大象传媒

This story was submitted to people鈥檚 war site by Kanika Darby of the Back in the Day project on behalf of Doris Johnson and Virginia and as been added to the site with their permission. The author fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

The following extracts are taken from an interview, which was conducted by the above named persons on the 27th of October 2005.

These two women both lived similar life styles. They both went through the same events as each other. Here is their story.

Doris and Virginia don鈥檛 remember much about World War 2 because they were at a young age when war was declared.

At the time when the war was in action Doris and Virginia were living in Jamaica.
When the war was first declared Doris was living in St Andrews with her family and Virginia was living in Port Morant with her family.

Doris mentions how scared she used to be when hearing the planes fly overhead. She recalls: 鈥淲hen it鈥檚 dark, you hear planes flying up and down鈥ll the houses dem did in darkness and if they see the light dem might drop bomb on you, you see.

鈥淎t night we had to turn off we lights, couldn鈥檛 have light and we couldn鈥檛 get most things to buy because the war on鈥� things were rationed.鈥�

Virginia adds: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think that the war did come to Jamaica! No, no war did come to Jamaica鈥he men did come to England and dem was fighting here.

鈥淪hips only came to pick up the men dem and come over here and they fight.鈥�

The British would come into Jamaica and take some of the men to fight in the war but most refused. Doris had a boyfriend at the time that didn鈥檛 want to go to war because he was deaf. He reasoned that it was the British men in England who should do the fighting. Some men from Jamaica went to war but Doris and Virginia both said that they didn鈥檛 know anyone who went to war.

Virginia and Doris were both social people, they would go out with their friends and travel to different parts of their island. Virginia had lots of friends and went out with them a lot. She loved having fun and spending time with people. She loved socialising.

If anybody in Jamaica died people would wear white to the funeral. This is how they create a good send off.

The Queen of England came to Jamaica and announced that her country was open for one and all; meaning people from Jamaica could come to England.
Doris and Virginia both came to England in 1961.

When they arrived in England the sight was all right, but there was nowhere to live. Doris recalls: 鈥淭he queen came to Jamaica and said that `England open for one and all鈥欌�hat鈥檚 what dem say and that鈥檚 why I come.

鈥淲hat the queen said attracted me鈥t was all right when we came first but we didn鈥檛 have no where to live. We should ask her if they built house for people to live in鈥ut they didn鈥檛.鈥�

Although Doris and Virginia were glad they didn鈥檛 meet with any racism when they arrived in England they did tell me about how fearful the youths were of the 鈥楾eddy Boys鈥�.

鈥淭eddy Boys was on the street, you can鈥檛 walk too late鈥outh hear about teddy boys鈥em beat you up.鈥�

Doris went and lived in Lenton in Nottingham when she arrived here in England. She already had a husband here so she was okay for a place to stay. After settling in Nottingham Doris went to work in the women鈥檚 Hospital. She worked in the unit where women go to have their babies.

Virginia lived in Cromer Street. She recalls: 鈥淐ame to Nottingham because I thought I would come and get a job鈥 lived in Cromer street. Nottingham was alright you know, it was small when you go out.鈥�

Several times Virginia has thought about going back home, but the only reason she came to Nottingham was so she could get a job. Virginia found a job in Chilwell at the 鈥榁ictoria laundry鈥�. At work she had to fouled towels, which people use to wipe their hands and she had to press them in the right way.
It was a very hard job and the heat was unbearable. She couldn鈥檛 take much of it.

Like many people, Virginia was attracted to England by the work and the money. In her laundry job she was paid 拢5. She worked from 8am- 6pm and all she came home with was 拢5 but in those days that was a lot of money for people who was trying to keep life well for themselves.

Virginia doesn鈥檛 think that she would ever go back home because things are worst than they were before, but that鈥檚 not the only reason. Virginia is sick and she says that they wouldn鈥檛 want sick people in Jamaica now. Virginia feels best staying in England.

Virginia and Doris say they are never going to go back home England is now their home for the rest of their lives.

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