• Reference Number: DX-624/6/15
• Ref No: DX-624/6/15
• Date: Feb 2000
• Level: Item
• Extent: 1 item
• Format: Mini-dv (video)
• Description: Language: English
  Running time: 58 minutes 27 seconds
  Transcript (copyright BEME)
  Interviewer (Intr) - Hello there Mr P, we are just going to have a talk about all your experiences and about what we've been talking about before. Could you start off by saying your full name, place of birth and date of birth.
  
  CP. - My name is ? . I was born on 13.3.48 and I was born in India
  
  Intr - Where about's in India?
  
  CP. - A village from Bombay about 300 miles away called Sauvynay.
  
  Intr - And what type of a village is that, what kind of a village is it a small village, is it farming??
  
  CP. - Before I came to this country it was a very small village, now it's modernised more or less.
  
  Intr - And what kind of lifestyle did you have?
  
  CP. - In them days?very poor, we were working farmers, with bare necessity, we did not have that much to go on, but we managed.
  
  Intr - And how many brothers and sisters do you have?
  
  CP. - I have, I had three brothers and two sisters, now we are only two brothers, two brothers died and a sister died as well.
  
  Intr - Taking you back then to when you were a child, what was your house like? What was your home like?
  
  CP. - Well let's put it this way it was not like a palace it was just like mud hut - but it was built with the bricks, but it was more like that, not like what we have here.
  
  Intr - And what sense of community did you have, what was it like
  
  CP. - Well with the neighbours we was like a close knit family. All of them in our village was just like one happy family, we use to help each other out in the fields, in the house, cooking wise everything. We use to share our food, if someone hasn't got food we use to share the food, sometimes they had to share it with us.
  
  Intr - Would you say that was a very giving community?
  
  CP. - Yes, it was, it was
  
  Intr - And maybe we can talk Childhood memories
  
  CP. - I was content yes, I was happy, I was happy in a way that my father and mother was providing food and at the same time I working as well at Seven year old. I was going to school at 10 o'clock. We use to go to school at 10 o'clock in the morning, but before that when we get up, we use to get up at 6 o'clock, go to the fields, work till half past nine from there we use to go to school, come back 5 o'clock from school and go back to the fields again. Come back about half past six, seven have our tea, do our homework under the lamp - oil lamp, go to bed again and same routine again next day.
  
  Intr - Sounds like it was a busy day.
  
  CP. - Yes it was but you must remember if you don't work you don't eat
  
  Intr - So and you said just to recap you were talking about that you worked in the fields before going to school. So, which did you enjoy more?
  
  CP. - I enjoyed school more as I wanted to learn, you know. I was happy going to school; more than any fields. My father use to say 'you what are you going to do when you grow?' and I use to say 'well I don't want to work in a field', let me put it this way I do not like working in a field its hard work. He'd say if you don't work you don't get but I enjoyed going to school
  
  
  Intr -I know when I was a child for instance I use to imagine I wanted to be a footballer and say other times I wanted to be an astronaut.
  
  CP. - I wanted to be a brain surgeon, I really wanted to become a brain surgeon but the circumstances came in and I couldn't do it.
  
  Intr - So was that the economic
  
  CP. - So of, it happened in 1963 my eldest brother was 18 and had a bicycle accident with a car and he died and my father was only about £2 or £3 a week for 60 hours. It wasn't enough for us, so I stayed in school till '64, '65 and I left school 'cause I couldn't see my father struggling I had to help out to get my younger brother educated, so I left.
  
  Intr - How old were you when you left?
  
  CP. - About 17
  
  Intr - And so did you have regrets about leaving education?
  
  CP. - In a way yes, and rightly speaking no, 'cause my family value is more to me important than education, because I couldn't see my father struggling or my mother struggling and me sitting on my backside and doing nothing so I had to help out because my younger brother couldn't do nothing.
  
  Intr - So you were proud to be part
  
  CP. - Yes I was proud to be helping my family
  
  Intr - O.K.
  
  CP. - I was working in a place called Hampton and Beeby they use to make washers, small washers and I use to just stand there feeding metal plate underneath so that the machine could stamp washers.
  
  Intr - And was that difficult work?
  
  CP. - Yes 'cause if you are not careful you can have your finger chopped off.
  
  Intr - So what did you do for fun, how did you seek pleasure?
  
  CP. - When I was in Darlaston school, Mr James, Music Teacher, I use to watch him play a piano and I was fascinated by the way he was playing a piano you know. Then I hear Jimi Hendrix and I wanted to be like Jimi Hendrix playing a guitar you know so watching Mr James he says, one day he says you always watching me, would you like to learn about music. I said I want to learn guitar you know, you only play piano. He said you come after school for one hour every day and I'll teach you how to play guitar and he taught me how to play guitar.
  
  Intr - And how old were you then?
  
  CP. - I was only thirteen year old then
  
  Intr - So how old were you when you immigrated?
  
  CP. - I was only eleven when I came to this country.
  
  Intr - And what were your reasons for immigrating?
  
  CP. - It was not my choice my father came here in 1952, just after the Queen coronation and we were working in the field and so he find a better life in Britain so he came here. When he came here after he said might as well have my family here so we came here.
  
  Intr - So you all came over?
  
  CP. - Yeah
  
  Intr - And you remember coming here?
  
  CP. - Yes I spent about six weeks in a ship, P & O company.
  
  Intr -
  
  CP. - I came to Tilbury docks
  
  Intr - Which is where?
  
  CP. - Dover
  
  Intr - And do you remember the day and what time of year it was ?
  
  CP. - I'm sorry I can't remember the day or time but I really enjoyed coming in a ship it was really fun
  
  Intr - was that exciting?
  
  CP. - Very, very?Well, when I was working in a field - when your in a village and you don't know nothing about outside world and when you see something like going in a ship, say there's a film going on, on the top deck and free ice cream, free soda, free drinks and it's exciting, it's new world you know it just opens up like a new world you know
  
  Intr - Did you have a lot of adventures every day playing around?
  
  CP. - Oh yes we had a lot of adventures me, my friends, my brother walk around everywhere, couldn't speak English but sign language helps everybody you know even people who were on there, working there like steward they very, very kind and helpful.
  
  Intr - Do you think it was a time of freedom and new prosperity?
  
  CP. - Well to me, yes
  
  Intr - So what were you hoping to find
  
  CP. - Better life - better life like I said before that I did not like working in the field
  
  Intr - And was it better?
  
  CP. - How can I put it - was it better or worse. Because you can't say it was better or worse but looking at it, it is better because, I don't think I can stand the heat, the sun, I'm sorry but I can't stand the heat, here I like the weather alright but some time I don't like rain all the time you know then again you have to bear it
  
  Intr - Do you think you have adapted quite quickly?
  
  CP. - Yes I have, I have adapted very quickly.
  
  Intr - Do you think that was helped by the fact that you came here when you were younger?
  
  CP. - Yes, I was only eleven when I came here, so I think I adapted very well
  
  Intr - Where did you come to?
  
  CP. - First time we came here my father use to live in Darlaston, from Darlaston in 1974 I moved to Wolverhampton. So virtually, I was there for about 13 years.
  
  Intr - So you had a lot of childhood and young experiences
  
  CP. - Oh yes
  
  Intr - How did you find getting along with English white ?
  
  
  CP. - I didn't find any difficulty with getting along with anybody because our next door neighbour Mr Perry he use to - He was a real kind gentleman. He use to come around with a plate and say 'Mrs P?. can I have a curry please?' And we use to go to him. All our neighbours and them who use to live in Cope St, 39 Cope St they were all good. Tom, a person called Tom so many.
  Next to us there was a GKN factory and from then on when we moved from Darlaston to, well from 39 Cope St we moved to 14 Simmons Place in Darlaston, just two streets away, 'cause our house was coming down you know, demolish, so we had to go to 14 Simmons Place so we moved there and we meet there a lot of friends. I didn't find anything with anybody.
  
  Intr - The mixed environment with a lot of Asian
  ?
  CP. - When I came here there was only about three boys, three Indian boys in our school and five hundred, over five hundred white kids. When I say white kids sorry but yes they are all English and only three Asians.
  
  Intr - Did that make you feel special?
  
  CP. - Well, it really made me feel like an outsider or something or you know, not special but out of the ordinary like.
  
  Intr - But did you want to share your experiences?
  
  CP. - Oh of course, yes, yes I wanted to talk to them about you know, all the things, you know
  
  Intr - I would say that is important to share your experiences
  
  CP. - Of course, yes
  
  Intr - And that's something
  
  CP. - You must share it with the other person, you can learn from the other person as well but at the same time if you tell them about your culture and they tell you their culture. The only time I had a very bad experience was, we was taken on a school trip to a church and I was the only Asian who went with the school trip in a church and when we came out, I don't know what you call it Reverend, Padre, whatever he came out and he says 'son should you be in here?' I said ' what do you mean by should I be in here'. He said ' what are you, are you Hindu, Muslim?' I said I'm a Hindu. He said, 'Doesn't your religion tell you not to go into anybody else's churches?' Yes it does, but it doesn't tell me that we are different. All the temples, doesn't matter which temple they are god's temple. So your church and my temple are the same - worship place. He said, 'Yeah but your Asian and we're?..'.I said let me put it this way, cut your finger and you will see red blood, if I cut my finger you won't see black blood, you'll see red blood so what is the difference between me coming here and not coming here. He said, 'I don't know, I don't know what to say', so that was the only bad experience I had with the church people.
  
  Intr - The differences in people's understanding of religion always lead to conflict. Have you found that?
  
  CP. - So many time, so many time, religion and politics, them two don't go together. You should not talk about these two anywhere 'cause religion doesn't matter how tolerant or how patient a person you are, but in the end it will cause the trouble because you have a different idea, I have a different idea. Let me give you an example. About seven months ago I have a visitor called the Jehovah Witnesses. They keep on ringing my door every couple of days. So once there's two gentleman, one is west Indian gentleman and one was English, both over fifty. Knock the door Sunday morning and I opened the door, oh can we talk to you for? I said hang on a minute before you start talking right, would you like to come in instead of talking here, I do not wish to talk to you in front of a door, you know. Please come in, they come in, I said sit down, they sat down. I told my missus 'Sweetheart warm some chicken curry and rice up for you'. Then I put the plate on the table, I ask them eat and one of them said,' No I don't like Indian curry' and I said 'why not?', 'Oh it's just that I don't like Indian curry. I said 'If you don't like Indian curry what about you sir?' He said 'No, nah'. I said 'are you insulting me?', he said why? I said you are insulting me, you don't like my food, he said ' no, no, no, we just don't like Indian'. I said 'so why are you trying to covert me into Jehovah Witness? He said 'How do you mean?'
  I said 'you don't like my food, I don't come round to your bloody door and push my food down your throat, why do you have to come to my door and push your religion down my throat when I barely keep up with my own religion, if I can't keep up with my own religion how do you expect me to keep up with Jehovah Witnesses. So both of them understood and walked away.
  
  Intr - Not to press the point, but also then, you get all these experiences with religion, when people don't understand everybody, own language and own culture. Do you get those same problems in India?
  
  CP. - Yes and no, but it's only in a where there is a dense crowd, like there's too many people, like Muslims, Hindu, then they have conflict.
  
  Intr - and why were there conflict?
  
  CP. - Well I think its to do with different beliefs
  
  Intr - Going to move back now to talk about, you mentioned before that you were excited at moving to England, do you think that main stream pop culture in England ?
  
  CP. - Yes
  
  Intr - What was that like then, did you go to clubs?
  
  CP. - No, no, no I didn't go to clubs or anything because first I wanted to learn the guitar, musical first, then I can do that, when I learnt the guitar and started playing with a band at young age of fifteen, I started playing with a band then started going round the pubs and played.
  
  Intr - What sort of music did you play?
  
  CP. - First band we used to call ourselves foreigners and just because I was the one who was a foreigner (laugh) that's why e called it the foreigners.
  
  Intr - And what did you play?
  
  CP. - I use to play lead guitar.
  
  Intr - But what music?
  
  CP. - English music because it was a English band, it, 5 of them white boys from my school and I was the only Asian in that group, right, so when they was talking about what we going to call ourselves, so Mr James said 'he's a foreigners', and the guy, John, he said why don't we call ourselves foreigners, I said what do you mean, foreigners, he said you're a bloody foreigner, so I said alright then.
  
  
  Intr - So was that light hearted?
  
  CP. - Oh yes, it was light hearted, oh we use to get called so many names but in reply to them, like Wog, they use to say 'You bloody Wog' and I use to laugh it off because I say do you know what it means by Wog. Nah. We it means Western Oriental Gentleman. I am a Wog. Okay, and that use to break the ice.
  
  Intr - So some way its about getting along with people and (Yes Mr ???), teaching them about them racism? Yes?
  
  CP. - Its like if you become one of them, the same as them, your dropping down to their level, if someone calls you black so and so right and you turn round and say you white, so and so your know better than him, because your dropping down to his level, but why do that, don't do that, don't drop down to his level or her level. Just say okay I'm black I know I'm black, but what can you do about it, is there any soap or washing powder that I can rub it and become like you. That will keep them quite that will give them something to laugh about, they can turn round me laugh, instead of you dropping down to their level, you shouldn't drop down to their level.
  
  Intr. - So do you think its about, raising respect towards you?
  
  CP. - Yes.
  
  Intr - And have you had to do that a lot of times?
  
  CP. - So many times Yes.
  
  Intr - Is that in work?
  
  CP. - Workplace, any where I went even with the band they use to say, he's you know I said, yeah, what the matter with me look I got long hair, I'm just like you look. Yeah but your, yeah my colour is, but do you ever eat a chocolate, say what? Do you like dark chocolate, yeah, well why do you eat dark chocolate when you are white- don't know. That keeps them, you know.
  
  Intr - It makes them think?
  
  CP. - Yeah, if you don't make them think then you be down to their level. You shouldn't be down to any bodies level, try to humourise your self, try to get out of it, get out of a situation like, when I was playing with an Indian band, we went to one of the Weddings. Coming back from Oxford on a side road, there's so many side roads coming back from Oxford, about eleven o'clock. We said we need a drink and I said I want a drink of Coke, you know. So we stopped at one of the pubs. When we walked in six of us was Indian, one was West Indian lad, 'Tony' and two was white boys. One was Paul, we used to call him 'Anti', Paul, and one was Gary. Walked in, right, and this guy was sitting in the corner soon as he seen us, started swearing, this and that. So West Indian lad said, ' I'm going to sort him out', so I turned around and said, ' Tony, sit', he used to respect me, said okay. He didn't say nothing, Gary and Paul didn't say nothing, all of them I told them not to say anything and each other said okay, just leave it, just have a drink and go, right. He was swearing under the sun, Nazi, this and that and that, and we had our drink and bout twenty minutes later, lets go boys, we walking out, I walk up the Gentleman, everybody thought I was going to hit him one or something, but no I put my hand on his shoulder and said 'I love you to, thank you', and walked out and everybody was laughing, and he was crying. Cause you've got to take it with a pinch of salt you can't become like them you shouldn't become like them.
  
  Intr - Just maybe you could talk about your experiences with jobs?
  
  CP. - Jobs- I walked at Hampton and Beeby for about four months couldn't get along with the foreman, foreman Jim his name was Jim, he used to say do that, then do that and when I do what ever he told me to do he always had a little complaint about something. So one day I came about five minutes late and he started swearing at me so I said 'Jim here's your gloves hold this' and he looked at me and said 'What?', I said 'hold this I don't want it okay, you can keep your job and you can keep your mornings I don't want it, I do everything you told me to do but when you criticise me for nothing I don't like that'. So I walk out of there next door was F.H.Lloyd Casting, metal casting, I walked in there and said' Have you got any jobs?'. Yes we have when do you want to start? I said right now, okay then so I started in metal casting. They moved from Darlaston from Bilston, so I left that job. There was an American company called Phoenix Glass, started with them, worked for them about two years during that two years?
  
  Intr - About what time was this?
  
  CP. - '67, '69. During that time I was doing college as well at night cause, electronics. When I passed my electronics course I left the job and applied for a job with Marconi. They have a branch in Wolverhampton called MTE-Metal electronics, they used to make switch gears. I joined up with them- for about twelve months we were always abroad working from a factory doing site jobs, repairing switch gears, then, stayed at Wolverhampton for a year, then I thought instead of going back and forward to Darlaston might as well buy a house here and stay, but then my Father become ill, so I had to leave that job and went to GKN. I worked there three years, in 1974 people of MTE asked me back, to come back start here and in '74 I told my Father I said 'I can't go in and out on bus you know I can't take it any more, I got to buy a house'. So I bought a house in Marston Road and since then, since 1974 I'm here.
  
  Intr - Was it difficult finding housing because I've spoken to some people who've said that if your from an ethnic minority finding a place to stay or housing??
  
  CP. - There was that but, if you talk to the people in a proper manners you know, the way you talk properly I don't think there was any difficulty, 'cause when I brought my house I was the only one, Asian on that road in 1974. I was the only one Asian on Marston Road. Now you think my house number is 32 right in the bang middle of white people. Now if I had any complaints or anything or if anybody says anything I didn't get a chance to say anything, like everybody welcomed me, everybody welcomed me properly you know.
  
  Intr - We didn't talk about this before but how important was your father in your life?
  
  CP. - Well, he was everything to me, father and mother are most important in your life 'cause they are the one's who brought you into this world, so you have to respect them. You didn't come on your own, nobody throwed you from the sky or you come out of the ground, and if you did come out of the ground you are a zombie, but you must respect your mother and father that's how I was brought up.
  
  Intr - You said your father brought you to this country. Would you say he had a more difficult time adapting?
  
  CP. - No, my father never had difficult time adapting but he was a stubborn person that, in certain ways was a typical Indian.
  
  Intr - Can you explain?
  
  CP. - Well, in a way like he was stuck in his old fashioned ways, you know, we had a big garden. He was born farmer he was always digging up his garden and doing all, me I didn't like that, I still don't like doing gardening. I was born farmer but I haven't got the green finger.
  
  Intr - And what do you think he taught you then? What lesson?
  
  CP. - The best lesson my father and mother taught me was to respect everybody, not just myself or not any, just one person, respect everybody. That means whole universe, whatever is in the universe you respect, 'cause even a dog, a dog has his own life, you got to respect his life you know, you can't just kick a dog around or a fly, now, every right to live in, the fly has every right to live in this world, as well you can't just put the sugar there , when the fly go down go (Slaps hands together), you can't do that and you shouldn't do that 'cause you've got no right to do that because it has purpose. Somebody, okay everybody believes in god and that, I will not tell you to believe in god, what I'm trying to tell us is, whoever created us he created in such a way is a cycle, dog eats like, lion eats everything right, what about you like grass. Why did he make the grass? - So the cow can eat and give you milk. Why do you drink milk? 'Cause it nourishes you, it purpose. Whoever created us has a purpose and ever-living thing on earth has a purpose, that's what my father taught me - Respect.
  
  Intr - You started off your own family here?
  
  CP. - Yes
  
  Intr - And when did you get married?
  
  CP. - I got married in 1968, first time. I went to India, I went to India and I was coming back and my grandfather wouldn't have it, my grandfather says either you get married r you not going back. Virtually he blackmailed me. So I in return blackmailed him. I said okay I'll get married on a condition that you give me three months to go around, all over India you know in a train. So he paid for it and I went all around India. On my way back, about twenty miles from our village, I saw a girl, I married in secret, told my grandfather, I'm married. He found out and said all right, fair enough, we got properly married, sent me here and in 1970 I had a brain operation because I had a motorbike crash and I was paralysed on right hand side. So I had a brain operation and my wife left me with our baby. That was my first marriage.
  
  Intr - And where did your wife go to?
  
  CP. - She left me and she went to live with her uncle and auntie in London.
  
  Intr - And how did you look after the baby?
  
  CP. - My mother and father raised her and my sister in law, my brothers wife.
  
  Intr - And how did the family help?
  
  CP. - It wasn't difficult because we are a very close knitted family, very, very close, so there wasn't any problem there, the only problem was me.
  
  Intr - with the operation?
  
  CP. - Yeah.
  
  Intr - And presumably the operation worked?
  
  CP. - Oh yes, it took me nearly three years between '71 and '74, it took me three years physiotherapy and so on, I started walking and you know, but I still can't run though like I use to.
  
  Intr - But that was obviously the??
  
  CP. - Oh yeah
  
  Intr - How different is it to the quality of life when you have gone through something like that? Do you feel, do you take your life more seriously?
  
  CP. - Of course, of course yes. I take my life very seriously because I came from the brink of dead, I knew I wouldn't be able to walk but somebody up there who needed me here, instead of there, he give me another life, now to me it's very precious. Those people who commit suicide and that I felt like that once when I was paralysed, do myself in, but now I feel there is no justification in that because it's a cowards way out you know that a coward's way out. I don't think anybody should do that, I think my life is to precious.
  
  Intr - Did you have to re - adjust at all, I mean presumably it is very difficult if you suffer an accident and did it affect your manner?
  
  
  CP. - No, no, no it didn't but saying that you always get that feeling, you get scared, doing that, of getting on a motorbike again and never learn to drive either. I don't drive , 'cause my brother accident and what I did on motorbike accident so I never learnt to drive. I usually use buses and taxis, last night I went to fetch my brother in law, I use my brothers car, I told him 'let's go', so he came and we went.
  
  Intr - And so you married again?
  
  CP. - Yes I got married, arranged marriage, in 1975.
  
  Intr - And you still married?
  
  CP. - Yes, touch wood, where is she? Touch wood I'm still married to her.
  
  Intr - And you've had more children from that marriage?
  
  CP. - Yes, I have two boys and a girl.
  
  Intr - And how was the experience of bringing them up been?
  
  CP. - Very, very good. It's really out of this world, you can't express the feeling, first son born I watched it, out of this world, you know, something that you can't explain it, you know. The feeling inside, there's, I don't think anybody can explain what that feeling is but it was really like, one way, one word you can say is on cloud nine, you know as far as I can go there that's how I felt and dishing out cigars, here, here, here you know
  
  Intr - And did they go to school?
  
  CP. - Oh yes, my son, eldest son is twenty three, he done a computer science course, the younger one is a security guard, he didn't want to do nothing like me ( laugh), the youngest, daughter is doing art course at Walsall college.
  
  Intr - So what lessons do you try to teach them from your experience?
  
  CP. - What my father taught me - respect for everybody, everything.
  
  Intr - Would you say they are more English, can you see the differences?
  
  CP. - My children are typically English but when they come in the house they are Indian but like. Me and the missus like to eat Indian food but the two boys - English, sometimes they like Indian food but most of the time English and before you ask me a question about getting them married, arranged marriage. There is no way that I will put my foot down and give them arranged marriage because it's their life, just because I brought them into this world, that they belong to me - No, it's their life they can choose, they can do what they like.
  
  Intr - So that's an important decision you've made?
  
  CP. - Of course
  
  Intr - That differentiates you from your parents?
  
  CP. - Yes, that does.
  
  Intr - So why did you feel you could allow them to express themselves?
  
  CP. - It like this, if you force them into marriage and it didn't work your going to hurt yourself as well as going to hurt your children, and that not right to hurt them but if they chose their own partner and get hurt, then you can turn round and say ' look son, you made your bed , lie in it or you dig your own grave, lie in it but if I arrange a marriage and something happens who's the person to blame, is me, why should I take that blame?
  
  Intr - So it's all about personal responsibility?
  
  CP. - That's right, my father told me as well but I respected my father that much that I didn't want it to go out of the line, you know,. He was a strict person, id I do anything wrong in the house it might get his belt out, you know, but he never raised his belt on me, we were just to frightened, you know.
  
  Intr - Okay, so we've gone through a lot of your experiences and you also talked about the accident you had. Have you had any other health problems that you have had to deal with at all?
  
  CP. - No, no, the only health problem I have now is asthma. It's my own fault, I use to smoke about fifty cigarettes a day - Park Drive. Since I was sixteen. Why I started smoking you might ask, to impress girls and I stuck with the bloody smoking and have give me asthma but, come to my senses and my children gave me a lot of support, twelve years ago I packed up smoking,. But after I learnt my lesson, you know, that it can kill you so I packed it up but its one of those things that I brought it up on myself.
  
  Intr - And that changed your life did it? Do you work?
  
  CP. - No, I'm what we call semi - retired on health grounds.
  
  Intr - So how do you use your time now?
  
  CP. - Usually on a computer, helping out there's a person named Jane in Wolverhampton council working for the council. I work with her under her guidance helping what we call mental care people, you know, that are mentally say, disturbed. We help by talking to them and whatever there problem is we listen and if we need to bring that situation out to the doctors or nurses we can have a word with them, this patient needs this or that, or they have a feeling that some patient would not like to talk to doctors or nurses, who rather talk to strangers. Somebody else than the doctors and nurses and another thing is Asian people going in hospital, older generation, some of them can't speak English.
  
  Intr - So your role is important in providing understanding?
  
  CP. - That's right, Yes
  
  Intr - And what satisfaction does that give you?
  
  CP. - The satisfaction I get is helping people that, you can't describe it because your helping people, If you can help people you get enjoyment out. I get enjoyment out same as smoking, I use to get enjoyment when I was smoking, that's kind of therapeutic to me you know.
  
  Intr - And so do you think there are any lessons to be learnt out of helping?
  
  CP. - I think everybody should understand one thing, that if we live on this planet we should get along with each other, shouldn't have any quarrels or anything. My father use to say if you help somebody now in return he will help you. What he meant by that is the person t, that person will not help you actually, but somebody else will help you that mean, if you help some body now and your in need of help somebody will be there to help you. But if you don't help somebody now don't expect help from somebody when you need it, you know. That's not right, if you expect help from somebody then try to understand someone else need help as well, so if you can need a help - help and if you need help they will help you. Now if I came to you and say look, Mr Powell can you help me? And you say yes I can right, but if you can't help me , you going to say' I'm sorry I can't help you but I tell you Bobby will help you or someone will', you will point me in the right direction, you know. So if you can't help somebody then you can point them in the right direction, don't just give up and say, I can't help you, I don't want to help you, everybody should help each other.
  
  Intr - That give us an idea of a sense of community.
  
  CP. - Yes
  
  Intr - Do you think living in Wolverhampton all your life that? How important has community become for you?
  
  CP. - Very helpful and I help to help the community now. What I have learnt I have to pass on to the generation, teach them what to do and you know, not like some people now and you see them walking round, you know, they are in their own kind of world, you know. In our day, well, when I say our days, when I was young even the police had the right to clip you round the ear'ole if you break a law, if you bad, or if you swearing at somebody or something like that. Nowadays, poor teacher can't touch them. There's no discipline in this young generation, you know, discipline what this generation need, no I'm not saying they should be belted round there's no way you treat any child or anybody like that, but then again if the child is naughty or doing something wrong you must have a right to tell the child, that you are wrong ,try to put them in the right, you know. That's the community elders or community people should understand to teach our young people to behave in such a manner that we can become one. Instead of individual, like saying oh, he's Italian, he's West Indian, no try to become one so we can be all West Indian one day, or next day we can be all American, you know, that way there's harmony.
  
  Intr - To celebrate difference but live together?
  
  CP. - Yeah, everybody has birthday, they don't come on the same day, e.g. your birthday different from my day. I was born on 13.03.48 right, you probably born on fifteenth of September for all I know. Now our birthday's are different right, would you celebrate your birthday on my birthday, you wouldn't would you. So, same way different people have different religion, they have there own celebration, why can't we just get together and celebrate everything and be really happy. Instead of saying I don't want to do that or instead doing that get together. Christmas is ,to me is Christmas there all the same, it's a festival, happiness, joyiness. Instead of 'oh it's Christian, Christmas not mine. There's so many people out there who will say, oh it's not mine it's Christians', but they enjoy themselves, turkey stuff themselves with the turkey, drink and when you say 'why you doing that', oh it's a Christmas. Now what kind of answer is that if your going to believe in Christmas as a Diwali then bloody do it. I put a tree out, you know, Christmas tree and everything. In a you out candles out same thing you know.
  
  Intr - And so coming towards the end of the interview, what achievements are you most proud of throughout your life?
  
  CP. - Achievements is three children, my four children growing up and behaving themselves and they are part of a community where I can raise my head and say my children are good.
  
  Intr - And so are you happy with the way Wolverhampton is now?
  
  CP. - I think in last thirty years in which I have been coming up and down from, I have seen Wolverhampton changed very, very much, and I like living in Wolverhampton now than I use to before. But it's getting very, very nice, I mean people are nice, everybody get on very well you know
  
  Intr - What do you least like? Do you have any dislikes or things you would like to change?
  
  CP. - Mmm, there are lots of things I'd like to change but it's not going to happen, so I should be content with what I got I'm happy with. But if they can do something about Wolverhampton like we can give our youngster more facilities to play or something to enjoy themselves more, playground, more education in the school, proper education in the school and so on I'd love to see that. And a lot of computers in the school as well for example because that's where we are heading - technology. Technology as caught up so much in last fifty years than previous century, I mean just after the second world war you didn't hear a mobile telephone or anything, but now the last twenty years the technology has shot up - so where are we, we went to the moon, came back.
  
  Intr - Are you optimistic about the future?
  
  CP. - Very, Very.
  
  Intr - Okay, I think we just going to draw to a close, is there anything else you would like to mention.
  
  CP. - Thank you very much for having me on and nice talking to you
  
  Intr - Nice talking to you too.
  
  CP. - Thank you (Shook hands with interviewer)
• Terms:Marriage
• Terms:Childhood
• Terms:Leisure activities
• Terms:Health
• Terms:Immigration
• Terms:Religion
• Terms:Racial discrimination
• Terms:Employment
• Terms:Schools
• Terms:First World War (1914-1918)
• Access Status: Open
• Contact: Wolverhampton Archives, Wolverhampton Archives & Local Studies

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