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calling all office girls.
- Thread starter Astoness
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jennyann
Gone but not forgotten. R.I.P.
My mother was a temp many years ago and she worked for the first temp service in Birmingham called Brook Street Bureau founded by Margery Hurst in 1945 and is still in business all over Britain today. Mom was a shorthand typist and there were very few office machines such as Banda. The old wax stencil system Gestetner was about it.
Mom always believed that if you had been in a job for a couple of years and wanted a change...progress, she called it then it was a good idea to "go on temps" and have a look around, see what types of jobs were available, what types of office machines were on hand as things became more efficient in offices in the late 1950's and on. She did this herself and enjoyed it very much. If there was a vacancy for the position she temped for and if she thought it was ok she would take the job. Mom always said the same thing when I was going for a interview especially in town. "Don't forget to factor in your bus fare costs into your wages and see if they offer luncheon vouchers"... Yes Mom, I would answer! followed up by "Don't forget your reason for leaving your present job on the application form or verbal as it often was in an interview back then.....PROGRESS was written in. My own daughter used this as well.
At New Street Station, my first job in l957, the wages were two pounds ten per week and free local train transport. I had to give my Mother at least two pounds per week. I got it back in things she used to buy for me though but it taught me that I had to pay for my keep. At that time there were no office machines except the Gestetner and the senior typists usually made up those stencils. I did, however, experience a very early fax machine at New Street Station which was hooked up between some of the larger stations on the system. It was a large floor model and seemed magical to me. We had to have special permission to send a memo or timetable to a station via this machine.
My next job at John Wilson's (Wholesale Grocery) at New John Street West introduced me to the Banda. The salesmen's price lists, which seemed to be for ever changing, had to be typed on Banda sheets and run off. I used to get covered in purple ink and it adhered itself to belts, handbags,shoes. It was just awful. I remember I received four pounds a week at this job since it was a junior secretaries job working for the Company Secretary. I was 16 and the lady who left was 35. It was hard work but I had the wonderful Olympic 66 and hammered out several letters a day on it. Mr. Roberts my boss was a really good man. Coffee and tea were served by the accounting clerks from the small canteen that served meals to the directors and the warehouse staff.
Mom always believed that if you had been in a job for a couple of years and wanted a change...progress, she called it then it was a good idea to "go on temps" and have a look around, see what types of jobs were available, what types of office machines were on hand as things became more efficient in offices in the late 1950's and on. She did this herself and enjoyed it very much. If there was a vacancy for the position she temped for and if she thought it was ok she would take the job. Mom always said the same thing when I was going for a interview especially in town. "Don't forget to factor in your bus fare costs into your wages and see if they offer luncheon vouchers"... Yes Mom, I would answer! followed up by "Don't forget your reason for leaving your present job on the application form or verbal as it often was in an interview back then.....PROGRESS was written in. My own daughter used this as well.
At New Street Station, my first job in l957, the wages were two pounds ten per week and free local train transport. I had to give my Mother at least two pounds per week. I got it back in things she used to buy for me though but it taught me that I had to pay for my keep. At that time there were no office machines except the Gestetner and the senior typists usually made up those stencils. I did, however, experience a very early fax machine at New Street Station which was hooked up between some of the larger stations on the system. It was a large floor model and seemed magical to me. We had to have special permission to send a memo or timetable to a station via this machine.
My next job at John Wilson's (Wholesale Grocery) at New John Street West introduced me to the Banda. The salesmen's price lists, which seemed to be for ever changing, had to be typed on Banda sheets and run off. I used to get covered in purple ink and it adhered itself to belts, handbags,shoes. It was just awful. I remember I received four pounds a week at this job since it was a junior secretaries job working for the Company Secretary. I was 16 and the lady who left was 35. It was hard work but I had the wonderful Olympic 66 and hammered out several letters a day on it. Mr. Roberts my boss was a really good man. Coffee and tea were served by the accounting clerks from the small canteen that served meals to the directors and the warehouse staff.
Di.Poppitt
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
My first job was at Kynochs Witton as we called it then. ICI or IMI now. If I could have a bit of my life back it would be those years. We youngsters all started in the post room. We undid all the post that came in to the factory, sorted it and put it in folders ready for delivery by us girls.
We had 'rounds' a couple of times every day. Great if you were going near the factory offices rather than the main offices, the apprentices would all be looking out for us, just the odd whistle or wink but it was all something to tell the girls when we all got back. From there I went into the main office and worked in staff records. I had to sort the cards from an addressograph machine, I can't recall much about it now, other than I know I hated that bit of the job. I also had to record every time card for office staff. We had to clock in, and the record of the time cards were sent to department heads, I guess if you were late too often there would have been 'words'. We were all to scared to be late. I also had to do errands for the director's secretarys, that was great. The directors were all on one floor, the only corridor and offices that had carpets. But they were all lovely, I often got a cup of tea or a biscuit from the secretarys, and the directors weren't adverse to a bit of an ogle.
From there I went on to another office full of girls my own age, and we had a lot of fun apart from the work. But the best thing about Kynochs was the social life. There was a youth club, and we could also use the sports pavillion out on Holford Drive any night. We use to drink Orange specials, which was orange juice soda water and lemonade. None of us drank, it seems unbelievable now. We had dances every Saturday night, two nights were club night, we had a record player and we bought all the latest 78's, and if we could get money from the subs we bought 45's. We had such good times there, I'm in touch with two old pals and when we meet it is as though the years have rolled back.
We had 'rounds' a couple of times every day. Great if you were going near the factory offices rather than the main offices, the apprentices would all be looking out for us, just the odd whistle or wink but it was all something to tell the girls when we all got back. From there I went into the main office and worked in staff records. I had to sort the cards from an addressograph machine, I can't recall much about it now, other than I know I hated that bit of the job. I also had to record every time card for office staff. We had to clock in, and the record of the time cards were sent to department heads, I guess if you were late too often there would have been 'words'. We were all to scared to be late. I also had to do errands for the director's secretarys, that was great. The directors were all on one floor, the only corridor and offices that had carpets. But they were all lovely, I often got a cup of tea or a biscuit from the secretarys, and the directors weren't adverse to a bit of an ogle.
From there I went on to another office full of girls my own age, and we had a lot of fun apart from the work. But the best thing about Kynochs was the social life. There was a youth club, and we could also use the sports pavillion out on Holford Drive any night. We use to drink Orange specials, which was orange juice soda water and lemonade. None of us drank, it seems unbelievable now. We had dances every Saturday night, two nights were club night, we had a record player and we bought all the latest 78's, and if we could get money from the subs we bought 45's. We had such good times there, I'm in touch with two old pals and when we meet it is as though the years have rolled back.
Pomgolian
Kiwi Brummie
Telephone House in Newhall Street, I applied for a job there, but was too short to reach the 'Boards'
This pic' is of 1937 before all you 'BRAGirls' took the jobs of 'The BARMen'
View attachment 19267
This is the type of 'Board' I used, with headphones.
View attachment 19268
Also from another thread...
Gosh I was a 'Little Brat'
This pic' is of 1937 before all you 'BRAGirls' took the jobs of 'The BARMen'
View attachment 19267
This is the type of 'Board' I used, with headphones.
View attachment 19268
Also from another thread...
Alberta, My switchboard was the same, with plugs at the end of cables and 'eyes' with numbers that popped down when a call was in operation and up at the end of a call, although I had 10 lines and 40 extensions. I also played around when bored, phoning random numbers and putting the radio to the speaker when the number was answered. That wouldn't be so funny today, with the 'Hang on -Hold' music they play while your waiting 20 Min's to be told to press another choice of buttons, did your one too and agree very silly really.
Quote:
Oh to be young again
There was one 'Lady' who never let up about the way I spoke and what I should wear to work (what did she really expect from an 'urchin from Nechells') she lived in Bromsgrove. Well the day I was leaving I secretly mixed heaps of her files up. (Not a secret any longer). Poor woman she must have had a nervous breakdown.
Gosh I was a 'Little Brat'
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W
Wendy
Guest
There is a lovely collection of old typewriters telephone boards and clocking in machine at the Pen Room worth the visit for the memories.
Jayell
master brummie
I was just reading about Lucas's of Gt King Street on another thread. I was sent to work there as a temp in the late 50's and it was like going back in time. I worked in the typing pool with many other girls and our desks were set out in rows, just like school. At the front on a platform was a single desk where the supervisor sat and overlooked us all. There was a clock in/out system - the first and only time I have had to use one.
With our supervisor watching our every move - you even had to ask to go to the toilet! Under her beady eye, no-one was allowed to leave the office to go home until the bell went at 5.30. There was then a mad dash to clock out, and for me, a run for the bus stop where I was nearly trampled on in the rush to get on the bus when one came. No orderly queues there, it was every man for himself. Needless to stay after the end of the week I requested my agency sent me elsewhere!
With our supervisor watching our every move - you even had to ask to go to the toilet! Under her beady eye, no-one was allowed to leave the office to go home until the bell went at 5.30. There was then a mad dash to clock out, and for me, a run for the bus stop where I was nearly trampled on in the rush to get on the bus when one came. No orderly queues there, it was every man for himself. Needless to stay after the end of the week I requested my agency sent me elsewhere!
jennyann
Gone but not forgotten. R.I.P.
Judy's memories of being a temp at Lucas's in the typing pool reminds me of my first job at New Street Station. I described my job when I first started
as "school with a wage packet" because although the pool at New Street was only eight when fully staffed, the supervisor ruled over us like a school teacher. The clock in the office was connected to the station time system but you could open the glass and move the hands with a long ruler which one of our "devil may care" women sometimes did in order for us to get out
early. The supervisor though had an excellent watch and was never fooled!
Our supervisor Miss Meland was hard to read at times but at Easter she bought us all chocolate eggs and a special greeting card at Christmas.
I learned a lot in that job and the women in the pool treated me very well. We had two German women who were married to British soldiers after the War and they were very interesting women.
My Mom worked at Lucas's in the early l930's in the typing pool and they used to deduct money from your wages if you made typing errors in
your letters! Also, if you used an eraser and made it very obvious the
supervisor would walk over to the window and hold up the letter to reveal the rubbing out!
as "school with a wage packet" because although the pool at New Street was only eight when fully staffed, the supervisor ruled over us like a school teacher. The clock in the office was connected to the station time system but you could open the glass and move the hands with a long ruler which one of our "devil may care" women sometimes did in order for us to get out
early. The supervisor though had an excellent watch and was never fooled!
Our supervisor Miss Meland was hard to read at times but at Easter she bought us all chocolate eggs and a special greeting card at Christmas.
I learned a lot in that job and the women in the pool treated me very well. We had two German women who were married to British soldiers after the War and they were very interesting women.
My Mom worked at Lucas's in the early l930's in the typing pool and they used to deduct money from your wages if you made typing errors in
your letters! Also, if you used an eraser and made it very obvious the
supervisor would walk over to the window and hold up the letter to reveal the rubbing out!
sylviasayers
master brummie
My first job on leaving school at 15 just after Christmas 1952 was at Atkinsons Brewery, we had to sign a book at the Cashier's desk when we arrived, this desk was tall and narrow and he sat on a high chair - very Dickensian, I do remember he had beautiful copper plate handwriting and seemed ancient to me. A couple of minutes after 9 o'clock he would draw a red line in the book, so we really tried hard to avoid that.
My wage was £2.2.6 I was employed as a junior shorthand typist and shared an office with Ron and Christine who was older than me about 20 years old and showed me the ropes. Our office adjoined that of the Head Brewer and Director, who was a larger than life character, I had to make the tea and coffee for him and the other brewers who were in an office across the corridor and had a small kitchenette off. I had to take Mr. Beale's tea on a tray with a plate of biscuits, and one day trying to negotiate the two doors (one lined with green baize) into his office, one of the doors swung back on me and I dropped the tray, I was really upset, but he was very kind about it.
Amongst a range of duties was opening the post, running errands, doing the petty cash, besides typing and taking down shorthand for the Mr. Beale's second in command, to get to his office I had to walk through the
fermenting room on either side of which was large vats which had creamy heads on them which the men used to scrape off with large wooden paddles. When I first started they would wolf whistle etc., which embarassed me but I soon learnt how to deal with it.
I would also have to take messages to the sample room which was quite a walk from the office across the yard, past the loading deck, and the cooperage where they still made the wooden barrels by hand.
My wage was £2.2.6 I was employed as a junior shorthand typist and shared an office with Ron and Christine who was older than me about 20 years old and showed me the ropes. Our office adjoined that of the Head Brewer and Director, who was a larger than life character, I had to make the tea and coffee for him and the other brewers who were in an office across the corridor and had a small kitchenette off. I had to take Mr. Beale's tea on a tray with a plate of biscuits, and one day trying to negotiate the two doors (one lined with green baize) into his office, one of the doors swung back on me and I dropped the tray, I was really upset, but he was very kind about it.
Amongst a range of duties was opening the post, running errands, doing the petty cash, besides typing and taking down shorthand for the Mr. Beale's second in command, to get to his office I had to walk through the
fermenting room on either side of which was large vats which had creamy heads on them which the men used to scrape off with large wooden paddles. When I first started they would wolf whistle etc., which embarassed me but I soon learnt how to deal with it.
I would also have to take messages to the sample room which was quite a walk from the office across the yard, past the loading deck, and the cooperage where they still made the wooden barrels by hand.
G G Jean
Brummy Wench.
Hi ladies. I stayed on at school to do shorthand and typing [knowing I would hate stuffy office work] but it came in use after I had children. Had so many office jobs my first at Craelius diamond drilling co Concentric a couple off Watery lane Small Heath but my best was at Sumlock comptometer. Just myself in the office of the service dept and about 25 men. I never worked in a typing pool that would have done my head in. When I was seventeen I aplied to work with the horses at Prestatyn Holiday Camp which entailed keeping the books and some general typing. I would not have been given the job without my office experience. Best fun year of my life. After the season was over I worked in a bookies by Salford park [awful at maths] don't know how I coped. Then was offered a job as groom to a Mr Shipman at Bransens Cross. That winter was the coldest for years but I loved it. When we got married I went temping and worked at Lucas 5 ways and when I was pregnant worked at the then Dudley road hospital ordering the instruments for the surgeons. I only had to pop across from my office to have my antinatal. Hope I didn't boooooore you too much. Jean.
M
mike-g
Guest
They have just introduced a new dress code for 6th formers at one of my granddaughters schools. They have to go to school dressed as if going for a job interview.
sylviasayers
master brummie
Hi office girls do you remember the Dictaphone? I first came across these when I worked at the BSA, the dictator spoke into his machine and it was recorded on a blue or red shiny "sleeve" which was inserted into the playback machine, we wore headphones and worked a sort of foot treadle to get the sound. There was also an ancient type of machine which had a black cylindrical tube, there was only one woman in the office named Daisy who could use it. How things have moved on since then. This was about 1957/58.
jennyann
Gone but not forgotten. R.I.P.
I remember the dictaphone very well Sylvia. They used them at R.M. Douglas
and I remember using them several places including in Vancouver over 30 years ago. At Douglas's we had a Chief Accountant whose work I used to
do. Mr. Devlin was Scottish and came from the Aberdeen area. It used to take me ages to do his letters because I couldn't understand what he was saying. I kept having to go back to relisten so many times and often had to get other people to come and have a listen. His brogue was Scots and very hard to understand. I remember the red sleeve
type of Dictaphone and I also remember the Dictaphone repair man coming to service the machines. They were a great invention and are still around today in a very compact set up.
and I remember using them several places including in Vancouver over 30 years ago. At Douglas's we had a Chief Accountant whose work I used to
do. Mr. Devlin was Scottish and came from the Aberdeen area. It used to take me ages to do his letters because I couldn't understand what he was saying. I kept having to go back to relisten so many times and often had to get other people to come and have a listen. His brogue was Scots and very hard to understand. I remember the red sleeve
type of Dictaphone and I also remember the Dictaphone repair man coming to service the machines. They were a great invention and are still around today in a very compact set up.
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The Baron
master brummie
Do any of you ladys remember the old wax cylinders which were the fore runner of that plastic belt. when I first started in sales at the GEC they were still useing those machines I remember the great big horn on the long cable & the stylus cutting the grove as you spoke into it.
WOW HOW WE HAVE COME ON FROM THOSES DAYS!
WOW HOW WE HAVE COME ON FROM THOSES DAYS!
davidfowler
Exiled Brummie
Baron, never mind the wax cyliders, I wonder if some of the ladies remember these? This was a MANager correcting some mistakes!
Whoops, I'll get me coat!
Whoops, I'll get me coat!
Hockleybrook
proper brummie kid
I first worked at Cannings a huge chemical factory with endless corridors and stairs. As a junior I had to dash from one floor to another with messages and bits of paper (God knows what they said - I didn't have time to read them) as soon as I got back downstairs and to my desk I had to go back upstairs again, there was no time to practise the shorthand/typing I was learning at night-school, lunch-break was when/how/if. There was someone else in the office with the same name as me so they instantly changed mine and I was often slow to answer my new unfamiliar name.
A nightmare but then I moved on to Ratcliff (Metals) in New Summer Street, a lovely family company what a change.
A nightmare but then I moved on to Ratcliff (Metals) in New Summer Street, a lovely family company what a change.
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sylviasayers
master brummie
Baron, when I worked at the BSA Armoury Road, Small Heath, in 1957 there was still one of those old wax cylinders in use, but there was only one lady named Daisy who could use it. She seemed quite old to me then as I was only 19 and newly married, she was probably about 40 I would consider that young now.!!!!
Jayell
master brummie
Hi Hockleybrook
When you were at Cannings and learning shorthand-typing - did you do day release at Soho College on Soho Hill? I used to go ther full time, and when I was 13 I went into the Commercial Dept to learn shorthand/typing etc. We used to have girls from all the local factories coming in to learn same. I particularly remember Cannings as this firm, and others, used to send in letterheaded paper for us to practise on.
Judy
When you were at Cannings and learning shorthand-typing - did you do day release at Soho College on Soho Hill? I used to go ther full time, and when I was 13 I went into the Commercial Dept to learn shorthand/typing etc. We used to have girls from all the local factories coming in to learn same. I particularly remember Cannings as this firm, and others, used to send in letterheaded paper for us to practise on.
Judy
maggs
master brummie
Hi everyone,
I remember being an office girl in the late 1950's. We had to work on the post table for about 6 months before being placed in 'a department'. The man in charge of the post table was something of a monster. We all feared him. He assessed our personality and manner before choosing our department. During ones time on the post table, we typed wage packets, delivered internal post. There was a super canteen with a varied menu and it was out job to go around all the employees to take their orders. Birthdays were good we always had cakes bought by the birthday girl of course. They were Kunzle cakes...who remembers those?
Maggs.
I remember being an office girl in the late 1950's. We had to work on the post table for about 6 months before being placed in 'a department'. The man in charge of the post table was something of a monster. We all feared him. He assessed our personality and manner before choosing our department. During ones time on the post table, we typed wage packets, delivered internal post. There was a super canteen with a varied menu and it was out job to go around all the employees to take their orders. Birthdays were good we always had cakes bought by the birthday girl of course. They were Kunzle cakes...who remembers those?
Maggs.