Interview with female, lived in Lidlington for 70 years

  • Women's Voices and Life Writing
You may need to log in to continue. Access the full document and its details.
Title
Interview with female, lived in Lidlington for 70 years
Interviewer
Semeraro, Carmela
Document Type
  • Oral history Recording
Date
11 Jun 2001
Interview Date
11 Jun 2001
Biography
She was born on 15th December 1924. She moved from Bedford to Lidlington aged seven, and had lived there for seventy years, marrying and raising children there. Three generations of her male relatives worked in the brickyards, and witnessed their development and decline. Her maternal grandfather was in the militia, and also worked as a rat-catcher and labourer, while her grandmother was in lace making. Her paternal grandfather was a musician, playing flute and piccolo in an orchestra, which brought him to the area. Her parents met while working in Bedford. She had clear memories of the Second World War, in which she trained as a fitter in Letchworth and her father served overseas, including at Dunkirk. She also remembered evacuees arriving, including some relatives from Coventry. After the war, she worked as a hairdresser and in a material shop. She met her husband after his family arrived from Oldham, and his father passed away in an accident, possibly as a result of a war injury, before she and her husband were married. Her husband was a turner in a machine shop all his life. She had been involved in the church and village life in general since the war, noticing the changes in the local community. Local people started a good neighbour scheme which she appreciated since she had fewer living relatives.
Length (minutes)
60
Copyright and Source Archive
Material sourced from Bedfordshire Archives and Records Service