29/11/2025
Interesting story of Jan Gaca from VOICES OF EASTLEIGH.
JAN GACA
In 1956 we moved to a house in Hamilton Road. Bishopstoke, which my parents were thrilled with. Having no contact with their family back in Poland must have been upsetting and I did feel sorry for them. When they were young and forced into labour camps, they never saw their families again. My father sent money to his people. He'd put a 10s note along with a letter in an envelope but his gift never reached them. Eventually he learned the trick of encasing the money in a sheet of carbon paper. That always got there safely. Much later, my father's mother did come to stay with us in Bishopstoke. What a worker she was, she'd be digging the garden at 5 in the morning. She'd dug half of it by the time I woke up.
My biggest memory is when the men all came out of the carriage works for lunch. At noon they would emerge to cycle home, then back again for the ho**er at five to one. Such a swarm of men, Bishopstoke Bridge would be crammed with bikes. Unbelievable. That fascinating sight will always stick with me. Billy Cotton would come to their canteen to record Workers' Playtime which I heard on the radio. It was sad when the carriage works closed. Also Pirelli, Caustons and Prices. There are some people who wanted to live on the Park 21 estate because they worked all their lives in Pirelli.
Those big companies looked after their workers in the sense that they had a sports club, playing fields, tennis courts, social club, outings. etc.
In 1956 we moved to a house in Hamilton Road. Bishopstoke, which my parents were thrilled with. Having no contact with their family back in Poland must have been upsetting and I did feel sorry for them. When they were young and forced into labour camps, they never saw their families again. My father sent money to his people. He'd put a 10s note along with a letter in an envelope but his gift never reached them. Eventually he learned the trick of encasing the money in a sheet of carbon paper. That always got there safely. Much later, my father's mother did come to stay with us in Bishopstoke. What a worker she was, she'd be digging the garden at 5 in the morning. She'd dug half of it by the time I woke up.
My biggest memory is when the men all came out of the carriage works for lunch. At noon they would emerge to cycle home, then back again for the ho**er at five to one. Such a swarm of men, Bishopstoke Bridge would be crammed with bikes. Unbelievable. That fascinating sight will always stick with me. Billy Cotton would come to their canteen to record Workers' Playtime which I heard on the radio. It was sad when the carriage works closed. Also Pirelli, Caustons and Prices. There are some people who wanted to live on the Park 21 estate because they worked all their lives in Pirelli.
Those big companies looked after their workers in the sense that they had a sports club, playing fields, tennis courts, social club, outings. etc.
I got a job at Pirelli when I was saving to get married. The money was good but I can't say I liked the work at first, very monotonous but at least close to home. The jointers at that time were getting 6s 4d an hour. Pirelli had many contracts abroad and the one in India paid the labourers a halfpenny an hour in old sterling.
Our family moved to Twyford Road. Then, when I married. I lived in The Crescent before moving a few times, staying in Eastleigh until four years ago when we came to Rownhams. Jan and I see a lot of each other. especially as my youngest daughter married his son and we now share a granddaughter.
Once it became easy to get into Poland I visited the country and was surprised how, when I crossed the border, tears came to my eyes. Since then, we've bought a flat in the mountains there, so I think our ancestors would be proud that we've survived and made successes of our lives.
Jan Gaca
