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Earning a few bob as a kid

Kevkonk

master brummie
I had newspaper rounds,a butchers Saturday job at Scrivens Perry Barr, and even collecting rags in a van after delivering the empty bags to homes and collecting them the next day.

But the best paid and most enjoyable job I had was working for a guy who supplied chippies (Fish and Chip shops) in Birmingham. We used to hang about the Chip Shop on the Ring in Perry Common in late 60's early 70's. A guy used to park a big van up and deliver at this shop and would ask if we wanted to earn any money, my brother and I were always chosen. He had a storage room at the back of the shop and we had to load large packages of the fat, which was in a cardboard container, about half the size of those large crisp boxes you see in the supermarkets. He made sure he bought us all cans of coke or whatever we wanted as it was hard work and the drink was welcome, and free.... bottles of vinegar, salt, you name it we carried them and stacked them in the van.

Now, after that we got about £3 - £5 each depending on the amount of stuff loaded, but if you were then asked to help to deliver the stuff you got more.....

It was a fantastic experience, going to parts of Brum you had never seen before and he would stop outside each chip shop and walk in for the order, then come out and tell us what to unload and carry into the shop or storage area, the thing was each shop owner and staff were so kind, offering us drinks, giving us chips with whatever we wanted, but we had to ask for small portions or just a few scallops etc because it got too much to eat!!!!!
This was early evening when we should have been doing homework. The gaps between deliveries were fantastic as we whizzed around through the city centre then out again as we were all cramped together in the drivers cab, sometimes there were more of us and they had to sit in the back getting thrown around and enjoying it.

The guy was well known at our chip shop and our parents knew the owners well, so it was safe, but there were often a lot of us from our gang there and we felt safe also, but the guy was genuine and fantastic to work for.

We got paid between £7 and £10 quid each for doing this plus the preloading. But after a while we started going less because it was getting too late at night, getting up for school etc.....

In fact when we were leaving school he wanted some of us to work for him, but we viewed it as a job which was not full time I guess. The guy was a millionaire I found out later.........
 
Just discovered this, Kevkonk. Wonderful memories: thanks for sharing them! You must have enjoyed that princely income!
 
Loved reading your post Kevkonk; what a good time that was for you and all those scallops and chips for free - good wages too.
 
Hello KevKonk, I had a paper round, helped a bread man on saturdays and he taught me to drive the Bedford Doormobile bread-van while I was still school-age. Sundays I was a caddy at Robin Hood Golf Course.
I have to say that I was happier than many school-kids seem to be these days.
 
Thanks for the pointer to that fascinating thread, Alf. I'm still learning my way round this marvellous forum!
 
Thanks for the pointer to that fascinating thread, Alf. I'm still learning my way round this marvellous forum!

Its a pleasure always has been, its how it grabbed me when I first started and I'm still finding my way around it. There are many more GEMS to be found in that SEARCH BOX.
 
wELL, YOU KNOW ME,,, ALWAYS ONE TO KEEP THE CHAT LINE GOING... i AM WONDERING MR.KK IF YOU MAY OFFER MORE INSIGHT INTO THIS TOPIC.. i FOUND YOUR WRITING AND THE STORY COMPLETELY ENCHANTING... SURELY, THERE ARE MORE MEMORIES TO UNEARTH.... I'D BE ANXIOUS TO HEAR MORE ON THIS TOPIC....
 
anyone remember "bob a job week" in the 50's
My friend slaved for two days sorting out a neighbours garden - heavy undergrowth that had been ignored for years. When he finished she gave him exactly 12 pence as Bob a Job implied. His father was nto well pleased and let her know.
 
I also used to go hedge cutting, snow clearing and of course 'Penny for the Guy'

When I was around 12 years old a friend and myself spent a whole day cleaaring a huge garden, perhaps similar to Bernie's, the kind lady brought out a brand new lawn mower, (not electric) for us to use in the front garden after
we had done the back. Well, after just a few minutes my friend came across a huge rock hidden beneath the grass as he was pushing the mower with force, the blades were very badly buckled and bent and would not turn afterwards.
My friend ran away and left me behind, the lady came out with some orange juice and asked where my mate was, I told her he had to go home for his tea. I drank the two drinks before deciding I did not have the heart to tell her that we broke her mower, so I creeped away.
I hoped the hard work we were not paid for, covered the cost of new mower blades.........

further replies on this thread belong here really

https://forum.birminghamhistory.co.uk...ht=paper+round
 
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