Z1205/174

Male. Electrical engineer, brickworks b. 11.10.1925 SIDE A (00 mins)Born in Buenos Aires where his father was an engineer for British Railways. Has two older sisters. As a child, he stayed until he was 12 then was sent to school in England. (05 mins)Father died, aged 57, in England, during the Second World War. Life was lonely as a child on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. Nice house, garden, swimming pool and tennis court but no one to play with. No other English families around. Was bilingual in Spanish and English. Attended a boarding school there. (10 mins)Father returned to England every four years and left him at a prep school. He attended Bradfield (private secondary school) until her was nearly 20. Buenos Aires was very English, with everything run by the British - telephones, water works, electricity. He and his sisters were shocked by the weather and slums of England when they returned. Joined the British Army and went on university course for technical sections. Went out to Cairo and joined First Indian Division. Has never returned to Argentina because he is not sure he wouldn't be arrested for not having completed National Service there. (15 mins)He got married so never went back. He'd like to return to see what it's like now. He ended up in Bedfordshire because his wife's family was from here. Chose Bedford because it was the furthest place south where he could do engineering training, with W.H. Allens. Worked in marine pumps and diesel engines, steam turbines and gas turbines. (20 mins)He was based in the electrical department, making generators and motors for marine work. The firm was very busy during and after the war, when the merchant navy was decimated. Moved to London Brick Co. in 1953/3 in order to earn more money. New works were being built and new machines needed. They rebuilt the works at Bletchley and Calvert then several in Peterborough. He was an Assistant Engineer to the Chief Engineer. Whereas in Allen's he had just sat in an office, designing, at London Brick he could go off to a site and inspect what was going on. He was responsible for all the machinery and plant. Brick making machines were originally designed by Whittakers and copied by London Brick. They had a foundry in Peterborough and cast the press in cast iron. (25 mins)They never made grinding mills or box feeders. He then was sent by London Brick to Swaziland to work for a syndicate, building brick works there over 6 - 9 months. Then to Iran, while the Shah was in power, to build a brickworks there. (32mins)End of Side A SIDE B (00 mins)Went to advice a private enterprise in Kathmandu, Pakistan, on setting up a brick-making factory but there was a fuel problem there. Enjoyed working in Swaziland most. The revolution in Iran took place while he was there and they didn't feel safe. He visited other African countries, as London Brick sought to sell equipment around the world. Before the Second World War, every house was built of brick, then it was only used as a veneer, with timber frame or breeze block, so the demand for bricks declined. Houses are also much smaller than they used to be. (10 mins)Hanson took over London Brick. He was offered the post of Chief Engineer but declined since he had been a Director of London Brick, so he decided to try his luck abroad. (The former Managing Director of London brick was sacked.) He was 58 and would have had to retire at 60, so he made the most of it and travelled the world with his wife, as a consultant. Still has shares in Hanson's. Reflections on the emissions from chimneys that used to pollute the valley and on how the government, during the Second World War, confiscated the land in Kempston (for a power station that was never built) which had the best deposits of clay under it, now built on. (20 mins)Biggest change in his lifetime is everyone having a motor car. When he was young, it was a rarity. He started off with an Austin 7, for which he paid £50; now, some people spend £60 - 70,000 for a car. And computers and televisions. Apart from that, he doesn't think things have changed an awful lot. (32 mins)End of Side B END OF INTERVIEW. Original Interview 60 mins.

19 November 2002

From: 1920 To: 2002

item

British Railways,
London Brick Company,
Allen,
Hanson Brick Limited

brick worker, electrical engineer, World War Two, swimming, Spanish, LANGUAGE, University, fuel, timber, pollution, car driver, computers, television, merchant mariner, general housing, Buenos Aires, Bradfield, Cairo, Bletchley, Peterborough, Swaziland, Iran, Pakistan, Africa, KEMPSTON, STEWARTBY, kathmandu