Z1205/177

Female. Office worker at London Brick Co. & Victim Support Officer. b. 17.05.1941 SIDE A (00 mins)Born in Hartwell, Northamptonshire. Father was a farmer and died painfully of anthrax before she could know him. Her mother married again when her daughter was 13 and they moved to Cranfield. Traumatic for interviewee, having lost all her friends and joining a secondary school at Stewartby where everybody knew each other, except her. Short-term teachers after war and their education suffered. Left school at 16 because she her stepfather made her stay on an extra year. She started work at London Brick Co. in the offices in August 1957. (05 mins)Lacked self-confidence and was nervous. Work in Post Room for 12 months. (10 mins)Girls weren't allowed to take mail around the brickyards. Learned to type. Then had experience in Personnel Department and then in the Drawing Office and Records. London Brick Co. had its own Sickness Benefit Scheme. Personnel records became harder to record when Indians and Pakistani workers joined the firm in large numbers. There was an Italian translator/interpreter, they called "Ricky". Italians came over on two-year contracts and the firm had to send their passports to the Home Office to be renewed. (15 mins)Prospective Asian workers used to sit in a room outside Personnel, waiting for jobs at the brickyard. It was still happening when she left the firm in 1963. Because of the risk of contracting smallpox through handling their documents, she was required to have a smallpox injection but she was pregnant and this later caused her daughter muscular problems. (20 mins)She stayed at home until her second daughter was 4 years old. The worked part-time for a mobile General Store serving Marston and Wootton. Remembers that she was earning £8 a week when she left London Brick. The brickworks ha d a robbery while she was there. The wages were kept in a safe over Thursday night ready for cash payment on a Friday to the workers. Thieves blew the door of the strong room off with explosives. (25 mins)Met here husband one lunchtime, through friends. Bought a small motorcycle to use to travel from Cranfield to work, instead of cycling. (30 mins)Her stepfather was very strict and did not allow her to take any friends home. She had to carry out her courting in secret, got engaged and married a year later. Her stepfather refused to attend the wedding. (32 mins)End of Side A SIDE B (00 mins)Resented stepfather's treatment of her. He clearly hoped that she would not get married and be able to look after him if anything happened to his wife. She had been married 7 years before he entered their house and never treated her or her (two) sisters with respect but did thought the world of her two daughter (his grand-daughters). (05 mins)She was 19 when she got married and was able to escape the unhappy regime at home. Talked a lot before marrying with her fiancé, agreeing what they wanted out of life. Bought a house. Didn't have a car. She did office cleaning to help out. Didn't have a television until her eldest daughter started school (and was asked to write an essay on what she had seen on TV, so they rented one). Moved to Wootton. (10 mins)Got a job with the Probation Service at the Crown Court at the Shire Hall. (15 mins)Did in-house training to enable her to visit victims of crime and counsel them. (20 mins)Difficulties in not getting emotionally involved with victims of crime or divorces. Her own daughter got divorced. The interviewee has been married for over 42 years and believes that marriage vows are for life. Had to leave her job because of the pressures. Husband was put on shift work after Hanson takeover of London Brick. By then she had 3 grandchildren and a mother-in-law to look after. (25 mins)Now retired. They belong to the 55 Club and go square dancing 3 times a week. Take short break holidays. Life easier. The biggest change in her life is financial security. She remembers when her mother couldn't afford to pay the rent or coalman or milkman and the only meat they had was from chickens they reared at home and rabbits an uncle shot for them. (28 mins)END OF INTERVIEW. Original Interview 60 mins.

27 November 2002

From: 1935 To: 2002

item

London Brick Company,
Hanson Brick Limited

anthrax, brick worker, postal personnel, Indians, Pakistanis, Italians, Home Office, smallpox, General store, wages/conditions, robbery, motorcycles, married woman, Probation Areas Order 1927, Crown Court, divorce, dancing, rabbits, holidays, Hartwell, CRANFIELD, STEWARTBY, MARSTON MORETAINE, WOOTTON