Showing 1531 results

Archival description
Print preview View:
Ascending

Oral history interview 2 recording

Interview Date: Wednesday 23 February 2022
Interviewee: Rajinder Singh

Rajinder is originally from India. He lived in a village, Devi Das Pura, approximately 18 kilometres outside of Amritsar. His family were farmers, his father was in the army, he was studying and helping his parents on the farm, staying in the background, and helping people in his village. Helping other people makes him happy. He also mentions his nickname ‘Skipping Sikh’ and mentions that he is also called ‘Reg’.

Rajinder’s father wanted him to come to the UK (United Kingdom) for a better future as his uncle lived here. He could not disrespect his father, so he came here. His uncle got him a little job working with him. Rajinder was homesick and he wanted to go home but he stayed because it was his father’s wish. He went to classes with his cousins and took part in sports. His teacher chose him to take part in running. His uncle stopped him because he was worried that Rajinder may get injured, however, Rajinder continued with his sporting activities. He took a night class once a week to improve his English at college while working although he still was not happy, he stayed because it was his elders wish.

Rajinder did not come to the Uk first. He was in Germany where he was a student and was originally supposed to go to Canada. However, the agent who had brought him and his fellow students to Germany left them, so he called his father who arranged a student visa for the UK and sent him another air ticket for him to go to the UK. He came in 1971/1972, he remembers that it was December and very cold. Rajinder mentions that he was born in 1947 so he would have been 24/25 at the time. He mentions that in Germany, the teachers were interested in teaching Sikh people, and he found out that some German families belonged to Aryans which is the same as his ancestors. He was taken to many places with old buildings, Heidelberg, Faising?, where he was told about history; Germany, English, India world. Rajinder mentions his English teacher and Health & Safety teacher. His uncle was able to get him a student visa because of this. He believes in honesty; no-one is perfect, and he does not believe in deceiving people. This is a principle which he learnt from his father and by which he tries to live by and has passed on to his own family.

Rajinder recalls his first time at Heathrow. He had to wait at immigration for 3-4 hours. He was treated very well, offered tea/coffee. His passport was taken from him, and his uncle had to provide documentation so that he could get the documents from immigration to permit him to work. Rajinder’s dad had advised him to be truthful, which he did, he felt that immigration looked after him very well. He mentions that he could not criticise them as they had to do their job and that he was happy to be sitting at Heathrow waiting. He remembers that Heathrow was quite different compared with India, principles, hygiene, cleanliness, the only problem was 99% of people were English speaking so he hesitated to speak due to his English. He feels that after so many years he still feels embarrassed because he cannot pronounce some words properly.

Rajinder started to work at Heathrow. He recalls that he had a variety of jobs, approximately fifteen. He worked first with his uncle, then making nuts and bolts for Ford cars, then for British European Airlines night shift cleaning once a week, then he worked in a bakery for a few months, but he always had a job because he could not stay without working. However, he did not like people who criticised him and who ordered him, he found this difficult. After the bakery, he worked for Intercontinental Air Catering. He mentions the owner, Mr. Hillier. He left this job because someone threw a knife at him even though the manager said that they would like to keep him and would that this person would be suspended. By this time, Rajinder had improved his English, so he went to the job centre in Hounslow, he mentions two men and a girl who helped him. The girl helped him fill in forms. There were two jobs that he was interested in, one for British Airways (BA) and one for the British Airport Authority (BAA). He did not know the difference, so this was explained to him that BA was a private job and BAA was a government job. He remembered that his dad had told him that a government job was better so he said he would like to apply for the job with BAA. There was a £5/6 difference between the jobs which was a lot of money in 1973/1974 but he wanted to do the government job. He went for an interview. The interviewer was Mr. Kirby, airport personnel, who had been a soldier in WW2. He asked Rajinder why he wanted to join BAA and spent a good five/ten minutes with him. There was also a lady and another girl asking him questions, but he does not remember. He recalls becoming confused during the interview and how kind they were to him and told him to take his time. He got the job. He then recalls Mr. Kirby telling him that he hoped Rajinder had not had any trouble before joining them, but he did not disclose the incident at the bakery. When his new employer received his reference three months later, Mr. Kirby called him to the office and asked him why he had not told them that he had left the bakery because of an argument which had been reported to the police. Rajinder explained that his uncle told him that if he told them this then he would not get a job. He thought he had lost the job, however, Mr. Kirby told him he could keep his job but not to listen to third parties who tell you to hide things and tell lies again he kept his job but had an extended probation of six months. After six months his duty officer, a Scotsman called Morris Stephenson, confirmed he had a permanent contract. He took him to the airport superintendent, Mr. Roberts. They trusted Rajinder a lot, he was the first Asian to receive an award from his manager, twenty-five years staff and confidence. The photo reminds him of all the top people who gave him respect and inspired him, he will be faithful to this country to his dying breath. He says that this was the best job he ever had. He left Heathrow in 2003. He remembers he would always volunteer for jobs in the airport when they needed someone, going from terminal 1 (T1) to terminal 2 (T2), T2 to terminal 3 (T3). He still volunteers today. He currently volunteers at a hostel where he recently met his old duty manager. They were great people he worked with at Heathrow. These are the memories he would like to keep rather than money.

When Rajinder started working at the airport the job was called sundry services, so he had a variety of duties, all kinds of jobs including cleaning and was provided with a uniform. Just before he joined the section used to include police, immigration, customs, traffic wardens combined but when he joined the services were split. Rajinder recalls that the old uniforms were nice nylon shirts and trousers which were still being used 2-3 years after the services were split into separate sections. He also remembers that employees had to do any jobs, they could not refuse to do jobs. They were given khaki overalls so that employees could do any job. Rajinder believes that since the airport has been privatised the reputation is not the same. He mentions that it was extremely strict compared to now, no smoking on duty, no chewing gum compared to now. He still wishes that the airport would be renationalised as he is not happy with how it is run now and how staff behave. He remembers that BAA used to train other airports around the world on airport operations, how to treat/deal with passengers, and how to do things properly.

Rajinder did not return home for a long time as he wanted to show his parents that he had worked hard so it was six/seven years before he went home. He went through Heathrow. He remembers that because people who worked at Heathrow knew each other they did not check id cards the same way that they do now. He recalls bottles of alcohol and other goods being left out airside and that no-one touched them or took anything because people were so honest. When travelling through Heathrow he was given priority and treated like a special person. Every time he travelled, he travelled from Heathrow, he feels proud to travel from Heathrow and to come back to Heathrow. He has not travelled since Covid but even before this he did not enjoy flying. Rajinder mentions that due to his job – nearly 28 years at Heathrow, he was rarely sitting down and even now he prefers this to sitting in a plane for lengthy periods. However, as he is now 74/75 years old, his age makes sitting for extended periods even more challenging. He likes to walk, run, and cycle, and to meet as many people as he can. Meeting people is more challenging now due to restrictions so unless he was going to the Golden Temple he is not inclined to travel, especially as his father, mother, and brother are dead. Rajinder also mentions that he is concerned with the current political situation in India. He would rather continue to volunteer, help others, walking, cycling, and charity work for the rest of his life, helping other people. He recalls his father’s words that first is God, second is women, and third is sport and charity, and he tries to keep it.

Rajinder was the first Asian to join the Heathrow to Brighton cycle ride for charity. He did not like to be photographed or be in the front, he prefers to stay in the background, not to show off, and to carry on. Heathrow is where he started his charity work. His first half marathon was Harlington, then Felton, then Kingston and so on. He then took his children to Richmond Parks and others. He has also participated in charity cycle runs.
During Covid his daughter made videos of him exercising to show older people how they could exercise at home and stay healthy because the restrictions prevented people from going to places. He prefers to keep away from bad things and doing things that are good for health. More people watched them, including younger people, than he thought would so his daughter made more under his nickname of the ‘Skipping Sikh’. He does not believe in giving up, help others, and believes in eating well and exercising. This is how he tries to help people.

Rajinder lives near Heathrow, and he finds there is a lot less noise now. He believes that the new company which runs the airport is doing it differently and not in the correct manner. He wishes people could see this. He mentions that if any job needed to be done when BAA ran the airport, for example painting, and if it had to be completed in one week then it would have been finished in time. He mentions that the company that runs the airport now is not doing this. He believes that this company is more interested in making money (he mentions the car drop-off charges) and that it is not running the airport in the correct way. For example, when there are runway closures resulting in flight path changes, or when work is to be done which impacts the local community, no information is given whereas BAA would always ensure the local community would be informed. He feels this has been detrimental to the local area. He wishes that the government would bring back BAA and that it was state controlled again several times. Rajinder believes that if BAA ran the Heathrow again then it would get its third runway ‘in no time’.

Rajinder’s most significant memory of Heathrow is that it is a hub not just for the United Kingdom but for the world, Heathrow first, Singapore second. Other airports would copy it. BAA would train and show other airports in the world how to run airports. It was an example to the world, others would say it is better meaning its principles, law, transport, law abiding, faithful staff compared to the new company. He believes it is a significant difference, but people are not saying anything including himself. He would go quite often to see staff he used to know but he has not been for a long time because he does not know many people now. He believes that since the new company has taken over, standards, for example cleanliness, are not as high. He does state that these are his own views and that he cannot speak for others. He would like to see the airport return to the standards that were there when he worked there. He calls Heathrow a ‘star in the world’ but now ‘no principles, money, money, money, money, nil stars’. It would be his dream to see BAA return. He ends with some general life advice.
The interview ended at 12.58.

Oral history interview 3 recording

Interview date: 2nd March 2022
Pritpal Kaur and Minreet Kaur (mother and daughter)

Pritpal was born in the village of Chabwaal, province of Hurshpaur in the Punjab, India, where she lived. The family had a second home in Delhi where her grandparents. The family split their time between their two homes. Her uncle moved to the United Kingdom (UK) in the nineteen fifties, her father came in 1961, and she came in 1963 when she was 13 years old with the rest of the family. The family came by ship, which took fourteen days, disembarking at Dover, travelled by rail to Euston, then to Southall, where the family lived. She is 71 years old now. She enjoyed the journey, it was fun. She has been here since then, studied, got married, had children, and worked. She has worked at the airport since having her children.

Pritpal explained that her uncle had the only grocer’s shop in Southall, supplying goods – spices, pickle from India. He was generous to people who came from India, especially those without jobs, allowing them to pay for goods later once they had settled and found employment. He also started the first grocery delivery service in 1963. The shop is still there but under different ownership. He is still remembered today for his kindness. Pritpal that everyone should live life by kindness and that this will be returned to you.

Minreet was born in 1980 in Hillingdon and has been in the house ever since. She started working at the airport when she was sixteen, wrapping gifts for Christmas at Caviar House. She also worked at World Duty Free and Boots. She did this while at school, college, and university, finishing when she completed university. After university, Minreet had a full-time job in marketing, then became a journalist, and is now a swimming instructor. She mentions that working at the airport was an ideal job while she was at college and university because it was so flexible, but she has not worked there since then.

Minreet heard about the project from one of her friend’s daughters at the gym. She wanted to take part because she used to work at the airport as did lots of her friends. It used to be a place to socialise, where she made lots of friends, flexible, and lots of fun. It has changed a lot since then. For example, there used to be MacDonalds and Burger King, which was taken out to become healthier. Now there is Prêt, Costa Coffee, and Starbucks which they did not have then. It was a different time back then. She thought it would be interesting to remember her childhood, growing up, and what it was like to have a part-time job at the airport.

Pritpal got married in 1974, had her son, bought this house where they are now living a couple of years later, which is 5 minutes from the airport. It is convenient for schools, shops, work, and transportation. Her first job at the airport was in one of the shops, for five to six years, leaving in 1980 when she had her daughter. She returned to work part-time somewhere else when Minreet was small and then when she was 10/11 went back to work full-time. Her husband worked for British Airport Authority (BAA), so they worked opposite shifts. She has been working at the airport ever since and has worked here for 45/46 years. She currently works for Harrods where she has been for seventeen years but has worked for the duty-free shops, Caviar House. When Terminal 2 (T2) was refurbished, the Queen came, Pritpal was working for Caviar House at the time, and remembers being told that if the Queen wanted a tin of caviar just to pack it up and give it to her for free. She recalls seeing the Queen when she came through. There was a tunnel from Terminal 1 (T1) to T2 for taxis which could also be used by pedestrians. It takes approximately fifteen minutes from Pritpal’s house, so she used to walk to and from work to save money. She remembers when there was only Terminal 3 (T3). When she worked at Terminal 4 (T4) she also walked to and from work which took around fifteen minutes. Times were hard so they worked hard to pay the mortgage and bills, but they still enjoyed life. Pritpal mentions that things were quite different. It was much easier to get a job, and that you could get one straight away. Nowadays it is more challenging and takes longer.

When Pritpal started working at the airport, it was not as busy, it was quieter. People did not travel much then more people travel now. There are many more shops, boutiques, and restaurants. The airport is also much bigger as Terminal 5 (T5) has been built. Pritpal mentions that T3, T4 and T5 are like shopping centres now. She mentions MacDonalds, Burger King, unhealthy food shut down, and that the restaurants are ‘more posh’ now – Leon, Prêt, so many nice ones, nice pubs as well. It has become more of a luxury now.

Minreet remembers lots of different shops; Tie Rack, MacDonalds, Burger King, the Body Shop, tourist shops like Glorious Britain but a lot of them have closed now, so it is quite different now. Now there are more coffee places and restaurants, there are more eating places, which has changed the atmosphere. She mentions that she enjoyed browsing in the shops during her lunch break as there were a lot of high street shops back then, so it was enjoyable. There were staff rooms where staff could go and eat lunch, however, many stores have removed these so staff now have to go out into the lounge for their breaks. There is not as much time to browse during breaks anymore as it takes longer to do things during your break, for example, going out for fresh air as it takes longer to get in and out of the airport. Minreet mentions that the airport was different then as there were lots of different people working there for example immigrants from India. It was a very vibrant, fun environment, she never felt it was hard work.

Pritpal recalls meeting several famous people; J.R. from Dallas, James Bond, Simon Cowell. She particularly remembers meeting J.R. who gave her a one-dollar bill with his face on it to keep. She remembers he was just the same as he was on T.V. (television). Pritpal notes that she loves the airport life, she is never bored with it, she has met ‘so many lovely people, different nationalities as well.’ The airport has been part of her life for 45 years.

When they first came here it was not that bad but in the last ten to fifteen years that has changed, there are a lot of drugs now. There used to be a lot of English people with beautiful gardens. Lots of people have passed away so their houses have been sold and they are not being maintained in the way that they used to be. Recently, in the last five years, a lot of people have moved out and have rented their houses. The people who have rented them may be druggies and do not keep the houses clean. It has become dirty round the airport. Not the kind of place they want to be so they would like to move out too.

Minreet recalls that the airport used to be more accessible. There is more traffic nowadays and bus lanes which cause traffic issues, so the area has become more polluted. It is very congested now, especially with the M4 which is closed at the weekend exacerbating traffic congestion and pollution. She mentions that they would go for walks and cycling in the past, but they no longer want to do this as they can smell the pollution as they can smell the planes taking off. It is also quite noisy. During lockdown it was much quieter, and the quality of air was better, but now it is quite polluted and noisy again. It is quite congested and busy so she would also like to move. Minreet mentions that their current location is convenient for the airport as they can drop one another off and get the bus. There used to be a free bus service to Heathrow from Harlington Corner but that has been removed since lockdown. It has become very crowded.

Pritpal feels that going back thirty years, fewer people used to fly compared to nowadays. She feels too many people are flying now, there are more flights. People have become wealthier and are ‘flying out, going here there and everywhere.’ She mentions that is has become busier, ‘it is too much, it is such a small area around here, such a big airport ...lots of pollution as well and the noise as well … the noise from the take-off is so bad.’

When asked about the effects on health, Pritpal says that it does affect health. She notes that they used to go for walks in the local area but not anymore. They go to a health club outside the area and do their exercise there as it is cleaner, not as polluted.

Minreet notes that they can get a cough or cold more easily and feel that you breathe in the pollution.

Pritpal concurs. She mentions that people spit in the street, there is animal excrement in the streets. Minreet mentions littering. Pritpal continues. She notes people have become very dirty and do not treat a place like their own. She says it is quite sad to see all that. She feels sorry for the cleaners who come round to clean it as they must work double hard, picking everything up. There is a lot of litter at the side of the road on the approaches to the airport where people have thrown items, for example, beer cans, out of their cars. Pritpal thinks that there should be more cameras and fines to discourage this.

Minreet noted that during the lockdown, that littering stopped as people could not come to the area. It was quieter and peaceful. They could go out for walks as it felt safer and did not have to worry about seeing litter and seeing depressing things like mattresses dumped on side roads where they live. Minreet mentions that they live opposite Starbucks and KFC, people dump rubbish from it on their road even though there is a litter bin at the bus stop. This stopped during lockdown as they were closed. I improved and was quiet, so it was nice to go for a walk without planes taking off and without the noise. Pritpal agrees and comments that it has gone back to normal. However, Minreet believes that noise and traffic have become worse since lockdown ended. Pritpal concurs and mentions that people are driving faster and do not think about the safety of other people.

Pritpal comments that now restrictions have lifted that the levels of flights are still affected but that it is getting back to normal slowly, but it is still less than before. She says it is getting busier and people are starting to fly more. Minreet interrupts, noting that now that there are no restrictions, for example, no requirement for a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test for those who have been double jabbed.

Before the pandemic they have used Heathrow when travelling to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Morocco, America, and India. Minreet enjoyed Heathrow as a consumer, she thinks that it is a ‘really lovely airport, one of the best.’ She enjoys travelling through and browsing in the shops, she thinks the experience is quite good. The only thing is that passengers are expected to be there so many hours beforehand which is ‘a bit of a drag.’

Pritpal also comments on her passenger experience, noting that it is similar to that of her daughter, Minreet. She notes that the airport is clean and that getting to the airport is convenient for them because of their location. However, she again notes that the local area around the airport has become rough and horrible. She mentions that jobs take a long time to be completed now. For example, Pritpal recounts that the shortcut she used to access the airport has been closed for a long time. This has affected those who want to cycle to work or commute via motorbike as they must leave their bike elsewhere and take a bus. This is inconvenient for these people. People also must pay for the bus now.

None of the family have travelled since the pandemic. Pritpal mentions that they will wait another year or so before travelling internationally again. They are in no rush to go anywhere but they may go somewhere in the UK. Minreet agrees. Minreet is looking forward to using Heathrow again. She thinks it will get better and will probably be back to normal by the time they use it again. Pritpal agrees. She also mentions that people who have not seen their loved ones for a long time and people who work abroad are using the airport more but that there are not as many people using it for holidays. However, she believes that it will take some time for this to happen.

Pritpal thinks that Heathrow is very nice compared to other airports that she has used. There is clear signage, plenty of staff to help, and it is quite straightforward. Minreet notes that it is easy to navigate. Pritpal also comments that it is well-organised and the shops are nice. She also notes that people will find things more expensive now due to VAT. People may think twice about shopping at the airport as it is not as cheap anymore.

Pritpal feels safe at the airport. People are happy because they are going on holiday, it is a lovely atmosphere. She loves the airport and would not work anywhere else.

Minreet also loves the atmosphere at the airport, it is quite fun, vibrant. It is quite bright and busy because there are lots of people going on holiday, lots of restaurants, and places to shop. It is nice to travel through and switch off from the outside world. She notes that the biggest change has been the five-pound fee for dropping off and picking up people at the airport. It used to be convenient before this was introduced but it has caused more traffic and chaos. She comments that it is about money now so she wonders what other changes may be introduced. Pritpal agrees with this but also mentions that T2 has been refurbished and T5 is huge. Both these terminals are modern and bright. Additional refurbishment has made other areas in the airport more spacious and lighter.

Pritpal’s most significant memory of Heathrow is of Concorde. She remembers it was noisy. It was something different. Minreet’s most significant memory is of being able to walk through the tunnel as it was easy. That has stopped so now she needs to think about getting there, which bus to take. She used to like just going to the airport to walk around and meet friends. She would love to do that again, but it is not possible now as it is about those who are travelling out. Pritpal comments that the airport bus is quite expensive when Minreet would only be travelling for two stops. She mentions that she enjoyed walking through the tunnel and that she would like the airport to re-open the tunnel.

Pritpal would like free transportation for staff to be re-implemented and the side tunnels to be completed. She also mentions that the airport should make it easier for staff who cycle to work to be able to do so.

Minreet indicated that the user experience should be made simpler so that people do not need to be at the airport three hours prior to travelling. It should be more accessible, simpler and less chaos when going through security. She also talks about employment, commenting that the airport is a good place to find work as it offers many potential job opportunities. Minreet states that the airport should find a way to make it easier to reach out to people and help people get back into work as there as fewer opportunities in other employment areas locally. This is more important post-Covid when people are finding it difficult to find employment in general.

Pritpal loves the airport. She will work there until she cannot work anymore. She has been working for one company for seventeen years, so she knows everyone, and it has become like a family. She mentions that a lot of people have been there for years. She is not the only one who has been there for forty years. She likes seeing different faces, not like being in an office where it is the same faces every day.

Pritpal chose to work at Heathrow due to its convenient location, it was a good travelling distance, five minutes away. The salary was good and there is job security as once you got a job at the airport, you were there for life. She mentions that changing jobs was easy and that it was easier to get jobs in those days. Pritpal comments that it is harder to get work now. She also mentions that her husband worked at the airport for twenty-seven years.

Minreet decided to work there because she lived near Heathrow and needed a part-time job. It was easily accessible as she could either walk there or get the free bus to the airport. She did not want to spend money on travel and wanted to work somewhere close to home. The airport was within walking distance but if she took the bus, it was only two stops and was free. She also mentions that a lot of her friends were working there, and it was a lot of fun. There were a lot of brands that she bought from like Boots where she could work. She ended up working for Boots. Minreet loved her job at Boots.

Pritpal reminds Minreet of her first job at the airport which was a Christmas job wrapping gifts at Caviar House. Pritpal comments about how easy it was to help people find work at the airport as she would be asked to recommend family members and friends by her employers and vice versa. She also mentions that Minreet loved her job at the airport.

The family share the experience of working at the airport as mother, father, and daughter all worked there. Their experience is inter-generational. Minreet comments that they all have different memories. Her dad's memories are the oldest as he was working on the outskirts in passenger services both indoors and outdoors. He met lots of different people. Minreet says it was different because she was studying. Pritpal mentions that she has never had any sad moments at the airport, she has always been happy. She says that ‘You got to work, and you see people, you’re happy, then you come back home. It’s nice. There’s no stress there in a way.’ She comments that not having stress helps you live longer. Minreet agrees.

Pritpal talks about when she was at school. She had wanted to study and take a typing course when she left school so that she could get office work She had a part-time job as a shop at British Home Stores (BHS) while she was at school. When she left school, BHS offered her a full-time position which she took. She continued working there for five years until she met her husband and got married. When she got married, she moved to where they are now close to the airport. She has always been a shop assistant and has never got to work in an office. Pritpal comments that she enjoys it and that she never gets bored of people. She mentions that people remember her. She once had a customer who wanted a specific item, but it was not in stock. Pritpal found the item and kept it for her. As she was not working the day that the customer was flying, she left the item for the customer with a colleague. The customer left her a thank you gift. Pritpal comments that it was nice and that it is lovely that people remember her.

Pritpal recalls that she and her husband would do shift work, working opposite shifts. She would be in the car, her husband would be finishing work, he would get in the car, and she would go to work. She comments that they would hardly see one another, saying ‘It was nice.’ Minreet jokes that it was nice not to see one another. Pritpal explains that it was busy and feels life has become very boring. She mentions that she would be taking care of the family and working so life was very busy. There was no choice as they had to pay the mortgage and bills. It was hard but they got through it. She jokes that now she and her husband see too much of each other which is the reason she still works.

Minreet continues, her dad worked double shifts, so it made family time more special when they could all get together. She recalls that her parents worked hard and that they did not see much of each other. She concentrated on her studies, ‘it was hard, but you get by because there is not a lot of choice.’

Pritpal recalls that they did not want to leave their children with other people. They were lucky that they were able to work opposite shifts. It was hard. Pritpal thinks people are struggling now because they leave their children with childcare or their parents. She asks, ‘How much can you save when you have to pay a childminder?’ She remarks that there was less population, and it was easier to find work. She comments on the challenges of finding work, citing her daughter’s experience of trying to find work with the BBC. She acknowledges that even twenty years ago, they (prospective employers) would ask for experience and Minreet received many rejections. Pritpal comments that she believes it is even harder now and that Minreet has had to change careers to get a job by becoming a swimming teacher. She comments that people will always need to learn to swim so that this is good. She feels sorry for people nowadays as a lot of people are unemployed.

Pritpal recalls that she was able to help Minreet get her first job gift wrapping. She also helped her sister-in-law get a job at Harrods when she was working there. She cannot do this anymore. Pritpal mentions that there were staff incentives for employees to recommend workers. It was easy to help someone get work; those days are gone now. Minreet would consider going back to the airport for the right opportunity, for example, if Heathrow opened an outdoor swimming pool as she is a qualified swimming teacher. There follows a brief discussion about this.

Pritpal reiterates that the current airport operator takes too long to get things done. This was even before Covid and had been going on for a long time. She remembers that when BAA operated the airport those jobs were completed. Now there is outstanding work everywhere and nothing gets finished.

Jane Rae asks Pritpal and Minreet for their most significant memory of Heathrow before concluding the interview.

Pritpal’s most significant memory is the Queen’s visit, the famous people she met, and the opening of T5 which was another occasion when she saw the Queen.

Minreet’s most significant memory is when the Heathrow Express was introduced. She recalls that the family got to travel on it for free before anyone else when it was new. Pritpal does not remember this. Minreet does not remember how old she was then. Anne-Marie mentioned it would have been around 1998. Manreet states that she would have been eighteen then and that it was fun. She also remembers the little cars which are used at the airport.

Oral history interview 4 recording

Parbhat Smith (Pat Smith) - Monday 7th March 2022, 3.30pm

I was born in the Punjab in 1959 and I came to the UK (United Kingdom) at age 5 in 1965. I can remember my arriving at Heathrow for the first time. I can remember getting off the steps of the aeroplane and seeing my father straight away standing on top of the red brick wall. I had not seen father for a year or two. I am 63 this month, I have lived around Heathrow all my life. I have lived in Southall and in Cranford, under the flightpath. I lived in Kew Gardens where there are lots of aeroplanes, now I live in Sunningdale also near Heathrow. Heathrow has been a part of my life ever since I landed in the country. I have been married for 35 years to an Englishman hence my name is Smith. My father is no longer alive, and mother now lives in Langley near Colnbrook, which has always been part of Heathrow culture and expansion. My mother worked for British Airways (BA) cleaning aircraft and catering.

I started a business when I was 30 making Indian snacks, Heston industrial unit, the unit I hired was an old hangar, outside the unit was some steps that apparently Neville Chamberlain had used for his famous speech, there was no sign, not sure if it is still now there. I like that bit of history and hope it is still there. Surprised that nobody has ever investigated this and put a plaque or historical sign there.

Mother and father had two children (me and my brother). My father was a teacher in India, quite happy. My mother persuaded my father to go to UK, he was given a voucher, asked to come over and he thought he would make money and then go back. He was a writer and poet; his background was academic. When he came over, he did not teach, he did manual work, his brothers supported him (my uncles). My mum's older brother had a house in Southall, they all shared a house, and each family would have one room, everyone was building up to buy a property and bring their wives over. Later my father wanted to go back but there were complications – his family said because he had gone to the UK, he could no longer inherit anything back home even though he was the oldest son, they threatened him, he had nowhere to go back to, this affected him a lot. Anyone who came over was expected to send money home which he did but at the same time he could not take any pieces of anything even though he was entitled. Father had a turban (Sikh) in India and when he came to the UK the first thing, he and other Indian men did was remove turban and cut hair short because it made it easier for them to get work. I spotted my father that day I arrived at Heathrow even though I had not seen him for several years and still recognised him without his turban. My father was my life, I used to walk to school with him. I still recognised him so the aircraft must have been quite close to the brick wall. Many Indians travelled to the UK because they were asked to come. Domestic English people did not want to work nightshifts, immigrants did. There was plenty of work and that is the work that they could get.

My father was involved in setting up poetry sessions, friends would come round, any literary figure from the Punjab would be hosted, visitors and writers from India, there was a big community, they organised poetry reading events. My father carried on writing until he died, he wrote in Punjabi several books. He must have experienced prejudice – ‘Us Black People’ contained his experiences, sensitivities, of being coloured. He wrote another book about going back and not being able to go back - he wanted to go back but physically could not because what he left behind is no longer there. One book is on the curriculum in University in India. He got involved in publishing magazines, Indian Punjabi – 1st Punjabi newspaper in Southall – ‘Des Pardes’. Indian people did not have anything to read so he and friends published and printed materials, they got information together on events and where to buy tickets, information about back home and here etc. He was heavily involved in the literary area.

The voucher for my father’s airfare – I may still have it. I remember he was allowed 3 pounds in his pocket. He relied on help from the relatives, her uncles, he got nothing more than the voucher.

My father worked in manual labour as he was physically very fit and strong. He worked for Eagle Airlines, then Nestle, I remember him coming home with chocolate. He drove workers to and from the Airport in a van, he worked nights. He did a librarian ship course but did not stick to it and got distracted. He also worked for social security, but it was not stimulating enough, he needed to do more academic stuff, he just wanted to read and write or work hard, he never went back to teaching.

I lived in Southall when we arrived, not that close to Heathrow, I cannot remember the aeroplanes there. Heathrow was small and did not feel close to the Airport. Cranford was next to Heathrow, you could wave to people on the aircraft. I remember when I was doing my A Levels I stood in garden talking to the lady next door she was about 90 with white hair, during 1970s heatwave, and we could almost see the people inside the planes. It was very noisy, so we did not live there for that long, we then moved to Langley. My Mum still lives there and does not want to move. Mum has seen Heathrow expand a lot and worked at the Airport for a long time. All the terminals are approved – she is already talking about terminal 7!

I lived in Kew Gardens for 10 years and did not notice any noise because I worked but the day I stayed at home and opened back door and found the aeroplanes were very noisy. We moved from there to Chiswick. Then we moved to Sunningdale where there are no planes.

I do not have memories of the actual airport when I first arrived because I was too young. I remember coming down the steps, being able to see people lining up and pointing out my father. I was taken to Southall, I remember hearing an ice cream van, my uncle bought me an ice cream, I had never had one before and I handed back the cone as didn’t realise you could eat it. The Airport was part of my life, everybody worked at Heathrow and that is where everyone went. We went back to India every year so I must have experienced Heathrow all the time from when I was young. I travelled from Heathrow all my life, we always used one terminal, terminal 3 the only terminal available at the time. I remember Heathrow being quite small, now it is a maze. Driving round Heathrow now it is a vast area. People did not all have cars then, we did not drive there. I do not have many memories of Heathrow when I was young.

As an adult I use Heathrow all the time, I travel a lot. I go to India twice a year and have lots of holidays. Heathrow has changed beyond recognition, but air travel has. Being able to book tickets, going from 1 terminal to 5 terminals, the actual experience is very different but like this around the world. The last time I travelled was last November (2021) via Heathrow during pandemic. It felt strange as staff had no idea of what they were doing in terms of forms, who checked what. It was usually very professional and well organised. I had a BA flight, no one knew what forms to check at each stage. The Airport is now much busier and getting a shuttle to different terminal is a big deal. Lounges are very busy, it seems safer out of lounge than in the lounge due to covid. I am going to India in April and Rome in April via Heathrow so hopefully all will be ok.

I normally fly to India twice a year and go on trips in Europe, but we did not travel at all since the start of the pandemic. First travel was last November (2021). We could not book before this as India did not allow people to come in. We lost 2 tickets and travel was not worth the hassle. It was more stress booking than the benefit of travel, so we decided to stay at home. We have a house in India and assets so that is why I travel there; it is not really a holiday trip. My mother and father planned to retire to India to spend summer here (UK) and winter in India, they built a house in my name and brother’s name. My father died and my mother cannot keep going over so there’s things to be taken care of.

My parents worked shifts at Heathrow, I remember coming home from school and no one was at home, my brother and I would feast on biscuits and angel delight. My mum would brush my hair the night before so I could get up and go to school without needing my hair brushed so she must have gone to work before I went to school. My father slept all day because he worked at night, we were good kids, so it was not a problem.

My mother cleaned aircrafts, was involved in catering and the staff canteen, preparing food for aeroplanes, etc. She worked for BA for about 10-15 years. My auntie and uncles also worked at BA as they were known as good employer good benefits and pensions.

My mother retired long ago, she is 84. She would be a potential interview candidate as has great memories of landing etc. My mum and friends sometimes go on a trip to Heathrow for an outing using their free bus pass. They just go for coffee and to have a look around the airport and then come back. Heathrow is something new and exciting, there are shops, and it is good to be somewhere different.

Everyone wanted to work at BA as they gave staff discount. When I was a student staff discount went to all the family. I was a standby, sometimes I got first class tickets if there was a seat on the airplane available. I went to Canada to study for my MA because I knew I could get flights back and forth.

This was great benefit, my mother got flights to India every year. I travelled to India, Japan, back and forwards to Canada, went to Italy and Europe with my family, America and Los Angeles, Grenada and West Indies. I had lots of overseas student friends who I could visit using the cheap tickets. Planes were often empty in those days but now it is a lot busier. You could not quickly book tickets, you would have to go to travel agent, book it and they would post it. I would stand by the counter waiting for people to check in and then get on board if there was a space. I remember getting stuck in India at Delhi airport because I could not get a flight back. My auntie and I slept at the airport for a week until we could get on a flight home, my parents were furious. Those benefits have now gone. All staff used to have the same benefits weather a cleaner or captain. BA have now changed this depending on length of service and ranking. It was exciting because you could go to the airport and find out where you could get to depending on space. That is why a lot of Indian people enjoyed working for BA because you can travel back and forwards to India cheaply otherwise it is expensive.

The day I landed is my most significant memory of Heathrow – being a family again, having been split up and suddenly reunited in the same place which is so important when a child. It was a long flight and my mother was breast feeding my brother, he had a blood shot eye as a hook got caught in his eye. Another memory is taking my grandfather to Heathrow airport. I must have been about 16/17 and the last thing he said was ‘marry an Indian’. I did not take that seriously but that was the last piece of advice he gave me.

Also, in April 1993 I was pregnant expecting my son any day. My husband and I went to Heathrow to collect my sister-in-law who had gone on holiday to Spain. I told my husband we had to leave and go to the Hospital straight away as I thought I might give birth. So, we left the airport and drove to Hammersmith Hospital where we arrived just in time as I was already 10 1/2 cm dilated.

I’ve not thought of Heathrow as a concept, but it has always been a part of our life. Heathrow has evolved I have seen the changes. Heathrow is connected to me since the day I came to the UK.

Results 21 to 30 of 1531