Oral History with Stephen McDonald (Ste Macca)

00:00 Age and upbringing in Heaton Mersey/Edgeley. Lived with mother and older brother. Primary school. Football in the street, bikes, swimming. Still lives in Edgeley.

04:40 St Anne’s high school, Heaton Chapel. Enjoyed it, ‘Made lots of friends, did lots of sport’. Struggled with lessons and a lack of support: ‘didn’t click with me’.

Music, amassed a large record collection by 14. Played records for friends, invited to DJ at Winter’s. ‘I can’t go a day without playing a record’.

11:00 Breakdancing – influenced by American trends, practiced in the park with friends. Busking in Mersey Square. ‘We created a crew – zodiac’, entered competitions. Son and daughter have both inherited an interest in music.

15:00 Heritage – mother, Jenny born in St Thomas, Jamaica. Father, unknown.

15:49 Jenny was a school nurse and hospital matron. She gave support to Black children in Stockport.

18:00 Ate English food at home. More adventurous in late teens, trying Caribbean food.

19:27 YTS as a landscape gardener in Hazel Grove, Marple and Bramhall. Followed by 15 years at Martin Mills in Heaton Mersey. Later secured current job as manager of a carwash.

21:50 ‘Integration in Stockport is fine’. Feels diversity is more visible now.

23:30 Hopes– ‘people can set aside their differences and come together more’. Sees the media as divisive. Concerned about the impact of false news.