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City Electrical

sparks

sparks

knowlegable brummie
My first job was in 1951 with a company called City Electrical based in the middle of the Jewellery quarter. I was an electricians mate with a salary of £1.7.6. a week, and all our work was replacing the very old wiring in the many tiny rooms used by the jewellery makers.
We used to receive electric shocks on a regular basis, and I imagine that Health and Safety would have a field day but I don’t think they existed in those days.
It is odd what particular memory stays in your mind after all these years. Mine was the day that I managed to kill one of the many mice that inhabited the workshops, my boss Andy was furious and accused me of cruelty and then didn’t speak to me for days.
More memories.
 
Sparks
These pictures were taken in the jewellery quarter around 1970, but I suspect they will be similar to your memories
mike
 
I started with N G Bailey who had offices in Henley St B11 in 1962 at the Albany Hotel as an apprentice on 14 shillings per 40 hour week. Two shillings more than my old paper round !! I had mates who worked for City Electrical but the names escape me...
 
Sparks (John)

I loved reading your 1940s memories. It brought back many things that I had forgotten, and stirred many memories for me. Great reading.

Judy
 
I started work as an apprentice electrician in 1963 for Dowding and Mills in Warner Street Camp Hill the wages were as Bilsat said were not much more than the paper round you'd just left , and I believe that I had narrowly missed Saturday morning being part of the working week. I remember my first day was in a factory in Cheapside and the majority of the place was belt driven ,one large motor turning a shaft with belts coming off to operate individual machines , like something from a Dicken's novel . Some of the places we worked had awful conditions for the permanent staff and would be closed down in a flash now , drop forging ,foundries , plating plants tanneries ,but it seemed the worse the conditions were the happier and friendlier the staff were. I suppose Health and safety have their place but the camaraderie of the workplace seems to have been a casualty of its increased use. regards Bernie
 
Many thanks for those pictures Mike. Memories can become faded, photographs refresh.
Sparks
 
John, I enjoyed your page about growing up in Lozells and how it is today and also your accompanying page regarding how things have changed in Britain. Not so much enjoyed the Britain page but understand how the Government has lost touch with it s people. It seems to be all about keeping the status quo for -fat cats- and rewarding these people with even more money no matter what. I could go on about all the reasons why society has changed so much over the last 40 years. It would take forever.

Great to read of other s first jobs. It s amazing how little money people made back in the l950 s and 1960 s working for very long hours and doing jobs in very unsafe conditions. I was part of the Saturday morning workers at two of my early jobs. I ended up spending more money since I would would spend my meagre earnings in town after work on Saturdays. Eventually, the Saturday workday for most people was abandoned. From these meagre wages bus fare had to be paid and also you had to give your Mother money for your keep.
 
Do you sparkies remember going to the union meetings at the Civic Hall I used to let my membership expire and renew it when a job with plenty of ' hours , came up and a card was needed to start. I well remember standing outside the meeting room waiting to hear how much I had been fined this time ,I was told the last time that the next fine would be more than the subs I owed so paid up until the JIB started paying for us happy days Bernie
 
MY first job as an apprentice electrician wages slightly improved early 60s for LH DURRANT harborne was £2 1s and 4d rate of inflation over a few years ?
 
I had to have a union card and I remember going to the civic hall to listen to the speeches, when I went to work on the Bullring the first thing was to show your union card. My memory of the now "old" Bullring was the middle of it with the two esculators in place but the place in total silence.
 
bilsat I bet you were 1 of the members in the meeting deciding the amount of my fines , all self inflicted though . I remember Ray Rider and a chap called Wright from the commitee in those days. I worked on the new Bullring for Hills for about 18 months , it was anything but silent and the view from the new Rotunda flats will be the air conditioning plants on the roof ,300k well spent Idon't think regards Bernie
 
Grossly overpaid, I started with Walker Bros, Temple Row in 1948 at £1-1-10 a week, ended up with Reynolds and Bradwell at 35,Carver Street until 1955 at just over £5.00 a week then it was National Service at 4 shillings a day
 
just a footnote I really cannot remember my first wage but 2 years later my girlfriend ,who worked in a factory was earning 3 times my flat rate , so it must have been really poor money Bernie
 
Hello Berniew, My dad used to work for D&M from 1946 to the 1960`s. He left Camp Hill and went to Whitepost Lane Hackney. I started a Dowding and Mills thread because I found a photo of him and thought it should be recorded somewhere. D&M`s were a big employer in Brum and I wondered whether you would be prepared to put your memory on the site? I am sure there are many people on this site that worked there and it would be good if they could contribute. Thanks Rogermel.
 
sparks said:
My first job was in 1951 with a company called City Electrical based in the middle of the Jewellery quarter. I was an electricians mate with a salary of £1.7.6. a week, and all our work was replacing the very old wiring in the many tiny rooms used by the jewellery makers.
We used to receive electric shocks on a regular basis, and I imagine that Health and Safety would have a field day but I don’t think they existed in those days.
It is odd what particular memory stays in your mind after all these years. Mine was the day that I managed to kill one of the many mice that inhabited the workshops, my boss Andy was furious and accused me of cruelty and then didn’t speak to me for days.
More memories.
Click to expand...
I think my grandfather (Victor George) owned City Electrical - make sense to you? Any pictures if right?
 
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