Interview with Linda Soczewko by Year 5 pupils - Royce James and Casey Hudson-Camps - at Ysgol Carreg Hir Primary School, Britton Ferry, conducted 14 March 2024. Linda, aged 73, talks about her childhood growing up in Briton Ferry.

00:00:00 – Introductions Shares her background and Polish surname origins, tracing her husband’s family migration to Britain after WWII and their connection to the steelworks industry in Briton Ferry.

00:02:45 – Schooling and Childhood Linda attended Llansawel Infant and Junior School before moving to Cwrt Sart Comprehensive School. She recalls growing up as the eldest of six, helping her mother, witnessing home births, and doing errands in an era of small local shops and co-operatives.

00:05:00 – Community Shops & “Our Boys Pop” She describes corner shops, buying flour in sacks, and local fizzy drink factories—favouring “Our Boys Pop” over Collins Pop. Bottle recycling provided pocket money.

00:06:40 – Home and Family Life Linda recalls strong family networks, her mother’s sewing skills, her aunt’s inventive cooking with limited ingredients (tripe, lambs’ heads), and learning resilience and self-sufficiency.

00:09:30 – Play and Games She reminisces about homemade play: swings from rope in the woods, second-hand bikes, go-karts built by her father, and imaginative outdoor adventures—without modern health and safety.

00:12:00 – Food, Sharing, and Sundays Cooking from scratch was essential. Sundays were communal, with visitors and shared meals, stretching limited food to feed many. 00:13:50 – Summers and Leisure Summers meant trips to Baglan Beach or camping in the Gower, with simple pleasures like tomato sandwiches and tea made on a paraffin stove.

00:14:37 – 00:16:20 – Family trips to the Gower Linda describes family trips to the Gower and life on their smallholding, which was once the Earl of Jersey’s hunting lodge. The house lacked modern amenities—initially no electricity, indoor toilet, or running water. A generator and later piped spring water were introduced.

00:16:20 – 00:17:55 – Passing on skills She reflects on her father’s industriousness, belief in equal tasks for boys and girls, and the life skills she gained (cooking, car maintenance, crafts). She contrasts her own skills with her daughters’ sporting interests, though one became a good cook. 00:18:01 – 00:19:12 - Smallholding Linda recalls growing vegetables (carrots, sprouts, potatoes) and raising geese, which acted as guard animals. She describes her childhood as magical—full of love, adventure, and resourcefulness.

00:19:19 – 00:21:05 – Home utilities Details of outdoor toilets, a cesspit system, and collecting water from a well until improvements were made. Despite hardships, she learned decorating and practical skills.

00:22:12 – 00:23:47 – Childhood entertainment Recollections of youth clubs, Whitsun marches, and Sundays in Jersey Park. Summers felt hotter, with melted tar on the roads, and highlights like Cavalli’s Italian ice cream shop.

00:24:13 – 00:25:38 - Siblings Her brothers were sporty. Clothes were often hand-me-downs, though special items (like a pink checked dress) felt like treasures.

00:26:27 – 00:28:21 – Close knit community Linda reflects on the kindness of communities, where neighbours looked out for children. She shares a lesson about honesty after taking a tomato from a neighbour's garden and having to apologize.