| Description | An interview with Molly TAYLOR, a widow woman with one son, who is a retired school secretary, born in London and now living in Sutton Coldfield. Molly TAYLOR’s father was a Company secretary, born in England and her mother a Housewife born in England. In the interview, she talks about …
'MS2255/2/061 TAYLOR, Molly
01
I was born in London on the 8th March, 1914. Father was a bank clerk. Moved to Southend. Mother died when Molly was a child. Father re-married. Found work in Birmingham but Molly remained in Southend until completion of exams. She then moved to London into digs. Several jobs including florists.
3.12 If my mother had not died, it might have been possible that I’d go on to university….I wasn’t good at shorthand and typing….therefore any application for a job was limited.
02
Story about an interview for a receptionist's post at the BBC.
1.01 It was decided that I should come to Birmingham and join the family….my father…got me an appointment with the City of Birmingham Estates Dept….The interview was amusing….It would’ve been 1938 when I was able to move there….and I went into digs in Wylde Green with my sister….
2.22 Describes the Estates Dept. and her first day at work.
3.22 We did visit the estates of the council houses where occasionally you had to go to check how people were looking after their properties….and there were several interesting incidents with regard to that. For a start I hadn’t a clue where any of the districts of Birmingham were….Story about visiting Weoley Castle.
03
Continues story.
52” You had to make a note….whether they were suitable for a better class of council house or one of the lower down ones….Discusses the procedure.
1.38 Back-to back housing.
2.15 A lot of the people did the best they could under poor circumstances….but others made me gasp…..Detailed description of the conditions she encountered.
4.12 Became a rent collector when there were fewer men available during the war.
04
Description of working day.
3.21 Molly elected Chairman of social club.
05
32” I was allocated to 2 flats…they were old flats in Garrison Lane area and the other was in Highgate, a new block of flats called Emily Street flats….Describes the environment.
1.12 Story about 2 particular tenants.
2.41 I stormed into my father’s office and said, if I ever take a bedbug back, this job’s finished!….They hung camphor balls from their suspenders….
06
Explains her role.
Story about dishonest caretaker.
4.02 There were no professional social workers, we were the equivalent inasmuch as we had to sort things out….
4.49 Story about a family in the flats.
07
Continues story.
Describes the more unusual requirements of her job.
08
28” Wartime.
2.22 The end of my association with Birmingham City Estates Dept. because I was coming up to 29. I got married in 1943….about 1945 I was pregnant….it was a very difficult birth….after that I’d been given a flat to live in at Wheelwright Road….
Continued rent-collecting for father.
09
Had son in 1947.
Moved to Nottingham.
1.18 Father’s background.
3.58 We lived in Nottingham from 1948-58 and then he was moved back to Birmingham….we had difficulty in finding some sort of property we could afford….we moved to Sutton Coldfield…
10
Found a temporary job at Sutton Coldfield Education Dept.
Transferred to school secretarial post.
4.09 Husband had a heart attack in 1969.
11
Left school in 1972.
Camping holidays.
12
Son’s education.
2.16 Unfortunately now at my age I’m not able to appreciate the wonderful changes that have been made in Birmingham….Elaborates on places visited in recent years.
13
Leisure activities.
Health care.
14
NO SOUND.
15
NO SOUND.
ENDS |