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Female. School assistant. b.22.11.1941 SIDE A (00 mins)Born in Marston. Paternal grandfather was a horse-breaker. Maternal grandfather from Cardington and grandmother from Bourne End near Cranfield. Granddad said he'd never had a bath in his life until he went into a home at the age of 91. He died a week after. Mother born in Liverpool and Father in Marston. (05 mins)Father worked in brickyard at Stewartby. She was closer to her maternal grandmother than to her Mother. Sister is five years older. Lived between Cranfield and Marston at the bottom of Marston Hill. She and her sister used to walk to Upper Shelton School. Walks in Marston Thrift Wood - primroses & bluebells. (10 mins)The smell of the brickyard chimneys stunk out the whole valley. When a shift ended, there were bicycles and cars everywhere. From age 7 onwards, took the train to Bedford to attend private school, leaving home at 8an and getting home at 6pm. Mum and Dad wanted what they thought would be a "better" education, so paid for both sisters to attend Bedford High School for Girls. This didn't help the girls to integrate with local children and, having no car, it was difficult to get to see their school friends out of school hours. Father worked in the office of London Brick. He left school at 15 and worked for 51 years with the firm. He became a statistician, counting bricks and working out how many had been made and how many lost. (15 mins)Left school at 17. went to work at W.H. Allen's engineering firm in Bedford. She met her husband on a blind date. They got married 3 years later. They lived in a caravan at Bromham until he was able to get them a brickworks house at Stewartby. He worked as a draughtsman. They moved around the country working at various London Brick sites. (20 mins)No career advice at school, at that time. "B" stream girls did cookery and needlework and felt 2nd. Class compared with the "A" stream university types. Sister went into nursing but hated it. End up in an office. Cranfield had a cinema but mum and dad were strict Methodists and were only allowed to see certain films. Drinking an dancing was out of the question. (25 mins)When she got to 17 she protested but up to then she had to attend chapel three times on Sunday. Weren't allowed to play the radio or go out to play on Sundays. Had to be "little ladies" all day. Didn't go out in evenings to Bedford because there were no busses back, so went in on Saturday afternoons. Had to be in by 10 o'clock so she had a very sheltered life as a child and young woman. Learned to amuse herself. Shopped in Cranfield. Annual Sunday School outing. No clubs to attend. Because of limited finances, through paying school fees, didn't go away on holiday. Visited Auntie in Liverpool a few times. Was put on the train, aged 8 or 9, and collected at the other end. It was a big adventure visiting a city. Had two cousins there. Taken to see a Gilbert & Sullivan operetta. Visited the docks and saw large liners. Visited Port Sunlight (30 mins)Everyone used a bicycle. Only a few middle class families had car - the local doctor. Milk was delivered by horse and cart. She would go and see cows being milked by hand and take the rich unpasteurised milk home. (32 mins)End of Side A SIDEB (00 mins)Electricity but no running water in their first house. Bathroom fitments and sinks but not connected. No mains sewerage - just a cess pit. House built in 1935 with services laid on in house but not connected, possibly through lack of money. Shortly after she was born, mains water was connected. Had 7 acres behind house and kept animals - chickens, pigs, ducks. Father would shoot rabbits and pheasants in local fields and Mother would skin and cook them.Mother was a full-time housewife. They had a big range (coal-fired cooker) in the kitchen. Used to salt and cure hams. (05 mins) Mother was a brilliant cook. Learned sewing, knitting and crocheting from Granny. Never bought dresses. Had sister's "hand-me-downs". The biggest change in her life was when she left home and got married. Life in the country only changed when more people had cars. Her cockney relatives were fascinating and had more of sense of humour than her parents. They were always partying. She has worked in a local school for the last 32 years. Husband wasn't keen at first, so she started working for 2 hours a day, then worked up to 15 hours a week. It gave her 2 ½ days at home. She started by cleaning domestic science rooms and cookers and then helped in the textiles room with the sewing. (10 mins)20 years ago the work was more practical and lessons were longer (before the National Curriculum dictated what was taught) in schools. Children would make pies and cakes that needed ¾ hour baking in the oven. Later moved to a broader design and technology, with more theory and less practical work. Girls and boys now do the same. Middle school age group (9-13 yrs). Children move on to Wootton School. (15 mins)Children now far more confident and "grow up" more quickly. They know their rights. Some are lovely but there's more of a tendency to selfishness. Not all of them are respectful as they were years ago. She has enjoyed the company of children and used to help a lot with display of children's work in the corridors. Her son is now a teacher. It's harder than ever to teach. There's more people watching. Now, in retirement, she is catching up with things, such as teaching herself to play the electric keyboard that her late husband used to play. She goes for walks and cycle rides and has joined the University of the Third Age (U3A). Likes cycling round the Millenium County Park at Marston. (20 mins) Thinks the Vale, after the ravages of decades of brickmaking and clay extraction, will look really nice with the growing woodland development. Would like to see more outdoor pursuit activities in addition to the Stewartby sailing club. Suggests that a brickmaking museum would be an attraction and that the proposed canal through the Vale would make it a great tourist area. (32 mins)End of Side B ORIGINAL INTERVIEW 55 mins

24 February 2003

From: 1940 To: 2003

item

London Brick Company,
Allen

assistant, horsebreaker, flowers, pollution, chimneys, Bedford High School for Girls, cinema, Methodist chapels, dancing, bicycles, water supply, sewerage, animals, cook, dressmaker, trees, MARSTON MORETAINE, CARDINGTON, CRANFIELD, Cranfield Bourne End, Liverpool, STEWARTBY, Marston Moretaine Upper Shelton Road, Marston Thrift, BROMHAM