| Description | An interview with Tina PRINGLE-HAMILTON, a single woman with no children, who is a Freelance Producer/Director, born in Birmingham and now living in Birmingham. Tina PRINGLE-HAMILTON’s father was a Retired from army, born in Jamaica and her mother a catering born in Saint Kitts. In the interview, she talks about …
'TINA PRINGLE-HAMILTON MS2255/2/048 Logged by Lorraine Blakemore
01
I’m 30 years old. I was born in Birmingham in Moseley….on 28th October, 1968….
I went to school in Kings Heath to a primary school called Colmore Row…there were 2 black children at that school….and all I can remember was the kind of unfairness that went on in the school personally for me….One of the things that started it off was name-calling and teachers not picking me for certain things…. Story about not being chosen for a school trip.
2.03 Father was in the army. Lived in Sparkbrook in a one bedroom flat as a small child.
2.40 Memories of visiting mother’s friend in Hall Green.
3.10 Discusses best friend.
4.07 My mother came her when she was 11 from St. Kitts….My grandparents had already moved here….
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I went to Swanshurst Secondary School in Billesley and it was an all girl’s school…. Story about classmates and jokes played.
1.56 It was difficult from secondary school to college for me…because it was totally different….independence was the one thing I enjoyed at secondary school….I was form captain….very active at sport….
3.04 Story about drama teacher and home economics teacher.
4.03 When I started in the school again it was a handful of black, Asian children….When I left there were more Asian girls coming into the school….I left the school in 1985….
03
Details qualifications. Mix up with exam results.
1.06 When I was 16 I wanted to be a barrister or solicitor…I was going to put the law to rights….Then I thought I want to be a prison officer and I remember an interview…they told me…I was too pretty to be a prison officer….1985 and women couldn’t get on an engineering course at Solihull College….
2.47 My English teacher inspired me to write….I won this competition…and she had that published…..Retells the idea behind the writing.
4.43 Leisure activities. Trips to the seaside.
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Story about places visited.
Extra-curricular activities at school.
2.30 When I was a teenager the first time I can remember going out was to Pagoda Park…. Details pubs and clubs.
4.47 Story about tight jeans worn to shock people.
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Young people rebelled in the 80s. Music dictated what you were going to be…. Elaborates on the youth culture during the 80s and today.
1.58 My mum wouldn’t allow me to go out with anybody and I’m glad she was like that….I didn’t think of boyfriends….
2.50 Felt it was better to be at a single-sex school. More independent.
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Reflects on gang rivalry in the early 80s. Story about fight at school.
1.51 It was class-based. We were a middle stream group….wouldn’t mix with the lower stream groups it wasn’t done…. Story about classmate who had breakdown.
4.13 Describes school uniform.
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Continues to describe uniform.
17” We organised a barricade and locked all the teachers out….police turned up….we were on the news….the school backed down and even allowed us to wear trousers because that was one of the things….Asian girls were allowed to….
1.35 Religious education at school. It was compulsory then, and to get out of it, because most of the people who got out of it was of a different religion, they used to do other activities. So I said I’m Jewish….We’re not religious in our household at all….The first time I went to church was in adulthood….I
2.53 If I had to choose a religion now that I’m older, Buddhism appeals to me, I quite like the ethos….
3.48 I went to Solihull Technical College….I wanted to do social work….Problem with the course. Completed ‘A’ levels.
4.44 At the same time I took….legal secretarial course….this is the way I thought to being a solicitor….I did that for 2 years….
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I became a legal executive….I temped because I didn’t want a permanent job….For me and a lot of others, with temporary work you don’t get a lot of office politics, you really learn people skills… Explains in detail why temping appealed.
1.52 Moved to London for 2 months.
3.12 Missed the friendliness of Birmingham.
3.49 The attitude towards Birmingham people was different as well….Then I had elocution lessons….We were told if you had a Birmingham accent you wouldn’t get a job…We had deportment lessons….how to please your boss….
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Describes the legal secretarial course.
1.53 I came out of legal for a while and I was working for a computer company….Sexual harassment at work.
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I was working for a legal firm in Birmingham….that was in 1992…I got back into my writing….I’d never thought about media until then…I went to the job centre and they said there’s this one place that does a course called Second Sight…. Describes course.
1.46 Worked for cable and the BBC as a freelancer. Mainly sports programmes. Story about dog show.
3.21 Then I did a lot more independent productions….Assistant director on Balti Balti….
3.54 Worked as a tutor on City & Guilds course.
4.34 A friend and I decided to set up a company called Kumara in 1996…
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Story about working with a youth group.
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Continues story.
2.15 Ethos of teaching young people.
2.58 Background to setting up Kumara.
4.12 Describes being at Second Sight. A lot of the women there were lesbians…
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It was team based….hands-on….
36” Working at the BBC.
1.48 Present day activities at Kumara. Would like to work with women’s groups a lot more.
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Views on relationships. Now at this age I’m looking for somebody who has prospects, not somebody on the dole…
2.26 In the future I hope to be married…
3.18 Lives at home. Would like to live and work overseas in the future.
4.43 Birmingham is a multi-cultural mix, to a certain sense, it’s not in attitude…You can go to events…although there are not enough….
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Continues to discuss Birmingham.
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As a second city it is very weak….Our shops are another thing ….We still are missing that cultural side of things….You wouldn’t go into an Irish club unless there was a reason for it….And the other thing is nightlife…. Describes her own interests.
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Changes in city centre.
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Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery. Problems with accessibility.
1.10 Ikon Gallery….
3.08 We’ve got so many cinemas…
3.42 The Drum.
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Wheelchair access.
52” Central Library.
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23” We have a lot of budgets go down the drain in Birmingham….We are working with people’s money…. Handsworth Carnival.
3.09 We have Chinese New Year which they feel they want to take over now…because they feel it’s bringing in a lot of revenue….
3.33 Festivals targeted at women.
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Continues to discuss equal opportunities for women.
ENDS. |