| Description | An interview with June GLYNN, a married woman with one son, one daughter, who is a retired Cashier, born in Birmingham and now living in Water Orton. June GLYNN’s father was a Storekeeper, born in Wales and her mother a Factory worker, local councillor born in England. In the interview, she discusses:
01
I was born in 1932 at Selly Oak hospital in Birmingham. Moved to Milner Road, Selly Park. We lived there until I got married at the age of 23. Husband in army at the time. Had worked an apprenticeship at James Upton the printers as a lithographic artist. In army for 2 years until 23. Met husband whilst working at James Upton. Married during National Service. June left to work at Triplex. Husband wanted to do something more exciting so joined the police. Living with his parents in Yardley. Moved to rental accommodation with a landlady.
02
After husband finished 6 months police training, allocated police flat. June worked as secretary asst. to a company director, but very stressful.
1.25 I decided that I didn’t really like being a private secretary because you were too much at somebody else’s beck and call…. Anecdote about a particular boss who expected June to dust show cards every day.
03
Most of secretarial life took place in 1950s, from age of 21-26. Anecdote about Hungarian boss.
1.24 Secretary to Design director at James Upton. Had difficulties with director’s arrogance and allocated tasks.
04
Discusses sexual harassment at work. Compares how things were for her and how they would be regarded today.
I didn’t come up against any very serious sexual harassment, apart from the odd young man out of the offices who would try and get you behind the office door after hours if you were working late….some representative would come in and make some remark that the young ladies of today would take exception to….
2.06 Comments on a recent newspaper article detailing a sexual harassment case.
05
Doesn’t remember starting school. Anecdote about brother’s embarrassing accident at school.
3.29 During school holidays attended a playgroup in Selly Oak at Tiverton School.
06
Londoners were evacuated to June’s area of Birmingham. June’s parents thought it best not to evacuate the children. Remembers house being bombed and badly damaged. Neighbour was killed.
3.09 We were watching the neighbours, children gathered round the house and I feel terrible about this actually, and I always regret it, I suppose I’d be about 9. But the excitement of it made me giggle, and one of the neighbours…came out and said, “you’re a wicked, wicked girl for laughing on a day like this !”…..
07
Family managed money well. Poor but had a good Christmas. Presents and toys were made rather than bought. Father was unemployed at the time.
08
Remembers aspects of parents’ political involvement : joined Selly Oak Labour Party in 1946/7.
1.39 So because of that I became involved, and when I was about 16 or 17 I joined The League of Youth, which was the young socialist movement…. We used to try and put the world to rights…but we also had dances…I was also a member of the Workers Education Assoc. (WEA) I think it was called….
3.14 But I was also involved in the church, although dad has always been a non- believer, and very, very anti-Catholic. Mum had always brought us up to go to Sunday school…and then I joined another youth group that was part of the church…I used to go to a Baptist church in Selly Park…..
4.36 I hadn’t been Baptised, and when I met John, I decided that I ought to get Baptised….
09
Anecdote about getting engaged to John at aged 21 without telling parents. Father always gave prospective boyfriends a grilling.
3.20 We are getting married in the registry office in July, and my mother said, “why, you haven’t GOT to get married have you?”… “We just want to get married as soon as we can”. “ oh, don’t get married like that, all the neighbours will wonder why you’re getting married so soon”….
Disputes about where to get married.
10
Decided to have 2 separate services. First at St. Stephen’s Church, Selly Oak and then at the Catholic church one hour later.
2.03 Two days before the wedding, John’s mother had a visit from the local priest who pointed out to her that it was against the rules of the Catholic church for any Catholics to go into a C of E church, and if they went they would be excommunicated…. Decided to just have the Catholic service Well dad, being a man of strong principles, said, “well I’m sorry, in that case I can’t give you away”….
4.15 Didn’t have bath in the house so had to go to local baths in Stirchley.
11
Father finally agreed to give June away.
Anecdote about church service.
2.35 June had doubts about her faith. Over the years when I went to church I began to feel an emptiness, that there’s nothing there, I’m praying to something that isn’t there….So now I’m really like dad was, a non-believer….
12
Anecdote about religious conversation with vicar’s wife.
Prefers a humanistic approach to belief systems.
4.15 Discussed contraception with fiancée.
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23” I got the book out of the library by Marie Stopes and I was reading about all the old-fashioned methods of contraception; cotton wool and bits of cotton, oh dear! …. And in those days…an organisation that would allow you to talk about contraception before you were married…And I’d got friends who were married and were going to this clinic…myself as an unmarried was quite unusual…
14
Anecdote about office discussions among women about contraception.
15
Discovered that unable to have children of their own.
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Mother confided to June that she was pregnant when she and June’s father got married.
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After getting married, June lived with her parents whilst John completed his National Service. But felt that it was important to have own place to live so got digs with an elderly woman in Kings Norton. Spent 4 years in a police flat in Erdington after John joined the police force. Decided to become foster parents.
3.15 Mum was on the children’s committee and I was very interested in looking after children, so we decided to become foster parents….It wasn’t a career because you didn’t get paid, not enough to look after the children, to pay for everything. In fact, you subsidised the children…
4.12 Anecdote about young fostered baby who had lice.
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Fostering was a way of being at home and doing something worthwhile. Moved house and continued to foster. Applied for adoption, a little girl was found, Joanne., and a boy, Nigel. Adoptions were very successful. Eventually decided to discontinue fostering.
22
Still on fringe of politics. Helped mother with canvassing. Police queried policeman's wife canvassing for Labour Party. 1973/4: bought first house – in Sutton Coldfield.
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(When still in police house, Joanne not learning to speak. June started a playgroup. John made toys.) When moved to S. Coldfield, John an Inspector. She often had to bring up children alone. Also did paid work – mother or neighbour looked after children. Moved again. John went up ladder – out long hours.
24
Very pressurised life. June became insomniac. Working in Wages Dept. of Tube Investments. Contracted to do 20 hours, but sometimes had to do 32 hours – not contracted, so no pension.
1.0 “I would say to any young woman, make sure of your pension rights.”
Took Valium. John transferred to Coventry as Chief Superintendent.
1.49 “I was there looking after everything…but also having to support John in his job.”
25
Late 1970s/early 80s, when John Chief Superintendent, should have moved to Coventry, but refused, because children at local comprehensive in S.Coldfield. John treated like Chief Constable: expected to go to lots of official functions.
1. 05 “I would come home from work about 4 o’clock in the afternoon, have to rush to get the children’s tea, get my glad rags on…and be out perhaps for 6 o’clock in the evening to attend an official function….That was my job, as far as I was concerned, supporting John, as well as looking after the children.” Went on for some years. Young women today have own careers.
2.19 When John moved back to Birmingham as Assistant Chief Constable, some police wives had careers, but not children. June couldn’t possibly have had a career. Police not earning enough, and women not earning enough – before Equal Pay – to pay someone else to do housework etc.
3.30 1978/80 June had to give up work because of pressure. Regretted. Did voluntary work. 4.56 “I was my own woman.”
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When John came back, had to “toe the line” and start going out with him again. Very varied life, although I didn’t have career in own right.
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John was Asst. Chief Constable for about 7 years. Took early retirement – he’ll tell you why. Moved to Curdworth. I wanted to get back to work. 1984, I was about 51, hard to get back to work. Went back as a dictaphone typist, as a temp. John did lecturing at Handswoth College and did art work. Then I got permanent part-time job. Joanne had got married. Nigel moved to London. Both children have done well. Grandchildren. Enjoyed life in Curdworth. John teaches art. I gave up my job about 6 years ago. I’m in W.I.
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My secondary education at Selly Park Girls – careers not important. Birmingham City Orchestra would visit school. Learning cooking, ironing, nutrition – useful in bringing up children. Some children now don’t know how to play or about nutrition
30
Grandmothers used to teach daughters.
16” When they talk about going back to basics, these are the basics that they ought to go back to – teaching the girls nutrition…” Go back to treating girls as girls and boys and boys. “Really I’m being very sexist now, aren’t I?….If you’re going to come back to family values, you’ve got to go back to the old ways.”
ENDS
Logged by Lorraine Blakemore & Helen Lloyd. |