Episode 07: Annette Holman

Interview Date: 10 September 2020. Interviewer: Dr Jason Clark. Research and questions by Dr Simon Machin.

Turning their back on successful careers in social work teaching and practice, Annette and Bob decided to put their lives where their values were by moving with their family into a converted doctor’s surgery on a council estate in Bath. While Bob engaged in innovative community work as a “resourceful friend", Annette supported the family by working full-time and acting as “coach, receptionist, janitor and a good listener". Being born in Glasgow, then becoming a Christian and a university student there, Annette Holman returned as an adult to a deprived part of the city, Easterhouse, with her late husband Bob, to undertake community work and live out Christian Socialist principles. Moving later to Glasgow Annette helped Bob established FARE, Family Action in Rogerfield and Easterhouse, which influenced the Conservative political Ian Duncan Smith to set up the Centre for Social Justice

Annette Holman - Timed Interview Summary

0:00 – 20:57

Annette is a war baby born in Glasgow in 1940; no graphic war-time memories, unlike her husband, Bob Holman, who saw bombing in London. Baptized in the Church of Scotland even though her parents are not church goers. Protestant father, hidden Catholics on mother’s side, grandparents die relatively young, lack of opportunity, mother’s work and father’s career leading to moves around Glasgow and elsewhere because of it. Attends various churches as a child including one with a very large Sunday School. Memories of attending John Nillson’s Academy where a French teacher who is an atheist and encourages religious debate has  

20:58 – 25:15 

Memories of Glasgow, working-class industries. Some grand buildings, finer that what AH saw in London.  Regimented male lifestyles in Glasgow. Men walking en masse from factory to home for lunch. Railways stations packed with people at time of Glasgow Fair holidays.

25:16 – 33:35

Father’s career continues to mean that Annette moves through a number of primary schools including a brief spell in Holland, where she is delighted to discover that the rationing of sweets is not as draconian as in Britain. Returns to Scotland and is delighted that as she moves up into secondary education she has the luxury of staying at one school. 

33:36 - 39:20

Serious consideration of Christianity and conversion. It is only at secondary school (at John Neilson’s Institution where a French teacher is an atheist and encourages religious debate) that she begins to question whether her cultural Christianity is enough. Goes to hear Billy Graham in Glasgow but doesn’t think she needs to respond because she doesn’t quite connect the American evangelist’s message with her need. Further heart-searching leads to an “evangelical” conversion.  

39:21 - 50:10

Attends university in home town of Glasgow, reading History and Economics, but lives in female hall of residence because parents have moved to Grimsby. Comparison of Annette’s undisrupted education with Bob’s sketchy experience, partly as a result of his war-time evacuation. His development is haphazard, but is fortunate to have the encouragement of a primary-school teacher who believes in him. From only learning alphabet at eleven, his natural ability comes through at grammar school.  He decides not to try for Oxbridge because of snobberies encountered during National Service, so attends University College, London. Annette becomes interest in medical social work and attends training at Cardiff.             

50:11 - 59:35

Postgraduate training in medical social work as Almoner (the “Lady” in the job title had been dropped by then) at London School of Economics. Meets Bob Holman. First impressions: finds him mischievous. They start courting, exotic meals at Indian Restaurants, and Bob asks Annette to marry him on a park bench in Russell Square. 

59:36 - 1:08:32

Early years of marriage and of their individual careers. Optimistic post-war period in social work, belief that training would get better. Upward mobility, but it should not be underestimated how much the middle classes benefit from the Welfare State.

1:08:33 - 1:27:49

Bob Holman is encouraged to apply for academic post by his teachers. Enters academic life and jobs seem to emerge independently for Annette wherever Bob moves into a new post. Annette’s developing skills as an interviewer, good listener and researcher. Academic and social life in Birmingham and Glasgow. They are In Handsworth, Birmingham at time of Enoch Powell’s Rivers of Blood speech. Bob is repelled by what he sees as racial prejudice in his Birmingham church and gets early taste of community work setting up an adventure playground in a multi-racial area.

1:27:50 - 1:40:02        

Bob is employed at Bath University and achieves academic success early but becomes bored with university managerialism. Posits move into community work. Annette has initial concerns that his influence as a teacher will be wasted but these are overcome.

1:40:03 - 1:58:57

Bob, Annette and their family move on to the Southdown Estate, Bath into a converted doctor’s surgery. They live off Annette’s salary, but even though she is giving up a middle-class lifestyle, she has a house with views over Bristol and the illuminated Bath Abbey, “God is no man’s debtor.” Early experiments in community work. Works with a charismatic young local man called Dave Wiles. Bob styles himself as “a resourceful friend”. Annette works full-time and has supporting role as coach, receptionist, janitor and good listener.

1:58:58 - 2:14:29

Bob’s practice of handing on responsibility for projects to local people frees him up. Has ambition to do one more “Southdown” on a larger scale. Moves to the Easterhouse area of Annette’s home town of Glasgow. Bob establishes FARE, Family Action in Rogerfield and Easterhouse. They are offered former council flats as offices. Their integration into local life and assistance from local ministers.

2:14:30 - 2:17:19

A discussion of the differences in scale, levels of poverty and social problems between Southdown and Easterhouse estates, Easterhouse suffering greater deprivation.

2:17:20 - 2:21:29

Summary of the many established (and continuing) achievements of FARE.

2:21:30 - 2:25:08

Bob tracks down the young people who were helped at Southdown, and analyses the positive effects, later writing it up in Kids at the Door Revisited.  Children on the estate “got their resources from their resourceful friends”.

2:25:09 - 2:34:37

Bob Holman’s legacy. Because of his struggles as a child, Bob understands the people that he helps and befriends from the inside.  Writes on Christian Socialism in retirement. Writes biography of George Lansbury, MP. Later biographies of minister, F B Meyer and WW1 Chaplain, Woodbine Willie. Easterhouse’s influence on Conservative politician, Ian Duncan Smith who sets up Centre for Social Justice (the photograph of IDS on their website is of Easterhouse).

2:34:38 - 2:43:58

Concluding comments. Would social work be as fulfilling a career for Annette now? The sustaining power of God, both in giving contentment and in containing challenging social situations. The importance of listening to local residents who are the true experts.