| Description | An interview with Kittician Woman, a widow woman with six sons, four daughters, who is a retired Caretaker, born in Saint Kitts and now living in Birmingham. Kittician Woman’s father was a Fisherman, born in Saint Kitts and her mother a Housewife/ domestic help born in Saint Kitts. In the interview, she talks about …
' Logged by Sonia Southern & Louise Harvey
01
Born in Saint Kitts in Sandy Point in 1926, from a family of 10, Grandmother had 13 children.
20” “We were all brought up in a place that installed into their children that ‘manners maketh man’, manners would take you anywhere in the world”.
40” Father was a fisherman, a very low paid job, if you didn’t catch fish you never ate. She was brought up to fear the Lord and that if you put your trust in him; he would carry you through life.
1.11” “We had to go to church every Sunday and to Sunday school”. Talks about attending the church and describes the church when she was a child.
2.07” She was brought up to accept when there was little to eat and enjoy when there was plenty. There was always something to survive on.
2.40” “I went to a pure girls school”. Describes her situation and having to help in the home, so she never went to school all of the time. Then discusses that she had an English education, she was taught arithmetic etc.
02
She was taught the French National Anthem and she couldn’t understand that because the Caribbean was not a part of France.
03
If you were a child that was interested in education the teachers would encourage you to learn. It was a big school and there were about 40 children in one class. If you didn’t behave your parents would bring you up to the school and give you a hiding in front of the teacher.
1.00” “There was no abuse of children in my day”. Gives her opinion on the word and what it stands for today, and recalls her discipline from her grandparents.
04
Sundays in the Caribbean was a day to be respected, it was a day kept in holy reverence to God. In her day she went to church and had her dinner when she came home and that was it, she wasn’t even allowed to play out.
54” She loves singing and loved being in church on a Sunday night, she remembers the hymns from verse to verse. The hymn by John Wesley ‘Amazing love how can it be’.
1.48” Holding a thanks giving service in her church and she chose that hymn to be sung…
05
…She sings part of the hymn. (“Amazing Love”)
1.20” “There are many things that I would have liked to happen to me as a child”. She describes the effect that being poor had on her.
2.45” She had to leave school because her father was ill.
06
Her father died in the 1940s and all her aspirations went, so she had to fend for herself and help provide for the family.
4” “I went into domestic work”. Describes the time she worked for a white family and the wage that she got.
1.58” At 15/16 years of age she continued to work from one family to another.
07
Background interference.
08
“I thought I fell in love”. Tells of having child out of wedlock and the reaction that this had on people in the community.
58” “There’s a saying in the Caribbean, ‘Today is for me, tomorrow is for you”.
1.25” She wanted to be somebody and she’s glad for the Gospel and the Salvation. One night she went there and she accepted the Lord into her life.
2.20” “It was hard it was very hard”. Talks about raising her child on her own and meeting her husband who she married in 1951.
09
Concludes …
1.00” “To better our life my husband came to England in 1956”. She joined him in 1957, leaving her eight children with her mother whilst she was over in England.
2.25” Her first impression of England, and the different lifestyles that people lead.
3.19” She began to go to the Salvation Army with her husband on Victoria Road in Aston. She recalls friendly and unfriendly people, and says how there is good and bad in everybody.
4.54” “The first thing that amazed me…” Explains a trip she had to take to the Doctor…
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Concludes story.
11
In the Caribbean you can call someone from 50 metres, but here you can’t call anyone.
1.00” “Yes I did come across racism…” Talks of experience of racism with her son.
12
Describes moving to different houses around Birmingham to be closer to church and to save money.
1.32” Sent for children to come over to England.
1.51” Working for a hospital and husband working on the railway. Moved to 3-bedroom house.
13
Talks about going to the Salvation Army and forging relationships with white people.
0.24” “There was a lovely white family that were living in the Lozells area and they took my husband under their wings…”
1.23” She worked every other weekend at Dudley Road hospital.
14
Early 1960s – set up own church along with a brother who came over from the Caribbean.
1.05” Describes own church named ‘Pilgrim Holiness Church’, which they set up in a friend’s house.
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Continues
0.23” Went to a school hall in Balsall Heath and worshipped there. “From there the church began to grow”.
1.05” Children coming over to England. “It was a glorious day for me when my kids came…”
Travelled over with a sister from the Caribbean on her passport.
16
Children came over from the Caribbean in September 1960, moved into a house in Kings Heath.
24” Describes children’s schooling and the difficulties they faced.
1.52” Story about “free dinners”.
2.59” Managing financially by baking own cakes, bread etc.
3.39” Comments on how children are now divided in schools because of the financial status of their parents. “There are children in schools now who are saying to other children: ‘Where does your mum shop?…’”
4.44” Children growing up in England
17
Continues
38” “They know they are English children in a way but they keep saying ‘I belong to the Caribbean’…” Finds this funny as well as being able to understand what they mean.
1.12” Continues to talk about upbringing of the children and how instilling Christian values into them at a young age means she doesn’t have to worry about them getting into trouble.
2.15” Describes how she was determined to get a job even though her husband disagreed.
3.28” Children always had second-hand clothes but were always scrubbed clean.
4.23” Washed up in a restaurant.
18
Continues talking about job and how she was good at it.
1.47” Wages
1.53” Cream cakes – manageress said take home for children…
2.20” Wanted a pay rise but was not given one and so got a new job at Tindal Street School. Talks of experiences of leaving old job and moving to new one.
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Describes being given caretaker's job at school, going for interview etc.
20
7” “I think I was made caretaker around 1974…” (Retired in 1986). Describes what it was like being caretaker and becoming a big part of school life.
1.09” Making Christmas dinner for teachers – asked for two bottles of lemonade in return “because I love lemonade!”
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1” 1984 - Describes how she had an injury in her side, took early retirement and began to learn music so she could teach herself hymns. Describes how music teacher was racist and charged her more money than she should have.
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Continues
1.42” Work was enjoyable for her and she felt as if she had achieved something. “So I enjoyed my working life in this country and I’m proud of what I did when I was at work in my job…” Now doing charity work at the Red Cross.
23
18” “In 1989 I joined an evening class and I got a B in English Literature…” Also got a certificate from the Red Cross. Wants to encourage young people to do something with their lives.
1.02” “…and I’m now 74, and I’m still hoping to do things as long as God gives me the strength and health”.
1.20” Describes husband’s working life.
24
6” Discusses how she believes immigrants are more serious and committed to their religious lives than other Christians.
3.52” Longing for Cadbury Chocolate in the 1950s and 1960s.
25
2” Importance of education for children.
26” A friend, who graduated from education, became ill and died soon after, dedicating his degree to his grandchildren to show them that they could do it too.
1.03” Continues talking about how proud she is of her children and their achievements.
26
3” Describes friends and community
52” Describes how she has white friends who she very much values. “I have some white friends that… I wouldn’t be without them…”
1.21 Continues describing how she has lots of good friends.
2.02” Your attitude is important in ensuring you have lots of friends. “You have to have friends in all walks of life…”
2.15” Says she likes to read, discusses book she is reading at the moment.
27
Continues saying how she likes to read.
ENDS
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