| Description | An interview with Olive BARKER, a widow woman with one son, two daughters, who is a retiredcleaning supervisor, born in Birmingham and now living in Birmingham. Olive BARKER’s father was a Cabinet-maker, born in England and her mother a Factory worker/cleaner born in England. In the interview, she talks about …
'OLIVE BARKER MS2255/2/122 Logged by Lorraine Blakemore
01
I was born on September 19th , 1924 at Loveday Hospital….We lived in Bracebridge Street… Moved to Vere Street. Describes the house and area.
2.14 One of her brothers died of measles when he was an infant.
2.45 Comments on transition from using paraffin lamps to gas.
3.50 Story about visits to the coal yard.
02
Story about theft of money from gas meter.
50” Father got a job at Phillips’ Screw Factory doing labouring work. Had an accident at previous place of work.
2.47 Story about visiting her aunt who was seriously ill.
03
18” When there was no work at all mother used to go and buy orange boxes from the grocers down the road….chop them up and bundle them…she’d take me up Sun Street where the houses were a bit better off…and sell them….We also went round the church….
1.51 Moved from St Luke’s School to St James C of E School when she was 11 years old. Describes her lessons. Participated in woodwork. Not fond of music class.
04
Found work at Teals in Gooch Street at the age of 12.
25” I used to go…home and have a cup of tea and jam….and then go straight to the shop. Outside he had a lot of shelves….he was cheaper than others, like a little supermarket and I used to help to serve on those…from 5 to 8 o’clock in the week and Saturday from 8am and I never got back till nearly 9pm….
1.19 Sent to the Teals’ other shop when she was nearly 14, but not able to remain after leaving school officially.
05
In 1938 I left school at age 14….I went to Kirby Beards where they made hair grips….in Digbeth .
48” Describes the work environment. We had to go down to the machine shop and fetch the grips in our pinnies…get the cards from the printing shop and the boxes…nobody could do them in the time that they put…If you did them in time you were supposed to get a bonus…Only one girl did it once and we all cheered her! After about 6 weeks I’d had enough….
2.22 Found another job in Holloway Head where leather handbags and goods were made. Details her role and the technique involved.
3.47 Olive’s friend lost her job and found other work at Ariel Pram Wheels where the money was better. Olive followed her. Details her role, which included some spot welding.
06
Continues to describe role.
2.10 I worked with a gypsy lady in one room and she used to tell me about Castle Park….
07
Describes the appearance of the gypsy woman.
08
Continues to discuss their friendship. Storyabout having her ears pierced.
2.31 During the war, became trained in drilling. Details the work for Morris Commercial, who made army lorries.
09
2.23 Switched to wiring when the war was nearly at an end.
2.45 Moved to BSA factory where the bicycles were made. Began with wheel lacing.
3.57 Describes the work she was doing when a photograph was taken at the factory that has now been used for a video cover.
10
Continued.
11
Story about being persuaded to join the union at work.
2.00 Regarding unions: I never saw that they did any good for the workers, but they were taking the money off them….They had this big meeting down in Hadley Park….The head union person….he said, go back and clock in every morning and sit down and you will be paid your wages….A week went by and we got no money….
4.43 Story about meeting her husband.
12
Continued.
13
Married at the Registry Office in 1947. Lived with mother-in-law in Sheldon. Describes the house.
17
Gave birth to second daughter June. Made dresses for the Coronation.
1.48 Explains the circumstances relating to their eviction.
3.42 Moved to rented accommodation in Lozells. Describes the house and the area.
18
57” Story about the horse and cart delivering milk in Lozells.
2.42 Daughters attended Lozells School. One transferred to King Edward’s School in Handsworth. Details her career path.
19
Olive worked for a cleaning firm 3 hours a night after her son was born.
1.00 Moved to a 3-bedroomed maisonette in Highgate.
3.10 Details her other 2 children’s careers.
3.46 Olive started cleaning at the BBC in 1965.
20
How she came to be working at the BBC.
21
Details her cleaning work at the BBC. Promoted to supervisor.
22
Continued.
2.09 First holiday overseas to Germany after retirement in 1987. Husband died of cancer.
3.04 Enjoyed dancing in Thorpe Street. Story about meeting second husband there.
23
Continued.
2.16 Story about husband suffering a fatal heart attack.
4.16 Olive still goes dancing occasionally and enjoys foreign holidays.
24
Continues to discuss her dancing.
ENDS. |