Questionnaire - Graziano Federici (My Father)

Where were you born and in what year?
Born Parma 1948Where wa the place that you grew up in?
Grow up – Setterone
And was this where you lived then?
1st house – La Dro Sio – 10 years – V.Poor
What did your parents do for work and any other siblings?
Parents farming – only son
What were your experience of younger life?
When young –was happy, go dancing and drinking with friends
And what was your first memory?
First memory – 6 years old – walked an hour with mum to go to setterone school
Growing up what was your dream in life?
Dream – to be well off, nice family, happy ← achieved through ice cream 42 years
What did it feel like growing up in the mountains?
Growing up in the mountains – was nice – proper community
How do you feel towards this now?
Feel special that you were part of the mountains
What did people use to think of people that grew up in the mountains in Italy at the time?
People would look down – think just poor, not well educated etc
Did you like living up in the mountains?
Prefer living in city now after years but miss the mountains
What has being brought up in the mounatins taught you?
Being brought up in the mountains have taught – strong willed, respect for property and nature – from that respect customers
Did you go to school? How long?
School – 6 til 13years – hard, teacher would beat up, cant go without doing the work
Your Feelings during school years?
Wanted to move away – liked the city – Money, contacts in the way
What was your nearest town from where you lived?
Nearest town – 14km – Walk with my father – no transport and no money for bus – 2 and a half hours
What was the town called?
Borg oval di taro – another 14 km every Monday
What did you use to do when you were in town?
My father played harmonica whilst I went around with a hat collecting money – couple of hours
What food did you use to live off when younger?
Food provided most of the food – farm – self sustained – eggs, cheese, polenta, - no money for food
What crops etc did you use to farm?
Farm – crops – wheat, grain, potatoes,
What was work like up in the mountains?
Thought when young was very very hard.working 6am in the mountains very hard throughout all weather
Were there any particular hard points?
Very very hard winter
When was your freetime?
Only Sunday we’d go out – walk – no cars
What were your parents reactions when you moved to England?
Parents were proud that you moved, reaction – all people from village moved
What do you imagine of doing in the future? Going back to the mountains?
Always had the image of going back in his head throughout his work
When did you pass your driving test?
Passed test 1966 – 18 years old – saved up months
How did you get your first job in England?
Came to England because a friend told my mother that there is a job – money opportunity
How did you get to England?
Train to England – couldn't afford flights – My mother paid for journey – work – farm – selling cattle, food.etc
Where did you arrive in England? And your first memory of England?
In London – Vic St – Mr Molinari came in a taxi and picked meup – didn't know language, where I was going, what I was doing, money etc.nothing
Where were you now based?
Now based in Sheffield
What was the first job you did?
Worked for Molinari whom owned an ice cream business – Worked from 6am to 10pm – 4 years
What was it like working for the Molinaris?
Working for the molinaris were like – Made it hard – use to discipline/shout/werent easy working for them
What was the ice cream business like in them days?
Back in the days – no freezers, no supermarkets – everyone use to buy ice cream – good business
What were your feelings when you came over?
Feelings when came over – “different world, strange, scared”
Any regrets straight away?
No regrets at that time – use to like it
Did you miss your parents? How did you keep in contact with them?
Missed mum and dad terribly as they were like best friends aswell as parents – Kept in contact by phone – Once a week
What was your main feeling in England?
I was lost
How long did it take to learn the language? Did you have classes?
No classes. Took a year to learn English
How long was it before the Molinaris let you go out to work?
After 6 weeks they sent him out in his first van on his own – No idea about money etc
What was your first ice cream van?
SF Van – Very old – (Feelings – hard feelings, different from italy, didn't want to go home, didn't think would stick with tht job)
When did you get your first van?
After 4 years, 1972 he managed to save enough money to buy his own van – Federicis Ices begun (Ford Transit)
How many people did you know in England at the time?
By yourself in England only knowing renato Molinari – one person
When you first bought your first van.What did you feel like?
Feelings when first bought a van – “beautiful, on top of the world”
Did you quit Molinaris therefore?
Quit and worked for himself – Hard at first – Effort
How long did it take you to settle and earn enough money for a house?
Worked for himself but stayed with molinaris for 8years – Saving up for a deposit on a house
When did you buy your first house? What did you feel like knowing you came from the poorest background?
5 november - 1975 bought own house – shiregreen
“Happy, overwhelmed”
What were your reactions when you first moved in by yourself?
When moved in happy – own place – own garage for ice cream van
Did you get another house later?
Carry on working and saving up – 1981 – Moved house – Wincobank
What was your old van like?
Needed repairs – Lots of problems – More money spent- hard times
When did you meet my mother?
1982 – met mum enaged – may married 1984
Did you still have the same ice cream van?
No in 1984 – New van – ford transit – better van than last one
What was the ice cream like back in them days?
Scooped, still hard ice cream
What did you want to do now in your life?
1984 – saved up enough to start a family and a better house – oliver road
When did it turn from hard ice cream to soft ice cream? What was the effects on your business?
After couple of years turned to whippy machine - more customers, more money, better quality of life and standard of living
What do you think about when your in your ice cream van?
In the van – think of the mountains – think of going back one day – everyday
What are qualities you say you have learnt through ice cream?
Punctual and always on time – nice and respectful
What did it feel likewhen you had 3 kids later in life?
Had 3 kids – was v.hard to provide because one parent working and my father was ill so was coming and going whilst at the same time providing
What hours do you work?
12pm – 8.30pm working – every day every week
Do you go to a school and sell ice cream?
School – 42 years kimberworth red school – generations grown up
What do people think when they see you and your ice cream van?
People see you outside there everyday on time – smile, happy, joys of seeing ice cream van
Is your work getting harder?
Everything going up in price – work harder
What was the hardest point in your life?
Hardest point – when we were little kids, lost his father – always wanted to carry on serving ice cream though
When did you get your next house?
Moved to nether edge house – 1991
And your next van?
2000 was the next van – ambition to have a new better van – improve his circumstances
Have you done the same round always? How many stops do you do a day?
Same round for 42 years – 40miles a day – 120 stops
Are customers loyal?
Some customers have been comin for over 40years – “best ice cream man”
So you have regulars?
Regulars – quite a lot – “how many years been on round.etc”
Does this make you feel old?
Feels old when see kids grown up and come with there kids etc – some third generation and still goin
Do you ever go back to the mountains?
Goes back to mountains every year to visit the mountains – once or twice a year
What are yours feelings at your age going back ?
“Feels very sad.everyones gone.no family.no community.Only community is cemetery”
What do you think about the mountains now?
Setterone – worried that it might vanish completely – abroad/city – better prospects – traditions gone
If you had one wish what would it be?
“Wish is for people to come and live in mountains”
What did it feel like the lifestyle of English People?
When first came over – strange things- no pizza, no olive oil etc.v english
How do you feel towards ice cream?
Feelings now about ice cream – Been good in life, made a good living, thanks for everyone who sustained him for ice cream
How do you feel about you ice cream business now?
Lost drive for ice cream now tbh – return to mountains is in order
What do people think of you?
People Knw your Italian…no idea your from the mountains
What is the changes in hoe people use to be and now are towards you?
First started – people were nice, respectful – nowadays – changed, people don't respect and look down
Do you miss home?
Everyday I put a smile on but behind the surface I miss home
What are your feelings considering you've done the same thing everyday?
The feeling of doing the same things – happy, lonely, boring
What would you describe your life as?
Ice cream – seat is where he is all his life
What has effected your work?
Effected work – weather, competition, money, getting harder to sell ice cream
Do you feel old now selling ice cream?
Last generation of ice cream men – seems like yesterday when he started.time flys
You must be the oldest ice cream man in south Yorkshire then?
Yes.One of the oldest ice cream men in Sheffield
42 years in the street you must be well known?
Well known in Sheffield – everyone knows – 42 years same city going around with G Federici ices
Sum up your life?
Sum up life – love, happiness, health and ice cream
Whats help you get through ice cream?
Strength, courage, faith that someone will help
What is your feelings now towards the mountains?
Become very strong and tough from the mountains. nothing scares me
Would your parents be proud of you right now?
Parents be very proud of what achieved