Individual results

Interviewee: Richard Medford
Interviewer: Helen Whitcombe

Mini Disc 1
Track 1
Richard Henry Medford, born 1 Nov 1928, Barbados, on a plantation. Schooldays at St. Barnabus School, lived with his aunt. Aged 7 years returned to live with mother, went to St. Davids School, then moved and went to St.Lukes School, did well.

Track 2
Aged 14 years leaves school. Teacher thought he should go to higher education, stepfather said 'no'. Did correspondence courses. Played cricket, very good at it, wanted to play for West Indies, but not good enough.

Track 3
Captain of West Indies was a white man not keen on black players. Gave up on that 1952, so just played for pleasure. Married 1954, to Rose, had some children. Came to England in 1958, still studying and thought opportunities better here than Barbados. Rented a room in Jenner Street, Hillfields. Carried on with cricket and engineering course. Sent for his wife and daughters. Doing building work, overtime to make ends meet.

Track 4
Working on Sundays. Played cricket for Morris factory team. Thought good enough to have a trial for Coventry and North Warwickshire, didn't have enough time because of work. Joined Laings (company who built cathedral) c.1961. First job for Laings.

Track 5
Working with a Jamaican chap, Barnes. Agent wanted to keep them on, played a trick on the other workers. Then worked in Birmingham, hotel near the Bull Ring. Working with Indian chap, problem over travel expenses, quit the job.

Track 6
Job working on the college. Agent from Laings asked him to work on the cathedral. Worked with Barnes again, on woodwork and finishing. Special job in the cathedral.

Track 7
Working on the circular Chapel of Industry (?), special doors, a special job.

Track 8
Rewarded for work on cathedral. Work on the ceiling. 1963 completed job, went to work at Walsgrave hospital to alter windows, work on stairs. A challenging job, cantilever stairs, had to be smooth.

Track 9
Agent wanted him to work on the main hospital, put him in charge, but resistance from other workers who were mainly white. 1967 worked on offices and car park near Pool Meadow. Accident on the job, made a claim, became unpopular with the company, left Laings. Other building jobs.

Track 10
Bad time in his life, family problems, went to London for three years. Explains that his life is "like a candle with no protection". Decided to give up building trade. Worked in Chrysler factory, did well, worked at a higher grade because he could set up his own machines. Worked there until c.1982, then worked at University of Warwick in maintenance department.

Track 11
Not easy to work there, faced resistance because of his colour/background. Problems with fellow workers, wanted to make things difficult for him. Became shop steward for maintenance, until 1993, when he retired. Had a house in Coundon.

Track 12
Living with female friend, too old for romance. Still does building work now and then. Member of St. Peters Church, sings in the choir. Member of Barbados community choir. Performed at Cathedral.

Track 13
Loves music and singing. Still working on small jobs, doesn't feel handicapped, still able to work. Has no desire to return to Barbados. Finds that when he goes back to Barbados his old friends are harder to find, it is no longer like it was.

Track 14
Finds he is less willing to slow down, still enthusiastic about life. First impressions of Coventry: a strange country. Priest in Barbados, an Englishman, had warned him that Coventry a conservative place, being "sent to Coventry".

Track 15
Attended St. Marks Church. Never really experienced hostility, unlike some West Indian people. Spent social life with a confident group of people, not afraid. When he worked for Laings, went around with the top people, enjoyed that.

Track 16
Generally, he found Coventry to be as the priest had said. No real places for social gatherings. Never went to The Locarno, thought there may be trouble. Went to cinema. Dances at peoples homes, halls. Never really experienced drugs, cannabis. Had house parties, trouble from police.

Track 17
Experience with police in Coventry during the 1960s. Police seemed to try to arrest every West Indian person. Remembers man being hassled by police one evening. Later experienced problems himself, during 1980s.

Track 18
Police tried to arrest him for drink driving without being breathalysed. Tried to get him to sign something without reading it. Then he was breathalysed and found to be under the limit.

Track 19
He was free to go, but the police took his work keys (University master keys) and wouldn't give them back. Tried to get them back for about a month, told that the WPC who had taken the keys wasn't there every time he tried. Told bosses at University what had happened.

Track 20
Boss rang the police station, had a go at them and he went down and picked them up. After that still had problems, police stopped him in his car often, harassed him even though he had no police record.

Track 21
Believes the police were out to get people from ethnic minorities. Spare time, during 1960s a very good cricketer. Never really went out to hear music, friends not really into music. Thinks he has a good singing voice.

Track 22
Likes ballads, Frank Sinatra. Only really involved with singing at church. Experience with a girl from 'The Moonies'.

Track 23
Joined the same choir as this girl, didn't agree with their principles. Would like to meet up with her again.

Track 24
Talks about his life as being like a "flickering candle", cannot always see the way. Has no regrets. After leaving Barbados mother told him his old Manager had offered him an important job, but he didn't go back. Wonders what life would have been like if had gone back.

Mini Disc 2

Track 1
Good relationship with parents. Father died, close to mother. Left Barbados on an Italian liner, had a lot of people at the docks to see him off. As a little boy he was his mother's good boy. He was a 'Goody Goody' as a kid. Got picked on at school because of the way he spoke.

Track 2
Brought up in different area, spoke proper English. Aged 15/16 years started courting, hard to have relationships with girls because of the way he spoke. Lived around kids who spoke differently.

Track 3
Explains how people talk differently in Barbados. He couldn't speak like that even when he tried. When he came to England still spoke properly. After forty-two years a little bit of Coventry has crept in. Remembers a girl from Barbados who said he was too great for her to go out with.

Track 4
Thinks speaking English properly can cause problems. Thinks he sounds ambiguous at times.

Track 5
Thinks behaving well can cause problems for him, he finds this frustrating. Thinks having dignity and self-confidence is good when facing people who are causing trouble.

Track 6
Explains how he believes that elements of your character acquired at an early age tend to stick. Talks about his children, son is doing well, a bright lad.

Track 7
Home life, always had enough money. Thinks of himself as a Coventry person, couldn't have same affection for another city. Contrasts his life in Bridgetown and Coventry.

Track 8
Barbados a small place, knows it really well, could find his way blindfolded even now. Had to walk to fetch water, kept two cows, his job was to look after cows. Travelling to school, had to run to avoid the cane. Here there was water in the house.

Track 9
Tells story about his house in Jenner Street. He would bath everyday in cold water, didn't know what the water heater was for, neighbours thought he was using up their money in the meter. Can't compare standard of living between Barbados and Coventry. Had electricity near his aunt's house, in the city. Near his house there was no electricity.

Track 10
At his mothers house it was pitch black in the streets at night. He learned to find his way in the dark, tell when people were there that he couldn't see. Artificial lights here mean you can't do that here. Has enjoyed living in Coventry, good and bad days.

Track 11
Feels like part of the community here, because he has lived here so long, gets everything from here. But you cannot wipe out where you come from originally. Importance of unity.

Track 12
Educational, scientific improvements. Thinks man ought to be coming together, uniting.

Track 13
Importance of spirituality. Talks again about walking in the dark. Thinks something will happen to bring people together.

Track 14
Talks about Hitler, thinks he was born and put there for a reason to help make scientific advancements during WW2. Thinks these things were predicted before.

Continuation of Interview with Mr. Richard Medford, 9 October 2000

Track 15
Family - two half-sisters in Barbados. He has five children, one son and four daughters, some live in Coventry. Doesn't see the family very often. Parted from his wife. Would like to go back to Barbados soon, thinks it will be the last time.

Track 16
Thinks Barbados will have changed since the last time he was there. Thinks it will have improved, e.g. electricity and water supplies. Doesn't think Barbados is a third world country. More manufacturing industries now.

Track 17
Would like to leave his mark in Barbados for the future, like he has in Coventry. Thinks he has done more in England - work on the Cathedral and Walsgrave Hospital.

Track 18
In Barbados he would like to leave a mark to say that he was there, born there, part of there, but he has no material possessions there. Plans to go back next year. If he won the lottery he would put something material there, contribute something.

Track 19
His great-uncle owned land in Barbados, made his mark, had a good name in the area. Has few relatives in Barbados he knows now.

Track 20
Much of his family from Barbados have moved away. Thinks majority of people living in Barbados have to be related.

Coventry Lives Oral History Project, date of birth: 01/11/1928