Interview with well-educated farmer's wife, not directly involved in farming, reflects on middle-class rural life

  • Women's Voices and Life Writing
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Title
Interview with well-educated farmer's wife, not directly involved in farming, reflects on middle-class rural life
Notes on Audio Quality
Please note that there are multiple tracks to this recording. Use the arrow buttons to navigate to further tracks. The interview does not start until 00:05:08 on side A. Side B ends abruptly at 00:28:56 for a few minutes and includes noises from the microphone being fixed.
Interviewer
Semeraro, Carmela
Document Type
  • Oral history Recording
Date
22 Mar 2001
Interview Date
22 Mar 2001
Biography
The interviewee was born 25 November 1918 in Reading, England. Raised as an only child, her father was a wool merchant and her mother stayed at home. She recalls having a strict upbringing, with many ‘aunties’ who had lost their husbands in the First World War. When she was young, she suffered from influenza. She went on many holidays such as Cornwall, and enjoyed swimming. At age 17, she passed her driving test and drove an Austin regularly, enjoying the independence. She married her husband at 21, and moved away from her parents. Around this time, her father had passed away. She spent some time in London dress designing, before moving to the farm with her husband. Feeling like an adventure, she appreciated the farm lifestyle and enjoyed raising her children in the country. Later on, she and her husband would take trips abroad on holidays, spending time by the sea and visiting galleries.
Length (minutes)
50
Copyright and Source Archive
Material sourced from Bedfordshire Archives and Records Service