Z1205/234

Female. Italian, second-generation immigrant. Father was brickworker. b. 16.03.1939 SIDE A (00 mins)Born in Battipaglia, Italy. Can just remember the American troops arriving during the Second World War. Lived in Montecorvino, where her mother came from. One sister and one brother. She was youngest child. A fourth child, a brother was born later, in England. (05 mins)Maternal grandparents lived in same apartment. Family lived off the land: groves, olives, nuts. The women did most of the work on their land and the menfolk had other jobs as well, painting and decorating. Father's family from Battipaglia. Father worked in a sugar factory and lived away from home. He wrote to her mother regularly. (10 mins)Father was in the Italian army during the war, in Libya (?) and taken prisoner by the English. Held in camp in Ampthill. After the war, he arranged for his family to join him in England. He worked on a (Flying Horse) farm, (Ridgmont) as a prisoner of war and the farmer helped arrange the permit after the war for his family to join him. (15 mins)She was very sea-sick, crossing the English Channel. Problems with her mother's passport. Lived in Flying Horse Cottage. Attended Ridgmont School. (20 mins)They were the only Italian children at school. Transferred to school in Ampthill when she was 7. Remembers being surprised by the foggy weather. Father worked at brickworks and also, part-time, on a local farm. Family allocated a council house in Millbrook. (25 mins)Father bought the council house and stayed there until he died. Holiday visits to Italy eventually. (30 mins)Sister worked in an underwear factory in Bedford. Intervieweeleft school at 15, briefly joined her sister and then moved to Igranic factory in Bedford. (32 mins)End of Side A SIDE B (00 mins)After 2 weeks at Igranic, moved to a chemist's shop in Ampthill. Liked it there and did occasional translation work for the bank next door. Spoke Italian dialect at home. Encouraged to apply for an interpreter's job at Meltis (which employed mainly Italian women). (05 mins)Got married in 1959. Had a daughter in 1961. Liked working at Meltis except when she had to pass on disciplinary remarks to the women. (10 mins)Factory work. Hygiene for food production. Worked regular daytime hours but there was an evening shift, 6 -9.30pm. Helped the women out of work hours but never took money for it. (15 mins)Met husband when she was 18. Very strict parents who wouldn't allow her to enter pubs. Husband to be got on with her Italian father. (20 mins)She and her siblings have British citizenship. (25 mins)Softee Ice Cream business at Millbrook. Toffee apple production. (30 mins)Smoke from the brickworks' chimneys. Original Interview 60 mins.

2 July 2003

From: 1935 To: 2003

item

immigration, brick worker, Italians, World War Two, farm worker, prisoners of war, Lidlington Flying Horse Farm, Ridgmont School, interpreter, Public House, ice cream sellers, pollution, Italy, Libya, AMPTHILL, MILLBROOK, Salerno, Battipaglia