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Jobs you did after school and Saturdays.

G G Jean

G G Jean

Brummy Wench.
:sweat: I was horse mad from an early age but knowing my parents could never afford to buy or keep a horse for me I got off my backside and found every bit of work I could get. Although I rode uncle Freds pony and he always said he was mine he was mainly a working animal to pay for his keep. I had a paper round morning and night. Two nights a week I worked at Claremonts the bakers at the top of Witton road and Saturday's at Woolies Aston Cross. It took a long time to fulfill my dream but don't you appreciate something when you have worked for it and not had it handed to you on a plate. TTFN. Jean.:sweat:
 
When we were saving every penny we earned towards our wedding. I worked on Saturdays at Littlewoods in Town. I was in the toy department, and I started just before Christmas, it was soooooooo busy, and at the end of the day I was whacked, I would meet Brian in the KD at five o'clock grab a coffee and then we'd go to the pictures. I always fell asleep so didn't see much of the film.:shocked:
 
I was the one who swept the hair and made the tea friday night and Saturdays..........phew graft!!
 
I worked in the BHS restaurant clearing tables. Do you remember the conveyor belt to put the trays on that wound itself all around the restaurant? Those in the washing up room (where it ended up) frequently turned it off so they could catch up and us table clearers would try and push the trays further on so we could put them in the gaps!
 
Louisa, what a wonderful story. It has everything that most of us on this forum can recognize from those times. I couldn't see my own children doing
anything close to this or many other "present generation" children of their age. Don't get me wrong on this these were very different times.

You were lucky in the fact that Mrs. Humphries appreciated what you did in your job and gave you some recognition of your value to her with the lovely banana sandwiches, the very special cake you chose and the trips out to Wales. Relationships with employers of any kind were not the same as today
and I so enjoyed reading your story. People had time for each other in those days and yes, there was an unspoken code of loyalty that was taught to us by our parents. Thanks for posting.
 
frankie More and Doc Lindsay D.J's at Roller Rink 60's

Does anyone remember Frankie More who at 14 was a D.J at a roller rink in Handsworth. Love to hear from you. Frankie seems to remember a Keith Jeffries, but unsure of the Surname. He recalls doing aD.J stint at keith's wedding in 60's.
Frank Is writing his memoirs of that era and would love some info.
Thanks
Airam
 
Paper Boy

I did the usual job, a paper boy for the vast sum of 12 shillings, what really got my goat was when I recieved my first pay packet as an apprentice Electrician=14 shillings for 40 hours of work!
I almost went back to delivering the papers again.....
As an early riser I would deliver the papers and be home for 7-00am but I had to watch out because legally children shouldn't start before 7-00am in those days!
 
Saturday job

I worked in a newsagents in the eighties... for £8 all day Saturday and £5 Sunday. I bought a magazine and a bounty and saved the rest. My teenage children now dont work and cannot because local shops/bars etc will not give them job until they have their national insurance number at 16. I asked the local paper to place an ad for my son as odd jobs but they advised not allowed by law until he is 16. The choice is a paper round for son and he thinks beneath him - boy has he got shock soon.....
 
Saturday jobs

At one time , worked every Saturday as a runner for George the breadman at Scribbans . collected at 7 in the morning in the electric van , spent the day delivering the bread while George had cups of tea with the customers while collecting the money . sometimes I would be streets ahead of him and having been dropped back hom at about six would be paid the princely sum of 5 bob, or, if i worked the week as in the school holidays, 7/6. hard work indeed !!;)
 
I had a Saturday morning job, at the greengrocers up the road from where I lived. I kept the potato and other veg racks full, prepared veg for display and even served in the shop sometimes. I recall getting up really early, letting myself into the greengrocers house (no locks in them days), putting the kettle on, then waking him and his mrs up with a cup of tea. We then went off to market in the city centre to buy the veg. Its the first time I'd heard adults "F-ing and Blinding".:rolleyes:
I got paid 10s for the day, on the way home I went into the radio shop and paid 10s off the payment card, I was saving for a DANSETTE MAJOR record player, you know, the type that everyone had........boy I was so proud the day I had finished paying for it. I collected it and had enough left over to buy my firs record (Angela Jones) I wore it out in a week.:D
 
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Loved reading these posts particularly Louisas beautifully written account.
I worked in a green grocers too on saturdays. Boy, lifting those heavy boxes of spuds onto the bins behind the salesmen was a bit of a struggle. Yup, 10/- for the day and bone tired at the end of it. When I started my engineering apprenticeship in 55 I got a big raise. I was paid 10/6 per week...those were the days. Never mind...after a year my pay was 18 bob.
 
saturday jobs

In 1968 at the age of 15. (hadnt left school then. i stayed on till i was 16) i worked every saturday at a shop on the lozells road called sonias. it was an indian drapery shop and i was paid £1 for a days work. cant see the kids of today working for that. does anyone recall the shop. it was on a corner. wales
 
Red coat at silver blades up town

I worked at the ice rink from when i was in school and worked my way up and then i left after 8 years to come to the U.S. I can say i had 8 grate years :)
 
Birmingham ice rink

Hi Wales, I worked at birmingham ice rink (Silver Blades) on Pershore street up town. Paul.C
 
Re: Birmingham ice rink

hi all i was a paper boy weekdays and weekend i was on the barras in the bullring selling flower sunday outside witton cemetery and loved eveery second of it
 
Apart from a morning and evening paper round Monday to Friday on Sat and Sun I collected the money on Kingsland Toll Bridge in Shrewsbury, Good experience for my later job of Policeman as Motorists did not like parting with money then as they dont now.
 
Paul what on earth was a blood boy? sounds awful. Spose instead of sweeping up the hair like Wendy it was hosing down the blood off the floor. Jean.
 
When still at school, I imagine I had one of the worst Saturday/Sunday jobs in the whole of Birmingham. I worked for Sheldon Window Cleaners on High Street, Bordesley (yes, that's right, Postie, next to the Dolls' Club!). They had the cleaning contract for keeping the assembly lines going at Longbridge. I must have reduced my life expectancy by many years by descaling boilers, removing layer upon layer of paint from the walls in the spray shops, with my bare hands scraping excess wax from the machinery that sealed the completed cars, cleaning the skylights, clearing soot from chimneys and dust cum dirt from air extraction systems, etc., etc., etc. I did this on and off for almost three years. For nearly all the jobs, we were given no masks, goggles or protective clothing. Amazingly my lungs seem to be okay. db84124
 
hi jean
we used to start about 2.30 in the morning and when the pigs had been slaughtered the blood was drained into a large vat and we boys would use large stainless steel pails to put the blood into individual bath like things for black sausage making, did't do it long as it was very hard work and smelled awful, but well paid £1, 8/- for some 61/2 hrs work.
paul
 
Jean, I've absolutely no idea !!! Please see "Birmingham Nightclubs of the Past - Memories", Posts #33 and #58. David
 
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Thanks Paul I thought it was something like that. David I will take a look in the morning as I am feeling sleepy. I remember the Dolls hospital opposite Cannings. TTFN. Jean.
 
db84124, you are correct about the risks in that sort of job . The factory I worked in Hereford had a Clerestory roof made of mesh reinforced glass, This was cleaned each summer shutdown. The labour was mostly short term students. It had to happen with in-experienced staff. A young lad put his weight on a pane of glass and he fell about 60 feet to his death ,right in front of the Stores Counter. I understand the cleaning firm was forced to close down.
 
Morning David, I remember Sheldon Window Cleaners well. Ed and I had a job for them at Triplex in West Brom. We had to go inside the ovens which cured the glass. They were dark, dangerous places full of cradles which were slung from rods which allowed them to move freely so it was difficult to climb on them. Our job was to knock off and hoover up all the soot and smuts which had built up. Although we were given (flimsy) face masks there was one other guy who refused to wear them. I often think what happened to him - particularly as my Dad died from an asbestos related disease "caught" during the Second World War He, the other cleaner, looked a little old man to us but I suppose he was in his 40s or so.
As to the Dolls Club, wasn't that a rather up market gentleman's club where we used to go for a quiet cup of cocoa on a Saturday night?
 
Butchers boy,for Bert Steel in Upper Sutton St. Aston,was my part time job,whilst still at school.
Used to go there straight from school in the afternoon,serve in the shop untill closing time, and then scrub it all down.
Friday night was when Bert,cut up the joints ready for Saturday,so we would be there untill about 10pm.
Saturday,I would work all day,serving in the shop or delivering the meat,to a few selective customers.
What I learned from Bert Steel,was,further education,how to pour commercial (illegal) petrol through a gas mask,to filter out the red dye,how to make alamode beef with just a couple of buckets,and the use of someones old washing boiler.
Did it for about two years (late 40s),he had to make me redundant,when the meat ration went down to such a small amount he only opened three days a week.Oh, the pay,8/- per week,plus tips,older ladies must have liked me, because they were always very kind in the tipping dept.
How I looked at the time,all brylcreem and charm.
 
nice memories there ray...no wonder you got good tips..you look very dapper in that pic...

lyn
 
I too did my stint as a butchers boy. Monday to Friday 4-6 then all day Saturday. Not allowed to front of house my work was entirely in the back room. Boiling huge hams in a copper, scrubbing the wooden blocks till they were perfect and keeping the freezers tidy. I remember a 25lb turkey that was said to have been in the freezer for 4 years because it was too large to sell. Now the following is a bit naughty....
During the 2 years I was there the family never eat so well. The back room where I worked was an extension to the shop adjoining open land and on Saturdays my dad would come to the back of the shop and I would pass through the window treats for the family. The two full time assistants did the same I know because at 3 pm every Saturday I was sent to get ciggies.... I pretended not see members of their family lurking at the back.

Whilst I was at uni I had a summer job at Birmingham City Mortuary, the most gruesome of all jobs. Initially I did the gofering, taking bodies from the fridges and laying them on the tables, preparing tools for the pathologist then cleaning up afterwards. Later I was taught how to open bodies (non violent death cases) ready for post mortem and then close them. I learnt more anatomy during those weeks than any Grays anatomy textbook. One thing I did have to learn.... the skill of mouth breathing. Some of the bodies delivered to the public mortuary had laid dead for weeks and without going into detail the smells were horrendous. Happy days.
 
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