Z1205/120

Male. Indian immigrant. Brickworker b. ?.11.1921 Side A (00 mins)Born in Mingerwal, Hoshiarpur District, Punjab, India in November 1921 (exact date not recorded). 5 brothers; 3 sisters. Father was a farm worker, growing vegetables and fruit. Father died in 1985. (05 mins)Interviewee worked on the land until he came to England. Hard work, from 4am to evening. He was the eldest child. He decided to go to England to work and send money back to the family. 3 others went from their village. Later others came - some 20 altogether. He got a job in brickworks. He was the first Indian to do piece work. (10 mins)Worked at Stewartby. Started in 1957 as the first Indian worker there. Other Indian workers joined soon after from Coventry. (15 mins)Worked hard, loading lorries with bricks. Was treated well. Worked day and night shifts. Lived in Bedford. Bought a house in 1962. He was married in India and had two children there and 2 in England. First child born in 1947. Family joined him in England in 1964. Returned to India for visit in 1966. (20 mins)Had friends in the Birmingham, Coventry area but he felt it was too dirty there. He preferred Bedfordshire, which was cleaner. Worked at brickworks for 29 years. First lorry loading, then blocking. £12 a week in 1957; £19-£20 on piecework. He was the first Indian to receive a watch from London brick Co. for 25 years service with the firm. Finished in 1985; received pension in 1989. Got redundancy money of £20,000 and bonus of £4000. Bought a grocery shop in 1988. (25 mins)Enjoying retirement. Visits India every year with his wife. Has some land there which he rents out. Reflects on changes in the over the years. (29 mins)End of Side A END OF INTERVIEW. Original Interview 30 mins

12 April 2002

From: 1920 To: 2002

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farm worker, vegetables, fruit, immigration, , brick worker, Indians, lorries, married woman, pollution, wages/conditions, watches, shopkeeper, holidays, Punjab (India), India, STEWARTBY, Coventry, Birmingham