Craven Vale Community Association

Heritage Lottery Project Pride of our Valley

Interview with Jenny interviewed by Betty - 6th February 2013. B. Good morning, Jenny. It is the 6th February and I am about to interview Jenny for our book. What year did you move in to Craven Vale? J. I moved in to Craven Vale in 2000. B. And can you tell us a little bit about where you were living before and why you chose to move here? J. I was living in a private flat in Hove then I married again and moved over here with my second husband. B. Were there any other members of your family that you moved in with? J. No. B. And what was your first impression of Craven Vale? J. Well, because I had never lived on an estate before I felt that it was a nice estate because I had previously met the mothers and fathers of the people that were on the estate because in those days when I used to deliver up here, when I had my shops, I used to deliver and visit with the families as well and help them out with their paperwork and a few of their problems. So I felt that I was doing a social thing, a community thing at that time. B. Oh. Thats lovely. What kind of heating do you have here? J. When I first moved in there was no heating whatsoever other than storage heating and I made sure that central heating was put in and I had no problem getting that done and they made a very good job of it. B. Right. What are the household appliances that you value the most? J. I think the washing machine because it has helped other people out when theirs is on the blink and Ive helped them out by doing their washing for them. I cant think of anything else. I can live without the rest. B. Craven Vale estate is built on a hill and has steps and slopes everywhere. Has this ever been a problem for you? J. It hasnt been a problem because Im on the ground floor and I have very good people around me that do look out for me. I think that it is quite well equipped considering some of the private estates that you can be on that are not as well equipped as the council estates are. B. Does your family have a car and is parking a problem? J. I have a car and have always had a car obviously because of business and l have parking space because I am now disabled because of knee replacements. B. Do you use the buses and what do you think of the bus service? 1

J. I try not to use the bus service very often. It is a very good bus service because you can hop on and hop off. I have motion sickness on buses so I try not to use them if I can help it. B. So how do you keep in touch with family and friends, letters, emails, face book, anything like that? J. Well my daughter lies in Bute Street, and she has lived there since she was 18 and more or less they come to me now. I dont visit them so much; they come to me, so really and truthfully we just see each other when they are not working. R. What about letters and things? J. I used to write to people all over the world. I dont now. B. Do you think it is easy for young mothers now days to get around with babies and toddlers on buses etc? J. I do but the older generation seem to forget that they have had children, because they do complain and moan about them, about the buggies being too big and one thing and another. I know in our days most our children walked everywhere but I think most of the mothers struggle to get on and off of the bus because people are not very helpful towards them the bus drivers are but not the older public. I dont know why. B. Do you see children playing outside nowadays? J. Yes, I do. Which is lovely to see because then you know that you have young blood around you, which is nice. And you see them growing up and you see them going off to school. Yes, I do. B. If someone isnt well where do you have to go for chemist doctor or hospital care? J. Well, up at the Sussex County or over to Islingwood Road to the pharmacist there. And for my doctor I have to go to the Level. B. So is it a reasonably easy journey for you? J. Yes, no problem. B. And where do you go for your shopping, Jenny? J. I shop wherever I am. I am not particular about my shopping I just go wherever I am at that time. If I am in Lewes I, Im there, if Im in Ringmer, Im there, if Im in Burgess Hill Im there. Uckfield, Southwick, Hove, Brighton, Marina. You name it Ive done it. B. Do you think it is easy to find work in Brighton and what about working outside the home and do you think, for women with children that childcare is a problem? J. I dont know anything about childcare because I have never had any dealings with childcare but I think there is plenty of work in Brighton because of all the hotels and all the nursing homes and all the colleges and all the hospitals around. There shouldnt be any problem if you want work it depends how determined you are. Some people dont know how to go about getting work. Its not understood is it? The procedure, to project yourself in the way that you should be projected for work.

B. Thats fair comment. Is there any crime around here and what is the relationship with the local police like? J. I think when I first came on the estate, it was terrible, I was quite surprised because I had to get streetwise very quick, but once we got the association going we didnt have any problem because we had more power to our elbows, so to speak, and the police became very involved and since we had that our community has become closer than ever I think and the crime has dropped and also the dog fouling which was very bad when I came up here and also the rubbish tipping was very bad but people have clubbed together and all look out for one another and I think the police are very, very good. B. You like the WPC s? J. Yes theres no problem with those ladies. They are very good; they do the job properly and they do keep their eyes and ears open, which is very good and they do speak to people in the community which is also very good so they know whats going on. B. So you feel reasonably safe. J. Ive always felt safe on this estate. Ive never felt unsafe because people watch out for each other and I did have an incident not long ago, unknown to me, four people phoned the police and I was quite surprised because they kept the times and everything, which I didnt. They knew everything that was going on; more than I did. B. So you like to be part of the community? J. Yes I think theres a great community spirit here I think that people try very hard to put the rubbish in the bin and clear up after their dogs and I think also that people who wouldnt normally socialise with you do socialise with you if you go out of your way to speak with them. B. So what about entertainment Jenny. Cinema, Sport, television, computer? J. Well, all of those things really. B. So you go to the cinema? J. Yes. Not so much the television but book reading. B. When Craven Vale was built it was surrounded by countryside, wood and grassland. There is still woodland and allotments. Do you ever go there? J. I used to go up to the allotments when I had my three dogs and I used to speak to a lot of people on the allotments and they were very nice. And then they took over from the Whitehawk Community Centre and it is very well run now. Its going very well B. And do you like the development that has been going on in the woods? J. Yes, yes, very much so they have done a lot of work there and we are now seeing robins, bluetits weve seen a few of, wagtails which I never saw ten years ago when I came on the estate, mostly because nothing was done to bring them back into the environment. And I would also like to add that the people who are running the woods development have also done a lot on the state itself by planting the trees and making it look very, very social rather than antisocial.

B. Nothing else that youd like to add about how you feel about the estate? J. I just think that it is very friendly estate and a lot of the people do need help and they do get it but there are people here that dont want the authorities interfering or helping, and I do think that those sorts of people do get it from their neighbours because I do know neighbours who look out for each other on this estate. You do see people walking out at a certain time every day and if you dont see them you enquire about them. And its not nosiness, its caring. B. Yes thats nice. Well, thank you very much, Jenny, thats been quite interesting. R. Thank you.