Oral history recording undertaken with Doreen MORGAN as part of the Millennibrum...

An interview with Doreen MORGAN, a married woman with one son, who is a retired Cadbury worker, born in Birmingham and now living in Birmingham. Doreen MORGAN’s father was a Cabinet-maker, born in England and her mother a Factory worker/cleaner born in England. In the interview, she talks about …

'DOREEN MORGAN MS2255/2/123 Logged by Lorraine Blakemore

01

I was born in 1930 at Selly Oak Hospital… Lived in a back-to-back property in Vere Street.

02

Mother worked in a factory and father worked as a wood machinist.

03

Describes the house.

1.09 Discusses the neighbours.

1.59 Story about a family who were treated for TB.

2.41 Felt uncomfortable about having to be a bearer at a child’s funeral.

04

Briefly describes the funeral procession.

05

Details children’s games during the war and the experience of witnessing bombing.

06

Continued.

35” Asked mother why she hadn’t started school by age 5.

1.16 Absence from school due to tonsillitis.

2.43 Cleaned the teachers’ home as part of the housewifery training.

3.49 Enjoyed dancing and going to the cinema. Remembers asking an adult to take her in for shows inappropriate for teenagers. Describes the Bristol Street Cinema.

4.45 While I was there if I was going to see the film over again, I knew my mother wasn’t far away, she used to come across the Bristol Road and come alongside the cinema, open the firedoors and shout me. So I just used to sit there until it had gone quiet and then I’d get up and go out!

07

Worked on Bristol Road at a drycleaners for extra money. Felt exploited because only supposed to run errands rather than cleaning duties.

08

09

Story about cream cakes for her sister.

46” First job after leaving school was at Birds Custard Factory. Describes various roles at factory.

10

Details her day at the Custard Factory.

1.20 Worked with her sister at BSA Factory.

11

Worked as an orderly at Selly Oak Hospital.

1.21 Met husband on holiday. Lists accommodation lived in since getting married.

12

Worked at nursery after getting married. Describes her role.

1.17 Went to work at Cadburys 7 years after having her son.

1.44 Feels that Cadburys treated their employees very well.

13

Describes the working environment at Cadburys.

1.00 Doreen’s mother looked after her son whilst she worked part-time in the afternoons.

14

Describes further duties at Cadburys. Worked the lifts for 16 years.

15

Didn’t feel any particular stresses at work.

16

I’ve lived in the same house in Rubery for 46 years and I’ve seen lots of changes…. Elaborates.

17

18

Believes that times were easier during her youth compared with today.

19

Details procedure for getting a mortgage from the Halifax. How it was unusual for the working classes to consider buying their own home.

ENDS.