Yvonne
Transcript
Interviewer: It is 11:34 on the 25th of May. I’m here with Yvonne Robinson. Have you ever had another name?
Yvonne: Just a maiden name, Yvonne Baptist, and now I’m Mrs. Yvonne Robinson.
Interviewer: We’re here at Rosetta Arts Center in Newham, part of a project collecting oral histories of portrait participants and their stories and relations to the Platinum Jubilee. Could you tell me when and where you were born?
Yvonne: September 1st, 1940, in Calcutta, India.
Interviewer: When did you first become a resident of Newham?
Yvonne: I came to this country in 1964, and about three years later we came into Newham, and we’ve been there since.
Interviewer: How was it when you first moved here, and what was it like?
Yvonne: This was a very new country for me, because I had just come from India. Firstly, it felt cold, and secondly, we were living in East London, and the people were very friendly. We had very kind neighbors who helped us a lot. We lived in another house in [01:34 inaudible] Road, had two children, and then moved to Wanlip Road, where we’ve been residents since 1979.
Interviewer: How did you feel when you first entered Newham? Was that exciting for you? What were the feelings that came about?
Yvonne: It was very new to us, to me especially, because I was in a hostel in the West End when I first came to the country. So, I lived so close to Baker Street, and worked for Marks & Spencer, so I just had to cross the road. When I came to East London it was a completely different scenario. After living in the West End where all the shops are, in the heart of London, and then coming to East London, it was very different. But as I said, the people were very friendly, and it was very nice. Owning our first house in East London, that was quite a change.
Interviewer: How is it now, and how does it compare to before?
Yvonne: It’s improved a lot. Loads of new streets, new houses, new services. And being a pensioner, there are a lot of events for the pensioners. So, we really have a lot to do. We visit the library, which is free, and they have events like dancing at the community center, and then we have Zumba in another community center, and walks, which I’ve joined all of.
Interviewer: Can you tell me a little bit about what your experience was with line dancing?
Yvonne: It was absolutely new, because we had never heard of line dancing when we were in India. This is very American. We all took to it because you didn’t need a partner. It was very popular at one time. I remember when it was first starting, everybody wanted to look like cowboys, wearing their boots and hats. When we used to give exhibitions, we would dress just like that.
Interviewer: And how did it make you feel when you were performing these dances?
Yvonne: It was very good, because we had such a big crowd, and everybody was interested in the same thing. It was mostly a social life as well as education, and plus keeping fit at the same time.
Interviewer: Did you meet a lot of people like you, from similar backgrounds, or that have lived through similar things with you?
Yvonne: Well, I’m an Anglo-Indian, I’m half and half, and there were just one or two Anglo-Indians that had joined. But I’m talking about the 70s and that, and it was very White. Mostly the English people were doing the line dancing at all. We didn’t see any other people joining the line dancing.
Interviewer: Do you feel that now you’re able to meet more people like you?
Yvonne: Yeah. I find Newham very cosmopolitan, and I’ve met up with a lot of people who lived in India and also went to the same school as me. So we kept in touch and had a good social life.
Interviewer: What does Newham mean to you?
Yvonne: I’m very pleased that we settled down here, because we’ve had a lot from it. We managed to buy our own house, raise our children here. They went to school here, and now they’ve grown up, and we’ve got grandchildren. But our children have left London completely. They had to go because of the house prices. So, I’ve got a son that lives in Lowestoft, and a daughter that lives in Coventry. Too far for us.
Interviewer: Do you have any special memories or stories about Newham?
Yvonne: What we were so impressed with is the social activities in Newham that made a very good life for us. We met a lot of people due to the social life. The Stratford Tea Dances, that was very good for us. I remember when we first came to East London University, they used to do hairdressing, and we used to go and get our hair done free. The students used to practice on us, so that was nice.
Interviewer: Have you celebrated any previous jubilees or royal events?
Yvonne: Yes. We joined some street parties that were near our street, Cumberland Road. I think this year we are going to an event that the church is putting on, a jubilee party. I’m a member of the CHinese association, and they’re having something special. So, I find that Newham is really celebrating the Platinum Jubilee.
Interviewer: What does it mean to you to be celebrating the first Platinum Jubilee?
Yvonne: It’s great. Being Anglo-Indian, we went to a British school. It was a convent run by Irish nuns. So, it was very English in every way. So, we always looked up to the royal family. I think we saw the coronation in India on film. But once we came here, with all the jubilees, we celebrated then, because we were aware of the royalty.
Interviewer: What was that experience like, watching the coronation on TV?
Yvonne: It was great. We were so proud, being half and half, mixed race. So, it was alright for us.
Interviewer: What would you like to see for the future of Newham?
Yvonne: I think it’s really coming up, because when you read the papers and all, and you see the younger generation doing so well in their classes and their colleges, I think everybody is mixing around more. And I think Britain is quite a tolerant society. And so, even when we wait at the bus stop we see everybody, the Muslims, and the Hindus, and the English, all of them. And everybody chats to each other. It’s quite a friendly place. That’s how we’ve met a lot of friends, because everybody is really friendly.
Interviewer: And I’m sure because you’ve received that friendliness from the community, you want that for future generations.
Yvonne: That’s it, yes. And I think it will continue, because it’s very cosmopolitan. I like Newham, personally, for the Westfield Shopping Center. It’s so easy to get there. And we were absolutely enthralled with the Olympics being at Stratford. That was really good for everybody.
Interviewer: Lastly, is there anything that I haven’t asked?
Yvonne: No. We have no complaints about Newham. We really like it. Of course, after the pandemic and all, everybody’s talking about hospitals and that, but I think that will calm down. I’m content and happy in Newham.
