Individual results

Interviewee: Frank Drakeford
Logged by Maurice Rattigan

Track 1
Born on 7 Apr 1920, at 32a Little Heath Road, a rented house, which was later changed to 856 Foleshill Road. My parents lived there, my dad died there, but mum entered a home, before dying. Had two brothers and a sister. I was oldest. Colin was next eldest, then my sister, then Alan. Can't remember much about him. Went to Windmill Road School at 5 years old. No fear those days walking to school, and came home for lunch. Had dinner at night. Mum was good cook. Dad was a miner then, at Exhall colliery

Track 2
Then later at Courtaulds. Schooling was good, same teacher taught my father. Played in streets. No money for cinemas. Played marbles etc. Courtaulds built a factory at back of our house, about 1926. When I was 14 years old, dad was there, and he got me job there. Started in Bubbing shop. 6-30am until 5-45pm, with hour for dinner and got 12/6d (twelve shillings and sixpence) a week.

Track 3
Works segregated canteen. Surgery Sister made sure we were kept separate. Was asked to go in Time Office, as postman. Would collect mail from main works. Would ride there on bike, three times a day, dodging the tram lines

Track 4
No clocking in, but checks were handed in, and I collected them. Then transferred to Wages Office, until the war. Had youth football team. New sports club planned for Lockhurst Lane. Opened in Feb 1936. Was founder member. Became best cricket ground in Midlands.

Track 5
Post war had county matches there. In 1904 I was called up, with a few more, and went into RAF, and was demobbed in September 1946. Went to Palestine after war. Traumatic time with terrorists. Simon Barrington Ward. Had met wife pre-war at work.

Track 6
At Little Heath. Married in Jun 1947. Had bedsitting room. I was on £6 a week. This house originally built for £1047. After twelve months married we moved in for £1847. Pretty basic but well built. Got a loan and a mortgage. Paid 6% into works pension fund, but wanted to drop out, but accountant wouldn't let me.

Track 7
Stayed in Wages Dept. and played cricket. Works recruited cricketers from up north and advertised for them, and good player came. Put into Courtaulds houses in Pridmore Road and Matlock Road. Other larger firms also recruited nationwide. We had best side in Warwickshire.

Track 8
Football was the same. Recruited to work and play. Once had twelve thousand gate at matches.

Track 9
Rootes paid better wages and got better players. I became chairman of cricket club. Edgbaston county ground. At work everything hand-written. Later used machinery. Not the same.

Track 10
I was offered another job in office and, in 1966, I started to run the pensioners club and started weekly tote.

Track 11
And had annual outings to Blackpool and other resorts and Xmas dinners. I did this until I retired. Don't know who runs it now. Not the same now. It's gone down. Done forty-seven years at Courtaulds, plus six years in RAF.

Track 12
Organised 40 year members trip to Bournemouth. Umpired at cricket matches. Never got promotion.

Track 13
Trained others, including Major John Burchell. Smashing bloke. Very few strikes. Pickets never stopped me going in.

Track 14. Only doing my job. Joined cubs and scouts as a boy. Still in touch with scoutmaster. Paid 4d a week subs and sold newspapers.

Track 15
Including sports pink outside factory. Had good scout group and band. Tidied chapel grounds but they threw us out, instruments and all. New committee raised money for new H.Q. at Partridge Croft after war.

Track 16
New benefactor was John Dye, a bookmaker, and helped with new building.

Track 17
Harry Weston (Modern Machine Tools owner) was the then Lord Mayor and he opened it. Scouting holidays. As we got older it dropped off. No other holidays. No money. Dad earned £2-19s-1d a week. A lot of money then, but not for a family of four. Mum was tram conductress before I was born. The house I lived in was a rented house with outside loo and no bathroom, three bedrooms. Youngest brother grew up while I was away in Forces.

Track 18
Dad threw mother's housekeeping money on table on Friday night. He liked his beer. We played in streets. Occasionally to Saturday morning pictures for 2d, but we were skint then. Only small presents at Xmas. Sweets, nuts and chocolates. Always had holly tree in house. No Xmas tree.

Track 19
Dad's family came here from Rotherham to Longford. Station Road. Dad had five sisters, and all worked at Courtaulds. All lived in same street even after married. I wore shorts, jersey, tie and lace up boots. Had new clothes in the spring. Went to Sunday School. And church parades in Scouts. Found more Christianity outside chapels and churches.

Track 20
Went to church for weddings and funerals. Married life was at first hard. Had honeymoon at Bournemouth. Had 10/- note when we got back and still have it.

Track 21
Wife was good person never got in debt. Wonder how she put up with me playing sport all the time. Got two boys, Michael and Ken. Michael has two girls, and Ken has one boy and lives in Leicestershire. See them often. Ken's marriage broke up. He could have gone to New Zealand but his wife wouldn't go. I'm in RAF Club

Track 22
Twice a week. Have social functions there. Memorial garden there and had bench put there for my wife when she died. Had fortieth wedding anniversary party there but for fiftieth we had dinner and a message from Queen, for we were married same year. Wife suffered for three years. Wrongly diagnosed but had cancer. Holidayed regular in Channel Islands. Last holiday there in awful hotel.

Track 23
I insisted on treatment. Doctor had been giving her arthritis pills for three years. Went to Myton Hospice on Xmas Eve. And she died on Jan 13. Speak well of hospice. Should be more places like that.

Track 24
Pay them annual contribution now. I drink, but she didn't. Don't go into Coventry much and don't like the look of it. Pre-war it was OK. I feel a stranger there now. No atmosphere. Never danced in town only at Courtaulds.

Track 25
Not much energy for dancing after playing sports. Happy times at club. Met genuine people through sports and scouts. Coventry is now like a foreign place. Area around Aldermans Green has all changed.

Track 26
Used to grind corn at nearby mill.

Coventry Lives Oral History Project, date of birth: 07/03/1920