Interview with William Cooper

Originally recorded using a dictaphone. Includes the following topics: (00:20) Home life in a Tudor house in Highgate, Beverley during the early 1930s (03:00) Father’s work in Beverley during the depression era: Barkers and Lee Smith, (animal feed stuffs) and Hodgson’s (tannery) (06:30) Father’s allotment (07:30) Town life in Beverley during 1930s (08:00) Rural/agricultural life of parents in the East Riding during early 20th century (10:20) School days at Minster Infants and Boys School late 1930s (11:30) Pre-NHS health/ health care in Beverley (Chemist Mr Goldthorpe) (13:40) Younger brother’s childhood accidents (redacted audio due to personal information) (18:00) Beckside during the 1930s (20:00) Uncle George Cooper Hull Trawler Skipper during 1930s and 1940s (26:50) Beverley during the Second World War pt.1 (bombing incident, also refers to seeing Hull in flames from Beverley) (34:00) Mr Cooper’s work recording the names of pupils in the East Riding Archives school photographs (37:00) Beverley during the Second World War pt.2 (Barracks and airfield) (38:10) Working for a Beer Glass and crockery distributing firm in Highgate, Beverley c.1943 (39:00) Employment with Redheads’ Haulage firm, and Humber Street, Hull c. 1945-1947 (50:15) Dutch Market Gardeners at Woodmansey/Dunswell mid 1940s (and their descendents still in the East Riding) (53:30) Army conscription in 1947: Cyprus (58:40) Employment during 1950s and 1960s: Barkers & Lee Smith, Beverley (animal feed stuffs) and Cook, Welton & Gemmell, Beverley (shipbuilders), Hull’s Fish Dock and work as an insurance agent.