Oral history; interview with Paul Charles, 2012
Main details
| Reference number | 2010/1021 |
|---|---|
| Description | Paul Charles talk about his experience working as a Tube driver at White City and wining London Transport Sportsman of the Year. |
| Interviewee | Paul Charles |
| Dates | 31/05/2008 |
| Collection | |
| Object type |
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| Topics | |
| Completeness | 61% |
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Interview summary
[1:02:16] Paul Charles (PC), born Grenada, 13 May 1939. Parents were labourers. Description of siblings and family environment. Comments on siblings and father moving to Trinidad and England. Discusses reasons for coming to England and borrowing the money to make the trip. Outlines reasons for remaining in the UK. Comments on a bad winter in 1962 [06:50]. Comments on settling first in Shepherds Bush and there already being a community from Grenada. Talks about first job working in a laundry. Discusses training as a mechanic and also working on London Underground (LU) [08:40]. Comments on liking uniforms, mentions wearing a uniform in the boy scouts and as a police reserve in Grenada. Comments on taking the LU job as it came with a uniform [09:09]. Joined LU in 1960. Description of training process. Comments on how the job has changed; how rail man’s duties involved sweeping platforms and cleaning toilets. Remarks on process of becoming a train guard, driver and being promoted. Recalls being a driver on the Central Line. Remarks on training to be a train driver [15:03]. Comments on always liking running; taking part in school sports. Mentions the ‘Island Championship’. Remarks on what led him to join the Southall Athletics Club (SAE) and on running for Thames Valley Harriers. Mentions competing at the London Business Houses Championship, and winning the Middlesex Championship and the Southern County Championship [20:22]. His favourite event was 400m; story about a 400m race in Grenada [23:10]. Comments on winning the 100m, 400m and 800m races in one year at the London Transport Championships. Mentions the LT Championships at Osterley Park. Comments on the different clubs competing with each other [25:55]. Socialising with colleagues at White City; a few train drivers at White City were from Grenada and the West Indies [27:55]. Comments on not experiencing much hostility when moved to England. Story about being attacked on one occasion. Remarks on not having much contact with passengers as a guard and a driver. Did not experience a ‘one under’ [31:13]. Comments on being Sportsman of the Year [33:40]. Mentions train driver uniform. Description of pre-race rituals [36:21]. Describes daily routine as a driver and different types of shifts. Preferred the late shift to the early shift. Comments on wages being average and sending money back to family in Grenada [40:50]. Mentions first trip back to Grenada in 1973. Comments on continuing to live in London [45:17]. Description of current fitness routine. Describes LT matches against the Paris-Metro and visiting Paris [47:34]. Talk about running for England, mentions the selection process at Athletics Weekly. Story about being the second fastest runner but not being selected to compete and being disappointed. Comments on running for England being an achievement, remarks on running for LT being fun. Competitiveness and standards of running clubs [52:46]. Mentions identity, dual nationality and liking both cultures; coming to London on a British passport [56:24]. Notes changes in London, mentions crime. Still using the Tube and buses for travelling. Comments on enjoying working for LU. -
People involved
Role Person(s) involved Interviewer Jane Findlay, 31/05/2008Interviewee Paul Charles -
Associated companies, people and places
Places Place Grenada,White City,Interview location Haringey, London, 31/05/2008