Oral History with Jannett Creswell MBE

00:00 Introductions

1:33 Jannett has been in England for 61 years, she arrived in 1959.

2:38 When Jannett was ten she decided she wanted to do nursing. Her parents encouraged this path.

6:38 Jannett enjoyed primary school. She also described discipline being a core part of the experience.

9:50 Jannett describes coming to England as a ‘shock’. She arrived on a boat and suggested that she was very seasick most days.

11:20 On her first night in London, she was horrified by her cousin’s living conditions. The family were all cramped into one room.

16:01 Stayed in a midwifery school in Birmingham, returned to London, got married then went to a midwifery school in Croydon and then found out she was pregnant.

18:40 What was adapting to Britain like?

20:14 Bought her first house in 1965, the estate agent said that the house was the ‘most expensive on the road’. Jannett notes that prices of properties were increased for Black individuals.

22:56 In the year of 1972 when Jannett moved to Stockport she emphasises that the area was ‘all white’.

24:25 Jannett worked in Stockport for 6 months, she said she ‘hated every minute of it’. She describes being subject to racism.

28:45 Very involved in the community.

30:55 Jannett talks of one of her experiences in Victim Support where she received a call from a black woman who wanted to speak to black member of staff. Jannett took the call where the woman explained that her son had been subject to racism at school, the woman expressed that she was very concerned for her son’s mental wellbeing.

38:06 Jannett was the pioneer of the Black History Month in Stockport.

42:42 People hide racism and suffering, Jannett suggests that educational institutes take the wrong approach when it comes to tackling prominent racism.

45:39 Jannett addresses ‘Stop and Search’ measures used by the police force.

47:08 Jannett talks about her novel

49:15 All about educating people. We need to push the education of Black History. The project is a keyway of doing so allowing people to voice their own stories and experiences.

54:49 Jannett emphasises that her children are very aware of their background and where they have come from. She wants them to take pride in their identity.

55:00 She says that the beginning of her move to Stockport was ‘very lonely’.

57:20 Ending the interview on a positive note, Jannett suggests that Stockport is a great place to live if you ‘can stand on your own two feet’ and ‘look after yourself’.