Z1205/124

Female. Catering kiosk attendant. Marston and Ridgmont Brickworks. b. 07.01.1930 Side A (00 mins)Moving from East End of London to Lower End, near Woburn Sands as father, who was previously unemployed, had work at the local brickworks. Description of cottage at Lower End and comparison with the modern London home they had left. Moving to Brogborough for improvement of accommodation. Mother's feelings. (05 mins)Father's work in London and then at Marston Brickworks. Father's work situation before and during First World War. Description of the mechanics of Parish Relief. Further details of Parish Relief. Revisiting old London home and area. Places remembered. Bombed streets. Rebuilding after Second World War. Tower Hamlets. (10 mins)Siblings (where born etc.) and other family members mentioned. Experiences of family in both World Wars. Mother's dislike of country life. Social Club at Brogborough. Evacuees. Father's work at Brickyard. Description of workmen at yard. (15 mins)Wages. School in Wavendon. Comparisons between better London schooling and local school. (20 mins)Friends. Description of Lower End into late 1930s.Getting to school by train and lorry from Brogborough. Servicemen (including Americans) on the trains. (25 mins)D Day. 1944. Thoughts on the effects of the war. Brogborough Social Club. Airmen from Cranfield. Local near-misses of bombs. A crashed Allied aircraft at Brogborough. Evacuees. Leaving school. Problems of apprenticeships with little pay. (32 mins)End of Side A Side B (00 mins)Starting work in Bethnal Green. Memories of London when peace declared and VJ Day. Shelton Court. Starting work at Marston Valley Company 1947 in catering kiosk. Detailed description of work serving the brick workers. (05 mins)Meeting Rumanian husband at Brickworks. Cigarette brands. Husband worked in the press sheds. Parents' disliked a foreigner coming into the family. Many different nationalities in the area. (10 mins)The problems of marrying a foreigner. Husband's happy earlier life in Rumania compared to post- War conditions and his unhappiness with the communist state. (15 mins)Husband's work in carpenter shop at brickworks and cabinet making at home. (20 mins)Outings to Granada Cinema. Seaside trips. Ballroom dancing at Hammersmith Palaise & Tottenham Royal. Housing at Brogborough. New canteens at Marston and Ridgmont. (25 mins)Post war at brickworks. Influx of foreign workers - displaced persons. Workers feelings on sale of brickworks to Hanson. Communicating with different nationalities. Acceptance of different nationalities - comparisons with the East End. Memories of East End. (30 mins)End of side B END OF INTERVIEW. Original Interview 60 mins.

22 April 2002

From: 1925 To: 2002

item

Marston Valley Brick Company Limited,
Hanson Brick Limited

brick worker, World War One, Parishes, Poor Rate, World War Two, air raids over UK, FAMILY, evacuees, wages/conditions, schools, Americans, TRANSPORT, apprenticeship, catering, smocking, carpenter, cabinet maker, Bedford Granada Cinema, race issues, Romanians, RIDGMONT, WOBURN SANDS, BROGBOROUGH, Tower Hamlets London Borough, Wavendon, CRANFIELD, Bethnal Green, Romania