1 rocket attacks. Otherwise accepted air raids as normality. Rationing. Grandparents lived nearby. Father was in a reserved occupation in engineering. Mother worked and her mother helped bring him up. Paternal grandfather was a woodworker. (10 mins)Reflections on role of grandparents. Parents rarely went out together in evening. Less need of babysitters. Occasional family get-togethers. Children's errands. (15 mins)Playing cards with aunties. Grandmother was of first locally to have black and white television. Sunday evening treat, watching it. Remembers watching Arsenal play in Cup final on television in 1950. (20 mins)Sunday tea menu. Sweets ration coupons. Sunday visits to Chapel Market & eating seafood - cockles, muscles & shrimps. "Passed" 11+ selection for local boys grammar school, Highbury School. Ten or more other went from his class. (25 mins)London local authority primary schools appeared to follow a three-floor design: infants on the ground floor; juniors on the first floor, and the older pupils on the top floor. Four grammar schools in area. Remembers luxury of having sports field instead of playing on school yard. Small a bit small and didn't get picked earl on for games teams. Found Latin and French a bit difficult and Maths impossible. Middle of the class in ability. Enjoyed school by last year. Too young to sit newly introduced GCE "O" levels because of birth date in September so left school and sat London County Council open exam. Appointed clerical officer for council. (30 mins)University never considered as an option in his area. Joined Old Boys Association. Kept in touch with former classmates. Most had left at 16; more at 18; a few went on to university. (32 mins)End of Side A Side B(00 mins)Work in Supplies Dept., until National Service, in RAF, 1955-57. All spent in UK. (05 mins)Benefited from physical training opportunities. Worked on Radar. Worked mainly in London area. After return to LCC, got job with London Brick Co. headquarters in Kingsway, London. (10 mins)Description of working conditions at Africa House. Joined Transport Section as clerical officer, processing driver's daily sheets. (15 mins)Also accident & injury reports. Staffing of office. Paid in cash. (20 mins)Played football for school Old Boys' team. Keen stamp collector. Remembers 1953 issue of Coronation stamps. Moved to Stewartby brickworks in 1968. Earning £1000 a year now. Management post. (25 mins)Aged 32; very young for management post. Subsidised company house on Stewartby village estate. Ignorance of headquarters staff regarding brickmaking. (30 mins)Enjoyed being in Stewartby. Community spirit had begun to evaporate, as more non-company people moved into council houses in village. (32 mins)End of Side B Side A onlyof cassette 2 (00 mins)Life at Stewartby. Innovative Transport Manager. Tensions with senior management re. resistance to change (05 mins)Some of the changes in working practices. Takeover by Hanson Trust. (10 mins)Initial difficulties in computerising Purchase Dept. and Stores Dept. Changes in management style under Hanson. Staff anxieties. (15 mins)New Managing Director. Tighter financial frameworks. (20mins)Reflections on the end of a "job for life". Workplace uncertainty. (25 mins)The impact of computerisation in industry. The unpredictability of life. (32 mins)End of Side A (No recording on Side B) End of interview. Original Interview 90 mins
  • Date free text
    14 February 2002
  • Production date
    From: 1930 To: 2002
  • Level of description
    item
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