| Description | An interview with Janet WATTS, a Other woman with no children, who is a PT Social Services, born in Essex and now living in Birmingham. Janet WATTS’s father was a White collar worker, born in England and her mother a Housewife born in England. In the interview, she talks about …
'MS2255/2/067 Janet WATTS Logged by Lorraine Blakemore
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Born 5th November, 1955 in Essex. Father built house.
1.04 Story about stay in Great Ormond St. Hospital.
2.14 Moved to Cheltenham in 1965. Describes changes in 11+ during that year. Achieved place at grammar school, but not a happy experience. Too regimented.
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Continues to explain reasons for not enjoying grammar school. Contrasts experience of her son who is now 15 at the local school.
1.43 Traumatic experience of being excluded by classmates.
2.53 Voted in as replacement headgirl.
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When English O’level exam paper was marked it was discovered that Janet was dyslexic. Nobody had picked up on the dyslexia until 1969.
2.20 Attended interviews for art college across the country. Chose Canterbury. Describes life at college.
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Describes course content. Chose to specialise in furniture and interior design.
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I came to Birmingham Poly in 1974 through till 1977. Lived in single sex halls of residence. Describes facilities. Remembers caretaker who patrolled the halls.
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Course content of undergraduate degree. Male/female ratio.
3.03 Competed with another female student for job with Leicester City Council. Felt that there was discrimination based on appearance.
4.04 The student union was fairly rife. It was linked to Aston University….at Gosta Green. Aston University had got more money than Birmingham Polytechnic….
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Left halls of residence and found student accommodation in Portland Road. Remained there for duration of course. Describes social life at university.
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Entertainment around Broad Street in the 1970s.
2.03 Approached to redesign the Sack of Potatoes public house.
3.09 Difficulties of travelling by car through city centre in the mid-70s.
4.10 Liked city centre and the shops.
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Housemates helped Janet overcome dyslexia. Story about reading signs at New Street Station.
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Decided to stay in Birmingham after graduation. Signed on the dole for a few months. Found a job with Hostess Furniture in Bilston and went there as a trainee designer and draughtsperson.
1.49 Bought a house in Stanmore Road in Edgbaston in 1977. House cost £8,500.
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Describes work and projects at Hostess Furniture.
3.35 Made redundant on the basis of ‘last in first out’. Got a job at Alpha Tower as a clerical officer.
4.28 I had the thrills and spills of taking near enough a whole day to stamp the date on the post. And that was it. That was my job. I got it down to a fine art- one every 17.3 minutes….
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Continues to reveal office work culture.
1.56 6 month temporary contract.
2.39 Decided against staying in Birmingham, sold the house and moved to Wales.
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By the time I’d arrived in Birmingham I’d already worked out that I was a lesbian, and as far as I could discover from Birmingham Poly there was no lesbian and gay society….I think I resorted to looking in the Pink Paper (if it existed in those times)….the Davenport’s pub on Holloway Head on Tuesday evenings had a women’s only bar….Lists other venues.
4.00 Met partner at the time in the Greyhound Pub at Holloway Head. Both moved to Wales together.
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Stayed in Wales for nearly 8 years. Opened own business but went voluntarily bankrupt in the 80s. Diagnosed as having multiple schlerosis. Lived in camper van for a couple of years. Returned to Birmingham because of access to medical care and enrolled on a MA in History of Art and Design at Birmingham Poly.
4.33 Ended up living in Handsworth Wood in a ground floor flat in 1994.
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Life in the camper van.
57” Funding for the MA course was free because Janet was signing on. Hadn’t applied for Invalidity Benefit.
1.47 Difference in living in Birmingham in the 90s. Changes in the cityscape.
2.48 Students seemed much more open this time round. Same age group as Janet. Lecturing system was very different, more interactive.
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Easy to settle back in Birmingham due to network of friends and acquaintances still living here. The Old Moseley Arms in Balsall Heath still ran pool nights….and that was predominantly lesbian….
2.27 Didn’t complete thesis but got postgraduate diploma.
3.30 Met current partner at Old Moseley Arms and moved in with her in Kings Heath.
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Describes areas in which she lived in more detail.
2.31 I am part of a choir at the moment….Rainbow Voices, who are 5-6 years old….they originally started singing just for World Aids Day which was the !st December in Centenary Square….
4.14 Story about being run down by a bicycle. Sent to Dudley Road Hospital.
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Continues story.
3.01 Birmingham’s transport system in the 70s and now.
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Brindley Place developments.
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Experience at Selly Oak Hospital in the 70s and now. Problems with GP.
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NHS has deteriorated.
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Nationally there was a ban on the sale of gay and lesbian newspapers….Difficulty in accessing information in the 70s. More difficult for women. Now we’ve got the gay quarter in Hurst Street….
4.34 You had to be careful going from and to the venue….you certainly didn’t go alone….
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Much safer in Hurst Street area nowadays.
1.22 I think the pink pound is one of the things that makes a bit of difference….gay men who had disposable income….they created a lifestyle….whereas women at that time, generally lower paid, quite possibly with family, and didn’t have the time or money to promote a lesbian lifestyle….
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Rainbow Voices Choir. Largest mixed gay and lesbian choir in the country.
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Bringing political correctness to the forefront in Rainbow Voices has been quite a long uphill struggle, but we’re winning. I actually set out a constitution when I was chair of the choir…..
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Reflects on being a co-parent.
59” Contrasting attitudes to bullying in the 70s and now.
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Continues.
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Breakdown in communication with Education Authority. Birmingham did not recognise dyslexia until about 4-5 years ago.
ENDS |