Oral history interview with Robert Chung Shun Liu 廖忠順

00:00-06:34 Explains name. Born and grew up in New Territories, Hong Kong. One of five children, family farmers. Life on the farm, what was grown, realities of harvesting and selling. Living conditions and value of money.

06:35-07:45 Childhood games

07:46-08:49 Coming to UK when 13, secondary school in UK

08:50-09:59 Fathers work in a laundrette. Robert helping father and cooking for the family.

10:00-10:29 Working in Hong Kong as pot washer and in a jewellery store

10:30-14:59 Schooling in UK, social life, missing friends in Hong Kong, learning English, making friends

15:00-19:49 Liverpool then move to Manchester in 1967. Studying wireless communications at college. Working in a café. Family buy fish and chip shop in 1967. Robert learnt how to wait table and worked as a waiter for 30+ years.

19:50-21:49 Leisure time listening to Chinese operatic music, Chinese newspapers

21:50-23:37 Married wife also from the New Territories in Hong Kong. For a short time owned a fish and chop shop

23:38-30:06 Aspirations for children. No desire to return to Hong Kong. Advice to younger generation. Retirement and involvement with local Christian church.

30:07-30:24 Robert introduces himself, origin and languages

30:25-32:37 Church attendance in Hong Kong. Living conditions in Hong Kong including collecting water.

32:38-36:36 Operation of father’s laundrette in the UK

36:37-41:39 Family religion. Father sending money back to Hong Kong from UK. Grandparents not going to UK. In Liverpool parents part of a church group. Moving to Moss Side and buying fish and chip shop

This is an edited index. For the full index and summary of the interview see the bound volume in the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah RACE Library.