Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    Z1205/165
  • Title
    Male. Brickyard worker b. 09.04.1920 SIDE A (00 mins)Born in Wootton. Both parents were from Keysoe. Ran a public house and carting business. Father used to run a horse-drawn wagonette on bank holidays and Sundays to Woburn Park and similar places for a trip out. (05 mins)Mum used to run the public house, which wouldn't support a family in those days. She served at lunch times. Father would be working as a roadman for the County Council, keeping a length of road and ditches clear. Sand was used to treat roads when it was icy, not salt. No wireless so had to used country knowledge of weather to predict frost and so on. (10 mins)The tap room of the pub was a front room with trestle table, instead of a bar, and a tiled floor and spittoon. For every drink, they had to walk down the cellar steps and collect it. There was a large orchard, and they kept chickens. Father died aged 92 in 1972; mother lived on her own for 4 years then, after that, lived with her children for six weeks at a time. She died, aged 99. In 1950s there was a lot of heavy fog. In the 1970s things started to improve. (15 mins)Despite living in Marston Vale during the period of highest brickmaking output, members of his family lived a long life: his sister to 96; his mother 99; father 92; another sister 92. Still gardening at 82. Support from Age Concern regarding home help. (20 mins)He used to be a volunteer with Meals on Wheels. Is Vice-President of a retirement club, organising outings, which members get free. As an infant attended the Little School in Wootton. Moved on to the Big School when he was 7. There were seven Standards, or classes, which you had to pass to leave at 14. Boys did gardening in their final years and girls a bit of cookery. No science. St two to a desk, with inkwells. (25 mins)Both schools had a playground. Everybody used to come home at dinner-time (midday). No school meals. His elder sister's husband got him a job at Elstow. His sisters were 20 and 17 years older than him. His mother was 41 when he was born. His brother was 6 years older than him. Mother cooked on a coal range. Never had an electric cooker. (30 mins)Father had 100-egg incubator which they used in the living room to hatch chicks. (32 mins)End of Side A SIDE B (00 mins)Always kept two chickens for Christmas for the family to eat. Kept mostly Rhode Island Reds. Took 21 days to incubate. One year they had three lots of eggs. One set was White Leghorns. When he started work at Elstow brickyards he was paid a farthing an hour which was a shilling a week. Working hours 7am - 5.30pm. (05 mins)Elstow brickworks was comprised of 8 kilns and chimneys. Used to make a million bricks a week, compared with Stewartby producing 39 million bricks. Was stood off, when the works were closed down in May 1939. He was in the territorial army and went off to France immediately Chamberlain declared war. (10 mins)Army commandeered many of the brick company's lorries to transport troops to the Channel ports. After their return, via the retreat Dunkirk, he was given a "B" Release from the Royal Engineers to do essential work. Returned recently to Dunkirk Memorial. Left army in 1946. (30 mins)End of Side B CONTINUED FROM CS165C SID A (00 mins)After war, rationing still in place. Returned in1946. Helped farmers get the wheat harvest in during his 3 months' leave before returning to the brickworks. Given a job as motor cycle driver, delivering papers around the brickworks. (05 mins)Later, given a van to load with canteen food for Coronation and Elstow brickworks. Also responsible for the petrol stores. Still had daily clock cards then; later they had weekly clock cards to record starting and finishing times of workers. (10 mins)Still a lot of German prisoners of war working and living at Clapham after the war. Later, "displaced persons" from Eastern Europe came to work in the brickworks, followed by Italians. Got married in 1952 and lived in Queen's Park. (15 mins)Three Italian men bought the house next to his and were later joined by their wives. Indians and Pakistanis came next to work at the brickworks. When Asians came to live in the area, since he and his wife couldn't stand the smell of Asian cooking and they didn't mix like the Italians did, they moved house and the Italians bought theirs. Some Italians set up shops in Bedford. They were not big men - some barrows with 84 bricks on were nearly as tall as the men. They worked very hard drawing bricks by hand. (20 mins)Asians have "took over" Queens Park now. Indians and Pakistanis not mixing with indigenous locals, unlike the Italians. Also prefers Germans to the French. Those in Navy after the war were demobbed more quickly; there was a continuing need for the army on the ground in Europe. (25 mins)Immigrant's children become English interpreter's for their parents. "English for the English". Dislikes seeing women wearing veils and showing only their eyes. (30 mins)Changes in his life - indoor lavatories instead of outdoor; wireless; television. They made their own entertainment when he was a child. Seasonal games - skipping in summer, hopscotch, hoops. Children don't seem to go out to play these days. He always walked to school. (32 mins)End of Side A SIDE B (00 mins)These days, children get presents costing up to £300 each Christmas. We had a stocking with an orange, an apple, some chocolate mice and perhaps a little wind-up metal motor car. We appreciated what he had, even though we didn't have much. Didn't get a bicycle, a second-hand one, until I was twelve. Used to cycle to school and back for lunch. "Old grid-irons" we called our bikes - no gears. More comfort now. Fridges and freezers. Use of credit cards. Young people running up debts. When he got married they never had anything until they could pay for it. (05 mins)End of Side B.END OF INTERVIEW Original Interview 100 mins
  • Date free text
    14 October 2002
  • Production date
    From: 1915 To: 2002
  • Level of description
    item
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