Z1205/105

Male. Former bricklayer. Now lecturer and consultant on historic brickwork. b. 15.12.1955 SIDE A (00 mins)Born in Fenny Stratford, Buckinghamshire. Parents from Tipperary (father ) and Kells (mother) in the south of Ireland. Father was in RAF during and after Second World War. Gained a job with Marston Valley Co. (brickworks) as a mechanical engineer, thanks to his brother-in-law, who worked there. Father moved to Vauxhalls motor factory in Luton as an inspector. (05 mins)Dudley Brick and Tile company in Woburn Sands, used the top callow clay for hand-made bricks, drainage pipes and roof tiles. His family lived in one of their cottages, although not employed by them. Many kilns had to close during the Second world War because of the glow from their fires could be used by German bomber planes as land-marks. The Dudley company earthed its kiln up to try to disguise it. (10 mins)Woburn Sands factory site now Plysu and the knot-hole (for clay extraction) is a fishing lake. An earlier brickworks there was owned by Eastwoods. (15 mins)During Second World War the knot-hole was know as The Dump, for military stores. Housing in Woburn Sands in 1960s. (20 mins)Life in a rural village. Plysu, an electrical company, was the main employer, apart from the brickworks. A few farms still left. High street shops: butchers, bakers, ironmongers, off-licence, shoe shops, electrical shops, Post Office, Co-op, even a W.H. Smith. Bletchley, by train, was used for bulk shopping. (25 mins)Eldest of 5 children. Attended Aspley Heath Primary School, opposite the Fir Tree public house. Over 200 children. A swimming pool was built there while he attended. Moved to Fulbrook Secondary School in Weathercock Lane. (30 mins.)Spoke with a broad Irish accent as a little boy and was bullied by some local boys. Event he teacher made reference to leprechauns. (32 mins)End of Side A. Side B (00 mins)Catholic mass on Sundays attracted children of local Irish, Italians, Poles. Life of immigrant families. His family was more outgoing than the locals. (05 mins)Roman Catholic priest visited school once a week to give religious instruction. Mother boiled all food, e.g. boiled bacon and cabbage; never had a plate of chips until 16. Would eat Colcannon on Fridays, when meat-eating was not allowed: mashed potatoes with butter, freshly-chopped parsley and scallions (spring-onion-like veg). (10 mins)It was a long while before he was accepted on the estate. Other Irish families came round to his house for a drink, a chat and a sing-song. Mother held an Irish dancing school in the Parish Hall on Saturday morning - Irish step dancing, jigs, reels and hornpipes. Demonstrations were given at local shows. (15 mins)Mother was always homesick for Ireland and never really settled here. She worked the 6 - 10pm shift at Plysu. Father put them to bed. (20 mins)Paternal grandmother came over to live with them but returned 2 weeks before she died. Dad went back to live in Ireland for one year. Father was a country man and mother was a town person. Woburn Sands came to accept the Irish community. (25 mins)After GCE "O" Levels in History and Religious Education and CSEs(Certificate of Secondary Education), he left secondary modern school, aged 17 (he stayed on 2 extra years after 15), and got a job on a building site. (30 mins)His father was a very intelligent man but his father (interviewee's paternal grandfather) died when he was 15. Father was self-employed, repairing engines. (32 mins)End of Side B CONTINUED FROM CS105C SIDE A (00 mins)Took an interest in learning bricklaying skills and asked to do proper five-year apprenticeship. Attended Mander (now Bedford) College for further education. (05 mins)Changed firm to get wider experience of historic buildings and restoration work. After 8 years as a bricklayer, and having passed all exams there with distinction and been awarded the Gold Trowel by the Brick Development Association, he was appointed as a lecturer in bricklaying. Taught there 1980 - 1992. Loved teaching there. (10 mins)Promoted to head of section in 1987, when 32, in charge of 5 other lecturers and 180 students. Felt that training should be improved to produce full-rounded bricklayers with a knowledge of traditional methods. Introduced some high-level refined skills and reassessed the curriculum, using flexibility within the City and Guilds syllabus. (15 mins)Researched and started writing on extending the bricklaying curriculum. English Heritage conservationists got to hear about him and one of them got his first book published. Began to get calls from people in the industry asking for advice. The industry was relying on the older workforce, which had served their apprenticeships before the war (1930s), to restore old buildings. (20 mins)The art and knowledge of the different ways of working were disappearing because modern training did not include knowledge of different materials needed to restore buildings with old materials. Invited craftsmen in to demonstrate in the college workshop. College keen to establish Bedford as a centre of excellence. Traditional day-release further education and apprenticeships moved away from, to NVQs and courses in bricklaying limited to skills needed on a modern building site and no foundation studies. Less satisfaction and more frustration as lecturer. Decided to leave college and take on consultancy work. (30 mins)Working with architects, surveyors and property owners. More invitation lectures and master classes. (32 mins)End of Side A Side B (00 mins)Has been advising the Weald and Downland Museum on the demolition and re-erection of historic houses on the site. Wrote another book, in two volumes, on bricks. This brought in more lecturing opportunities and master classes. It was suggested that he do a higher degree, having written for magazines and journals, as well as books. He was awarded a Winston Churchill Fellowship to study brickwork in the Low Countries. (05 mins)Visited Holland, Belgium and French Flanders. Wrote a Master's degree dissertation on The Conservation of Historic Brickwork and gained a distinction. Was then persuaded to a Doctorate in soft rubbing bricks through De Montfort University. (10 mins)Early documents about medieval brickwork. (15 mins)Wants to leave a legacy of the craft he loves. Is sure his father would have been proud of his son doing a PhD. (20 mins)Would like to know more about brick manufacture and different clays, as well as pushing back the frontiers of bricklaying and brickwork. Saddened by the closure of major brickworks in the Vale. Concerned about the future availability of certain brick types for the restoration or extension of brick buildings. (25 mins)Reflects on the loss of brick kiln chambers in Marston Vale and short-termism, as in the move away from rail transportation to roads. (28 mins)End of Side B END OF INTERVIEW Original Interview 120 mins

22 February 2002

From: 1950 To: 2002

item

Marston Valley Brickworks,
Vauxhall Motors Limited,
Dudley Brick & Tile Company,
Eastwood Flettons Brick Company,
Plysu PLC

brick maker, lecturer, historians, Dudley Brick & Tile Company, Royal Air Force, World War Two, mechanical engineer, clay, DRAINAGE, chimneys, air raids over UK, Germans, fishing, HOUSING, farms, shops, trains, schools, Aspley Heath Fir Tree, swimming, Fulbrook School, Catholicism, Italians, Poles, immigration, Roman catholic priests, religious practices, vegetables, food, singing, dancing, DEATH, apprenticeship, Bedford Mander College, curriculum, conservation, industry, general crafts, architects, surveyors, museums, books, University, doctor of science, TRANSPORT, Plysu PLC, Fenny Stratford, Buckinghamshire, Ireland, WOBURN SANDS, Bletchley, Aspley Guise Weathercock Lane, Holland, Belgium