Interview
Interview of Margaret Baker (JBP/LA/05) conducted on the 20th August 2024 at Lancaster University Library by Liz Fawcett. In the interview the participant talks about growing up in York and living in London and Plymouth as a young women.
Summary
| Time | Description |
|---|---|
| 00:00:00-00:00:24 | Introduction to participant |
| 00.00.25-00.01.57 | Where she was born and grew up. In Marygate, York. |
| 00.01.57-00.04.30 | Family. Father Sunderland, Mother Plymouth. Father in Navy. After World War II they moved to York where her father’s family had lived in Sunderland and York. There had no family in York but had friends there. |
| 00.04.30-00.04.55 | Visited Plymouth about twice a year to see relatives or they came to York. |
| 00.04.55-00.10.00 | Teenage years in Marygate, York. Attended grammar School, Guides, Dances at the church hall. York had 5 cinemas, Theatre royal and big halls to visit with friends from school. The Art school gave weekend classes, attended ballroom dancing lessons at Court school of dancing above Burton’s shop which was a place to meet boys. She visited York Minster and Museums for free. |
| 00.10.00-00.12.35 | Mentioned the music she danced to. They had a record player early. Her Dad played records loud so that the customers in the Fish and Chip shop below their flat could hear the music whilst waiting. Crooners, Frank Sinatra, Big Band. For dancing the music was classics. The lessons taught her how to do the dances e.g. the Jive. The record player went on for visitors and in the evening and would play a wide range of music. |
| 00.12.35-00.15.15 | Comparison of taste in music teens compared to parents. She liked the Beatles, Billy Fury, Bobby B, Adam Faith |
| 00.15.15-00.20.15 | Asked what she spent her money on. She saved money, records, Banks music shop was the place to get them. You could go in booths to listen to music not having to buy the record. LPs for birthdays and Christmas, makeup, perfume, books, coffee bars (run by handsome men). Acropolis – name of coffee bar she often went to. |
| 00.20.15-00.25.25 | Jukebox cafes. Acropolis. Music through dancing and records, less so radio as home service, request programme on Sundays – forces abroad. Big variety of music on that programme and heard new music. Talked about her education and her taste in music. |
| 00.25.25-00.30.40 | Seeing live music, Beatles as a support act for Helen Shapiro at the local theatre. |
| 00.30.40-00.33.55 | Visiting Plymouth as a teenager, didn’t go out much but did teach cousins the latest dance moves. |
| 00.33.55-00.41.40 | How areas have changed in York. Acropolis became Italian restaurant or pizza hut chain of some sort. Need to pay now to get in to places and now York geared mainly towards tourists. Her terraced houses were knocked down for a car park in Marygate. Loss of community. Traditional shops gone from the Shambles turned into Harry Potter shops. |
| 00.41.40-00.45.50 | Attended events where she can participate with music etc. Ballroom dancing in London. Started it again with husband when they retired. Moved here during Covid. Excursions to dance at Blackpool Tower. Not so many live bands now for dancing. Gregson real music disco playing music right back in time and the DJ puts rock n roll on for us. |
| 00.45.50-00.50.22 | Anything else – austerity was going, bought new things, furniture etc. Occupation – Father, Fish and Chip shop so helped from young age, and also helped with his window cleaning round. She worked on Saturdays in British Home Stores on the deli counter. Aged 17 left York to go to college in London to be a Librarian then got married. |
Transcript
00:00:00-00:00:00
To be added when available.
Keywords
Places: York; Plymouth; London.
Venues: Acropolis
People:
Organisations:
Subjects: jukeboxes; coffee bars; music; youth culture.
Related media
To be added when available