Eric Gibson
master brummie
My mother had several different out work jobs when we were kids, anything to earn a few bob whilst she was at home looking after us.
One job was putting the curls on the end of badge or tie pins, 3d a thousand.
They gave her a little tool which meant picking up a pin, putting it in a slot, turning a lever one and a half times then taking out the finished pin.
After a while dad looked at it and decided it could be done quicker, knocked up a geared tool that just required the pin to be inserted the lever pulled forward an inch then pushed back and out popped the pin.
The works wanted to know how she was managing to do so many in such a short time and, foolishly, she showed the tool to them...…….the job quickly disappeared, taken in house, doubtless they'd copied dad's idea.
Another job she had was 'smocking' embroidering the fronts of little girls dresses.
Another was sewing buttons on display cards for a button company
Another was sewing sequins on stage costumes for Emile Littler's artistes at one of the town centre theatres.
Probably more but I need to think.
One job was putting the curls on the end of badge or tie pins, 3d a thousand.
They gave her a little tool which meant picking up a pin, putting it in a slot, turning a lever one and a half times then taking out the finished pin.
After a while dad looked at it and decided it could be done quicker, knocked up a geared tool that just required the pin to be inserted the lever pulled forward an inch then pushed back and out popped the pin.
The works wanted to know how she was managing to do so many in such a short time and, foolishly, she showed the tool to them...…….the job quickly disappeared, taken in house, doubtless they'd copied dad's idea.
Another job she had was 'smocking' embroidering the fronts of little girls dresses.
Another was sewing buttons on display cards for a button company
Another was sewing sequins on stage costumes for Emile Littler's artistes at one of the town centre theatres.
Probably more but I need to think.