Bill Baldry interviewed by Jo Bath

Oral history interview with Bill Baldry, conducted and recorded by Jo Bath on 25 February 2004, as part of the Time Track oral history collecting initiative. Duration: 1 hour 13 minutes. Childhood, born mid-1920s, family background, father was a railwayman, progression through Shildon railway works; [00:03:28] career start at Shildon works in 1940; [00:06:35] apprenticeship and promotion; [00:09:18] being the boss, the family atmosphere, camaraderie, relations with unions and managers; [00:15:45] making different wagons., exports and high capacity wagons; [00:20:09] a typical working day; looking after foreign students training there; [00:23:00] accidents, first aiders, fire brigade; [00:26:34] Second World War, women workers, Italian prisoners of war; water troughs; [00:32:47] 1975 celebrations, Stockton and Darlington 150th anniversary, running a stall for the widows and orphans fund; [00:39:00] unofficial help to the community and individuals stemming from the works; [00:43:47] Shildon works closure; [00:47:10] working hours; leaving-do; [00:57:05] catching brass thieves; [01:01:57] Shildon carnival, holidays; [01:08:10] cats at Shildon works; [01:10:35] meeting famous people in 1975 [01:13:38] [end of interview]

Time Tracks, Shildon Railway Village Community Project was an initiative funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund that encouraged members of the public to bring photographs and documents at Locomotion to form a community archive, when Locomotion museum was opened in Shildon, 2004. Over 50 oral history interviews were also recorded with members of the community. They shared their memories of Shildon as they knew it in their childhood and throughout their lives, from as early as the 1920s, as well as their work experiences in local factories and industries, including Shildon railway works.