We met the Černoch family in their home in Všechovice and spoke about their experiences of working in different TON factories and the way in which this has shaped the story of their family. The Černoch family is inextricably linked to the small village of Všechovice, which is also the birthplace of the functionalist architect Bohuslav Fuchs.
In which TON facility did you work, Marie?
Marie: I worked for TON here in Všechovice, because my children were small. I started here in 1975 and stayed until 1990. I worked in the packing area, packing stools.
Did you two meet at TON?
Marie: No, it wasn’t like that. Josef used to travel to Bystřice and so did I, and that’s how we met. That was before I started to work for TON. Then we got married and after my maternity leave I came to work here.
Former TON employee Marie Černochová reminiscing about her work in the factory.
What does TON mean to you, Josef? Is it a big part of you?
Josef: It is. To this day I wake up in the morning and realise that I had dreamt about TON again. Sometimes it’s about being behind, or being the last one to finish, or wanting to go home and not being able to find my locker.
Do you have these dreams regularly?
Josef: Yes, often.
Petr: That doesn’t mean these things actually happened to him...
Do you often see your old colleagues from the factory?
Marie: For three years now the old TON gang has been getting together in the summer to reminisce at the local pub. This year we also had a reunion.
What do you talk about?
Marie: All sorts of things. The supervisors who used to work here also come. The last reunion was fun – a big woman who now works as a team leader with the upholsterers came, and everyone was wondering who she was. Turns out that we knew her as ‘the blonde’ some forty years ago, when she was thin as a rake... Yeah, it’s nice to get together. We always look forward to it.
Read the full interview with the Černoch family in the publication
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