Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    Z1205/237
  • Title
    Male. Former Brick worker now at Landfill Site. b.09.03.1942. Side A. (00mins)Born in Luton & Dunstable Hospital. Grew up in Maulden. Married, brought a bungalow on outskirts of Maulden, near to Dog and Badger public house. Lived there 18 years until divorce. Parents and both sets of grandparents lived in Maulden. Mothers father was in the Boer War. (05mins)Grandfather a market gardener. Grew potatoes, cabbage, lettuce, radishes and spring onions. Father a wholesaler delivering to shops in Luton. After grandfather died, father started to drive at Marston Valley Brick Co. Grandma was a housewife, grandfather taught him digging. (10mins)Grandfather showed him how to prepare stuff for market, string radishes, and prepare cabbages. Grandfather's ground used to go up to Maulden Church wall. (15mins)No guns or knives allowed whilst he was growing up. Used sticks from hedgerows, peel the bark to make patterns. Camping in the woods. Daffodils, primroses and bluebells picked and taken home to mother and Nan. Cooking in the woods. Holiday sometimes to Yarmouth and Clacton and Sunday school outings. Used Seamarks Coaches from Westoning. Beaches were crowded. Younger sister Margaret died at 28, leaving two children. (20mins)Able to buy 5 cigarettes even though under age. Malden policeman George Elder came by on bike and caught them smoking, but never reported them to their parents. From the age of 6 to 15 he belonged to the church choir, also his father and mother. (25mins)Church paid for their attendance three times on a Sunday. Organist was Hazel Richardson, vicar was Reverend Millington then Reverend Adams. Rectory was not far from the church. Father was 50 when he died. (30mins)A milestone to grow older than his father did. Went to Maulden Primary School. End of Side A. Side B. (00mins)Teachers were Miss Inskip, Miss Clifford and Mr Parks the strict headmaster. Cane was used for punishment. Headmaster was also the churchwarden. Berries and peas used in peashooters at the church. Choir money stopped because of this incident. (05mins)Hiding in the church to frighten the choir mistress. Ampthill cinema showed Flash Gordon on a Saturday morning. Roy Rogers, Gene Altrey and Tom Mix all old American actors shown at cinema. Redborne School two terms old when he started. Rothershyde unit had rabbits. He got the cane for putting male and female rabbits together. Lots of babies produced. (10mins)School cross-country all round Ampthill and Ampthill Park. Picked to play for Bedfordshire School Boys Football. Played for Maulden when he left school. They were called Maulden Avenue. Then he played for Ampthill Youth. Left school at fifteen. Friends went to work at Allens in Bedford on apprenticeships. He went to work at Burt Summerfield a local market garden. Passed his driving test in a lorry in Bedford, the second time. Delivered fresh vegetables to Bedford every day. (15mins)Progressed to driving the brick lorries for Summerfield. Gained a job at London Brick Co. for more money. Drove to Margate and Folkestone some 120 miles at 20mph over night. More social time then. (20mins)Earned more money in the yard. Spent 14 years on transport and 10 years in the yard. Longest journey was to Devon or up to Leeds. Small lorries carried 2-3000 bricks. The bigger ones, which did nights out, carried 7500 bricks. At destination the builder would offer money to unload the bricks. (25mins)Overnight stops at Basingstoke. Starting on blocking (moving bricks strapped together). (30mins)Given goggles for the dust but no boots. End of Side B. Continued on CS237C2 Side A. (00mins)Major changes in the way bricks were transported. Health problem, back trouble due to handling the bricks. Made own gloves out of lorry inner tube weels, none supplied. (10mins)Working with the Italians at Stewartby. Blocking workers were on piecework. (15mins)Social life, and lack of after work friendships. The Working Men's Club and activities. (20mins)Checking the stock and the daily quota of bricks. (25mins)The diminishing workload and voluntary redundancy. (30mins)Applying for a job at Shanks, and first impressio when starting there. End of Side A. Side B. (00mins)Wearing protective clothing to handle contaminated load. Shanks training on Health and Safety. Trained to operate the overhead crane after 4 years and promotion. Skilled work in crane lasting 7 or 8 years. Paid flat rate and bonus each week depending on tonnage. (05mins)Medical every year for 16 years. Good company and working relationships. Majority of material comes by train. (10mins)Bird scarers and summer flies. (15mins)Comparing Shanks with other centres. Earth brought in by road. A specialised job. Things found in the rubbish. Keeping logbook of rubbish movement. Most rubbish comes from general household such as old beds and mattresses. An important job. Biggest change in his lifetime is the lack of respect of the younger generation. End of Side B.End of Interview. Original Interview 105 mins
  • Date free text
    15 July 2003
  • Production date
    From: 1940 To: 2003
  • Level of description
    item
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