Reference WWA RH1 - Eirlais Tomkins
- Reference Number: DX-1043/17
- Date: Jul 2013
- Level: Item
- Extent: 1 item
- Format: CD-ROM
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Description: 00.00 -01.00 Self-introduction, born in 1942. Father was a collier from South Wales while mother was a secretary. Description of childhood home in Oxley, semi-detached built in the late 1930s. Originally home of grandmother. Large garden that backed onto the golf course.
01.12 Female secondary education. Description of Wolverhampton Girls' High during the 1950s - uniform, lessons, rules, sports teams, drama, how music teaching has changed - extra-curricular music such as choirs and orchestras. Mentions being taught cricket by Rachel Hayhoe-Flint Most people played string instruments.
03.50 Mentions further education in London, enjoyment of time spent there. Goes on to speak about moving back to Wolverhampton after marriage. Circumstances that lead to move. Adult life in Wolverhampton - job teaching at Wolverhampton Girls' High - 40 years. Taught at various other schools.
05.40 Changes in approach to teaching music during teaching career from late 60s to the early 2000s. How music lessons became more active.
06.20 Married life and children - 50 year anniversary. Personal life, descriptions of children. Son still lives at home. Daughter intended to go into ballet. Daughter's talent in music and dancing then went into estate-agency, now lives in Lincolnshire.
08.22 Effects of the Second World War. Parents older, father did not serve during the war due to effects of coal mining. Father worked as a first aider. Women did not work after marriage. She was born during the middle of the war. Biggest impact on her mother would have been rationing.
09.45 Changes to the physical look of Wolverhampton during the 1960s. Every year she returned they had built more dual carriageways. First bit that they built was from the town centre down Stafford Street. When she returned to live in Wolverhampton during the late 60s it had extended as far as the Stafford Road.
12:41 The social life of young adults - dances in the Civic Hall, the cinemas and the introduction of a coffee bar in the city.
14:48 Health care provision and development, including the introduction of penicillin.
16:55 The changes in her neighbourhood
18:02 Development of transport in Wolverhampton
21:30 Awareness of immigrants and prejudice against countries who fought against Britain during World War Two.
25:15 Attitudes towards strikes - she discusses how she doesn't agree with striking and never joined a teaching union due to their militancy.
26:30 Margaret Thatcher's role in Britain and in the lives of Mrs Tomkins and her family. - Terms:Second World War (1939-1945)
- Terms:Politics
- Terms:Marriage
- Terms:Childhood
- Terms:Leisure activities
- Terms:Health care
- Terms:Travel
- Terms:Women
- Terms:Employment
- Terms:Schools
- Access Status: Open
- Contact: Wolverhampton Archives, Wolverhampton Archives & Local Studies