Appeal for builders to come forward with stories from construction sites of the 50s and 60s

Published: 18th February, 2011
by PETER GRUNER

AN Islington professor is launching a study that will celebrate the often tough and dangerous life of construction workers in the 1950s and 60s.

Linda Clarke, Professor of European Industrial Relations at Westminster University, is calling for former or retired builders to contact her for the oral history project.

“The work of architects in the 50s and 60s is pretty well known”, said Professor Clarke.

“There are plenty of sound archives in the British Library about archi­tects. But very little has been recorded about the builders. Yet they were equally proud of their achievements and concerned with the quality of their work.”

The history project has been funded by the Leverhulme Trust and will record the lives of 50 or 60 workers.

Veteran construction worker Vic Heath, now in his 70s, has already been interviewed. He was a leading communist and was a scaffolder on the Barbican estate development who later became a shop steward with Camden Council’s Direct Labour force.

There were many disputes among the men working on the Barbican development. They held the first ever action over the handling by workers of deadly asbestos. They were not paid well compared to today and there were disputes over bonuses.

Professor Clarke added: “There was little in the way of the health and safety regime that we know today. That didn’t come in until 1974.”

Construction teams were often made up from sizeable pockets of Irish, Caribbean and Sikh labour. If you worked on the Barbican estate, South Bank arts centre, Stevenage New Town, Sizewell A power station, or the Northfleet power station, please email Professor Clarke at clarkel@wmin.ac.uk or telephone her on 0207 911 5000 ext 3158.