Peggy Dunn interviewed by Jo Bath

Oral history interview with Peggy Dunn conducted and recorded by Jo Bath on 23 March 2004, as part of the Time Tracks oral history collecting initiative. Duration: 48 minutes. [Track 01] Born in 1924 in Sunderland, work at munition factory Second World War, move to West Hartlepool for nursing training, meeting husband, marriage 1945, moved to Shildon, living with sister-in-law, National Service, husband demobilised [00:02:34] [end of track 01] [Track 02] home in Shildon; parents-in-law occupations, father-in-law worked as a miner until witnessing accident at pits, starting coal home delivery business with horse and cart, running coal business and fish and chips shop, family business, the members of the Dunn family and their roles, own son managing business; [00:05:10] contract with Shildon railway works, verbal agreements custom; changes in Shildon, loss of houses in the area; [00:07:35] Shildon works, crowds of working people in morning and evening, closure of the works, impact on workers and Shildon, noises of workers going to the works; [00:09:40] relationship with neighbours, watching people grow, people used to know each other; [00:10:45] gala weekend, carnival in Shildon; children playing in the street; [00:13:50] work in the fish and chips shop, collecting coal money, door-to-door; [00:15:40] coal family business, where coal was collected from, how it was stored and transported; [00:18:30] her children, their current situation, still involved in family business, no jobs in Shildon for newer generations; Dunn family and the Salvation Army, a way of life; [00:22:50] Geest banana factory taken over by Dunn family business, less works for wagon works as factories closed in Shildon, diversification into warehousing; [00:25:20] horse and carts, transport of coal and groceries, the horses looked after by the family; family dedicated to the business, hard workers; [00:30:10] little local pits at Shildon, open cast; hopes for the museum impact on Shildon; [00:32:30] 1975 celebrations, Stockton and Darlington 150th anniversary, Salvation Army’s canteen on wheels during event, police presence, cavalcade, engines coming into the wagon works, public enthusiasm; [00:34:15] Shildon streets environment, grit and dirt in the air, washing lines on the street, getting used to the noises of Shildon cinema, Shildon works hammer at night, people didn’t complain about noises, comparison with now (2004), newer generations; [00:38:55] Shildon being a nice place to live, low crime levels, comparison with now (2004); hope for future of Shildon; inviting for breakfast people camping outside for cavalcade 1975, trusting people, 1975 celebrations was highlight [00:45:20] [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.