Interview with Ethel Cartwright (b.1922).
Ethel Cartwright was born and raised in London. She describes her married life in London, and her work. She recalls hearing about Milton Keynes when her husband’s firm took the decision to move there. Galley Hill was: ‘my dream house’; she looked forward to having a house of her own. Several of the family moved to Galley Hill at the same time, so they were a close community; visits from Roger Kitchen, the Arrivals Workers, milkman and builder were all helpful; many social activities built up. She remembers the ‘shocking’ mud everywhere, and places for shopping.
Working as a cook, she had various jobs; then she was appointed evening cook at the Teachers’ Training College, where she met celebrities like Cleo Laine and John Dankworth. Both their sons had emigrated to Australia; so she and her husband applied to go too, to keep the family together, sold the house and spent five years there. But after retirement, they returned to MK, although they may return to Australia. She describes her reaction to the UK when she returned and problems initially getting housing. Talking of her current social life, she mentions Bingo at the Point and the Age Concern cafe in the city centre; in her opinion the shopping centre is ‘marvellous’.
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