Following the activities and on the day of Cait Sweeney’s
show and tell session at the Old Station House. I interviewed a number of residents and they spoke to me of
the memories evoked during the activities.
One such person was Fredrick John Griffin he
recalled meeting his wife in 1946 at a football match in Culham .They made a
date for the following Sunday to go to the pictures in Abingdon in the old
cinema. Abingdon Old Cinema
Fredrick
He also recalled that during the WW2 the GI’s were living
under different rules. Fredrick remembered that the white Americans would go to
the Corn Exchange to dance, yet black Americans would go to MG Social Club near
St Helens Church.
He also spoke of his time in the Air force from 1948 – 1953.
He was station in Berlin and the day that King George VI died. He and his
friends had gone for a drink (or several). They fell asleep on the underground
and should have got out at Potsdam but instead went on to Potsdamer Platz . On
arriving they were met by Russian Solders with guns.
They found themselves pulled in for interrogation.
Fredrick will speak more in the short film currently being
made.
With special thanks to:
Elizabeth, Betty and Joan - Rock Around The Clock - Committee Reminiscence Team
Jeff Denton - Activities Coordinator
Carol Flynn - Housing Manager
Elizabeth, Betty and Joan - Rock Around The Clock - Committee Reminiscence Team
Jeff Denton - Activities Coordinator
Carol Flynn - Housing Manager
Cait Sweeney – Assistant Co-ordinator, Documenter &
Production Assistant
Sharon Woodward – Filmmaker/Artist in Residence, Project Manager
Supported by Vale of the White Horse Arts Development
Officer Abigail Brown.
Cait Sweeney - Broken Home
Nick Gill - Classic Jazz
Helen Jacobs - Artist
Helen Jacobs - Bullpen