Hi Me again and surprised to have found yet another link to start the old memory box spinning into space like The Tardis.
My problem is recalling names so please don't be offended if you don't get a mention I remember your faces.(If you are still in the land of the living).
I left Handsworth Tech and started work at Elvins within a couple of days at Easter 1954.
I was given the job by Mr Clissold, the Office Manager at the grand salary of 30 shillings, which was the going rate and about 29 more than I was worth!
I was to be the new office boy with the promise of better things if I proved my worth.
I was stationed in the corner of the Reception Office where I was under the eyes of the lady (name forgotten) who was the Receptionist and Telephonist. What I do remember is that she was very patient and protective of me. Her husband and she had a BSA Bantam and went to just about every motorcycling event ,including The Isle of Man and they were Geoff Duke fans.
As far as I remember my duties were to relieve this lady during tea, toilet and lunchbreaks on the switchboard and the little window when the bell rang. I was also responsible for drawing the Red Line under the signing in book, which I delayed as long as possible to allow my tardy co-workers to avoid action from those above.
I was to assist the tea/cleaning lady during the "Rush Hour" and deliver the cups of tea to the various Depts. and make a fresh pot for the Surveyors when they returned to base or any one else above me. From this little haggard lady I learnt to scatter damp tea leaves when sweeping the floors to keep the dust down.
I was also in charge of the mail book into which I had to enter all letters mailed and balance my 30/- float. I once lost the stamps and money orders on my way back from Hockley Brook (?) Post Office and was docked their value from my pay. The sum was more than my wages, but that wonderful Receptionist organised a collection which was about 5/- more than the lost monies and I was allowed to keep this to offset the days of anxiety.
My first job of the day was to go to the letterbox behind the great wooden gate, sort it and get it to right parties. Then between 9 am and 10am I did the filing for Mr Hughes and his mousey assistant of the Invoicing Dept. they were always telling me how slow I was compared with my predecessor, then it came to light that said filing was blowing about on the roof as he had filed them out a window. That really made me feel good and I had no more complaints, that I remember!
The best bit of my other jobs was when armed with "The Key" and a cracked cup I went to all the top floor offices and bled the radiators of the trapped stale air and blackened water which made quite a stink, but no one could refuse access to me and" The Key"!!
To enter Elvins was like going back to Dickensian times. The business was family controlled. The main power lay in the hands of Mr.Tom Elvins who was a bit of a martinet ,the seasons even were stated by him, when he wore his linen jacket to the office it became summer. The next in line was Mr John( only Christian names were used). He was mainly out of the office attending the several building sites and was quite a power house. He drove a Rover 90 which he had installed a reel to reel recorder in the boot, he recorded his notes driving between the different sites and these were typed up upon his return.
There was a board in the passage which we in the Reception Office could see and the important people were expected to slide their names from "Out" to "In' on their return, or vice versa so that we were aware of their availability for phone calls or personal callers.
There was another Mr Elvins whose name I forget, he had joined the firm when India gained freedom and he was longer required in the Indian Army. He sat in his office scanning the daily newspapers for possible Tenders and had some sort of business with the Surveyors. If any tea was slopped into his saucer on delivery it was to be taken away and a new cup presented, he was not my favourite.
Then there was Mr Harry Elvins, senior partner in name. I think he was in his 90's and only appeared for a few hours each week. He drove his car (a beautiful Alvis ) into the main yard, left his car and went to his 2nd story office where he would write one or two letters in beautiful copperplate. Whilst he did this the Yard Manager would turn the abandoned car around and park it out of the way but with a good position for Mr Harry to drive out.
My only problem with this gentleman was that any old files were transferred into the loft area and access was by a ladder through the trap door in the ceiling in his office. If I was in the loft I either had to come down and return later, or stay where I was until he had finished his correspondence.
Another big job was to index the order books. I would leave the main office area, cross the road, and had to call at the Site office where the several foremen would meet in the Site Office where the Site Manager held sway and while they were planning supplies for the morrow, over mugs of tea, I would find and index their books. The one time I could not locate a specific book and had the cheek to ask where it was. The Manager said in a snotty manner, "Seek and ye shall find". Though I was dressed a bit like a Teddy Boy I was a regular church goer, alter boy etc. anything to get into the Youth Club and amongst the girls of the choir. I'd had enough of Mr Smart Ar--e and was able to retort "Ask and it shall be given unto thee" and quote chapter and verse (I was also assistant Sunday School Teacher to be nearer my current crush Barbara Berry). The foremen thought this was great and made suitable comments to said Manager and I never had any further trouble, the books were always waiting for me.
Elvin's did quite a lot of church restoration work and had a special section for the elderly stone mason and his off sider. they were in my opinion the elite tradesmen in the yard and worked just the same way as in the Middle Ages.
The vehicle maintenance area was a bit of a problem as their office was a sort of basement area and their writing not so good as their workmanship. I would have to climb back out of the office and find the boss who was either under a vehicle or in the "PIT" and he didn't take kindly to the fact that I couldn't read the name on the order. His pride and joy was a little Austin 7 which he lavished his time and money on, he had put in a sun roof, replaced the old semaphore indicators with the new flashing ones, new seats etc. it just looked so funny to me but I never said nowt!!
I was only there for 15/18 months but I have a lot of memories and looking back it was a great start in a working life.
Maybe more later if I find the time!