Alice Foley collection
TitleAlice Foley collection
ReferencePP/FOLEY
Date
1947-1997
Production date 1947 - 1997
Scope and ContentFive tapes and transcript of an interview with Alice Foley along with correspondence about the recordings and the deposit of her archives at Bolton Library and Museum Service
Letter to Alice Foley from the Standing Joint Committee of Working Women's Organisations re: National Conference of Labour Women (18 Sep 1947)
[Tape 1 Side 1] Family moves. Siblings. Mother's attempts to leave father by moving house; difficulty of mother's situation as furniture and rent book in father's name. Mother's background. Housework. Mother and father's relationship. [Tape 1 Side 2] Memories of trade unionist father. Father's work. Baptism. Family diet and shopping. memories of using Bolton library as a child on behalf of family; anecdote about sneaking into reading room. School. Reflections on impact of lack of communication in family. [Tape 2 Side 1] Family cat. Mother's household chores. Elder sister Cathy's support for scholarship for Alice's. Left school at 13 and started work in shop and factory. Father's insistence on cleanliness and punctuality. Discipline at home. Reflections on mother's influence on behaviour. Memories of Co-op. shops. Christmas. [Tape 2 Side 2] Spending threepenny bit in New Year's fairground. Father's cards and draughts with brothers; anecdote about letting mother win at snakes and ladders. Memories of High Street library. Memories of youngest brother James's illness and Roman Catholic funeral. Anecdote about being told about brother's death at school and running home. [Tape 3 Side 1] Sunday school and church activities. Evening prayers before bed. Speculation about influence of priest's sermon on congregation's voting habits. Father's secret Irish home rule involvement. Parents' savings clubs. Hobbies: swimming and walking. Importance of attending Galsworthy's and Shaw's plays at Manchester on own socialism. Memories of Hallé orchestra. School life. [Tape 3 Side 2] Infant school. Nuns. Discipline at school. Night school. Duties in shop. Difficulty of getting mill job in depressed economy. [Tape 4 Side 1] First mill job knotting quilts. Accidents. First pay packet. Winding and then learning weaving in shed. Finished in mill at age 21. Conditions in mill. Half-hour lunch. Joining union at age 13; importance of union in conditions and pay. Resentment at managers' divisive slate system. Knobsticking. Relations between workers and overlookers. Joy at leaving mill; colleagues' kind words, manager's silence. Job as trade union clerk. Role as assistant secretary and then secretary. [Tape 4 Side 2] Anecdote about turning down job offer as welfare officer at double pay. Firms' different welfare and leisure facilities and its influence on staff turnover and happiness. Disputes about shift systems before WW2. Changes in working hours during career; introduction of Saturday mornings off. Joining labour church with sister; socialist Sunday school. Choir. Ethical teaching in labour church; focus on evolution. Memories of night at hotel hosting Gandhi in Bolton. Role as chair of local WEA support group for Jomo Kenyatta. Reflections on people's perceptions of Alice as aloof because of uncommunicative upbringing. [Tape 5 Side 1] Memories of political and religious speeches on Bolton Town Hall steps and the good-natured heckling they received. Reflections on mother's ability to talk to strangers but not her daughter. Reflections on lack of mobility as a young woman. Experience of telling life story in public locally and the negative reaction to her mill stories; snobbery. Reflections on class system and Alice's involvement in its different levels. Feelings about lack of social space for workers in mill. Reactions to bribes or gifts offered. Reflections on different classes in attendance at different religious congregations. Alice's religious views; attraction to Quakers and humanists.
Oversized Box: OBE citation (1 Jan 1951)
Letter to Alice Foley from the Standing Joint Committee of Working Women's Organisations re: National Conference of Labour Women (18 Sep 1947)
[Tape 1 Side 1] Family moves. Siblings. Mother's attempts to leave father by moving house; difficulty of mother's situation as furniture and rent book in father's name. Mother's background. Housework. Mother and father's relationship. [Tape 1 Side 2] Memories of trade unionist father. Father's work. Baptism. Family diet and shopping. memories of using Bolton library as a child on behalf of family; anecdote about sneaking into reading room. School. Reflections on impact of lack of communication in family. [Tape 2 Side 1] Family cat. Mother's household chores. Elder sister Cathy's support for scholarship for Alice's. Left school at 13 and started work in shop and factory. Father's insistence on cleanliness and punctuality. Discipline at home. Reflections on mother's influence on behaviour. Memories of Co-op. shops. Christmas. [Tape 2 Side 2] Spending threepenny bit in New Year's fairground. Father's cards and draughts with brothers; anecdote about letting mother win at snakes and ladders. Memories of High Street library. Memories of youngest brother James's illness and Roman Catholic funeral. Anecdote about being told about brother's death at school and running home. [Tape 3 Side 1] Sunday school and church activities. Evening prayers before bed. Speculation about influence of priest's sermon on congregation's voting habits. Father's secret Irish home rule involvement. Parents' savings clubs. Hobbies: swimming and walking. Importance of attending Galsworthy's and Shaw's plays at Manchester on own socialism. Memories of Hallé orchestra. School life. [Tape 3 Side 2] Infant school. Nuns. Discipline at school. Night school. Duties in shop. Difficulty of getting mill job in depressed economy. [Tape 4 Side 1] First mill job knotting quilts. Accidents. First pay packet. Winding and then learning weaving in shed. Finished in mill at age 21. Conditions in mill. Half-hour lunch. Joining union at age 13; importance of union in conditions and pay. Resentment at managers' divisive slate system. Knobsticking. Relations between workers and overlookers. Joy at leaving mill; colleagues' kind words, manager's silence. Job as trade union clerk. Role as assistant secretary and then secretary. [Tape 4 Side 2] Anecdote about turning down job offer as welfare officer at double pay. Firms' different welfare and leisure facilities and its influence on staff turnover and happiness. Disputes about shift systems before WW2. Changes in working hours during career; introduction of Saturday mornings off. Joining labour church with sister; socialist Sunday school. Choir. Ethical teaching in labour church; focus on evolution. Memories of night at hotel hosting Gandhi in Bolton. Role as chair of local WEA support group for Jomo Kenyatta. Reflections on people's perceptions of Alice as aloof because of uncommunicative upbringing. [Tape 5 Side 1] Memories of political and religious speeches on Bolton Town Hall steps and the good-natured heckling they received. Reflections on mother's ability to talk to strangers but not her daughter. Reflections on lack of mobility as a young woman. Experience of telling life story in public locally and the negative reaction to her mill stories; snobbery. Reflections on class system and Alice's involvement in its different levels. Feelings about lack of social space for workers in mill. Reactions to bribes or gifts offered. Reflections on different classes in attendance at different religious congregations. Alice's religious views; attraction to Quakers and humanists.
Oversized Box: OBE citation (1 Jan 1951)
Extent1 box and 1 item
Physical descriptionInterview duration: 6 hr. 45 min. (over five tapes)
LanguageEnglish
Archival historyThe views and opinions expressed in the interview(s) are the interviewee’s own, and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the Working Class Movement Library.
The interview may contain attitudes and/or language that some people may find offensive and may contain discussions of events that some people may find distressing.
The interview may contain attitudes and/or language that some people may find offensive and may contain discussions of events that some people may find distressing.
Persons keywordFoley, Alice
SubjectWomen, Trade unions
Conditions governing accessOpen
Levelfonds
Normal locationAG Foley, Alice Box 1 (Room 36) and AG Oversized Box 2 (Alice Foley folder) (Room 34)
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