My first day at work.

[Johnny39]

dogduke wrote: Leodian wrote: While still at school in the late 1950s I tried to get work for a few hours a week at a W H Smith's wholesale newspaper supply building that was at a side road near the New Market Street/Duncan Street junction at the Corn Exchange. I was turned down because I was too small (as far as I recall some other school lads got taken on). I think the work may have involved shifting and bundling newspapers to await collection. That WH Smith's must have closed down a long time ago! Did that back onto the railway ? - I think itburned down in the mid seventies. If you mean did it have facilities for unloading papers directly from the train I'm pretty sure it didn't back on to the railway. The reason for saying this is that the "paper trains" from Manchester used to unload at City Station and W. H. Smith vans picked them up and took them to the Corn Exchange. One morning, after coming out of work about 3.00 a.m., we followed a Smith's van down Duncan Street and a parcel of papers fell out of the back of the van. Being honest types of blokes we took them to Smith's depot whereupon, after explaining the circumstances, we were told, "Oh! Right Ta, shove 'em over there". And that was that.Was Smith's taken over by Menzies?    

[Lyndoch]

I started working life at Wilkinson and Warburton King St., in 1955 being paid 42/6for my troubles I was on the Ladies Coat Dept.. The General manager was a "Colonel" Dixon. and our buyer was Mrs. Connie Byrne.. You spoke when you were spoken to and not before.. I learned how to sweep endless wooden floors and operate a lift during the lunchtime periods.. I could go on .. anyone remember this.. opposite the Hotel Metropole..

[Phill_dvsn]

I was told to report to a Mr John Henshaw for John Laing construction on Wellington Street in September 1983. I had just left school and was about to start my career as apprentice Joiner. I was filled with horror when i saw the massive building site i was to work on herehttp://snipurl.com/1qorzyIt was to be a building for B.T.Two tower cranes for good measure, the place looked very dangerous and daunting. The cotton wool bubble of school soon vanished. Even more so when i learnt a man fell from the crane and had died months earlier. 1983 was long before things like H&S got in the way, hard hats were few and far between, you were in the minority if you wore one. Hi-Viz jckts hadn't been invented. And the cordless drills came in the form of a wheel brace. The building is now called West one i believe, and John Laing construction don't seem to do many (if any) of these types of building contracts these days

[Johnny39]

Lyndoch wrote: I started working life at Wilkinson and Warburton King St., in 1955 being paid 42/6for my troubles I was on the Ladies Coat Dept.. The General manager was a "Colonel" Dixon. and our buyer was Mrs. Connie Byrne.. You spoke when you were spoken to and not before.. I learned how to sweep endless wooden floors and operate a lift during the lunchtime periods.. I could go on .. anyone remember this.. opposite the Hotel Metropole.. I certainly remember Wilko's. Although not working for them, my pal and I happened to know someone who worked there in the late 1950's. Anyway, the point I'm making is we used to play cricket for them on a Wednesday night at Beckett's Park. They were also one of the teams we played against at football on Sunday mornings. Did it burn down or was that the paint store next door? I remember it was a hell of a blaze whichever it was!

[BLAKEY]

Lyndoch wrote: I started working life at Wilkinson and Warburton King St., in 1955 being paid 42/6for my troubles I was on the Ladies Coat Dept.. The General manager was a "Colonel" Dixon. and our buyer was Mrs. Connie Byrne.. Who could forget Wilkinson and Warburton - "Caressa Hosiery."??Our bus stop was right opposite and I can tell you that W & Ws huge red neon sign with a nubile young lady in a jaunty pose caused us young lads some rosy cheeks !! I daresay you remember also the cigarette shop down a couple of steps in the base of the building - it was managed by a nice lady, Miss Hunter, who closed from 1 to 2 pm and went home to Kirkstall to see to her elderly mother - we used to drop her right outside her stone terrace house and she greatly appreciated the few minutes it saved her.    

[BLAKEY]

Johnny39 wrote: [ They were also one of the teams we played against at football on Sunday mornings. Did it burn down or was that the paint store next door? I remember it was a hell of a blaze whichever it was! W & W didn't burn down - but a huge paint company next door, which stretched through to and fronted onto Wellington Street did and,as you say Johnny, it was an enormous blaze. W & W was demolished, sadly, to make way for the ghastly new Bank of England building.

[Johnny39]

BLAKEY wrote: Johnny39 wrote: [ They were also one of the teams we played against at football on Sunday mornings. Did it burn down or was that the paint store next door? I remember it was a hell of a blaze whichever it was! W & W didn't burn down - but a huge paint company next door, which stretched through to and fronted onto Wellington Street did and,as you say Johnny, it was an enormous blaze. W & W was demolished, sadly, to make way for the ghastly new Bank of England building. Thanks for that Blakey. We had been working on the "Pink" when someone said there was a tremendous blaze on Wellington Street so we decided to have a look on the way home. I also recall another paint shop blaze in Trinity Street which we watched from the upstairs of the YEN. They don't half go those paint stores.

[carith]

My first day at work involved reporting to the wages office at lofthouse pit, then taken to the stores where i remained until after my 16th birthday. At this point i was then deemed legally old enough to be trained to work underground.I remained at lofthouse pit until 1973 where i moved on for a safer (or so i thought) working life with a demolition company. And the rest is history as the saying goes.

[Loiner in Cyprus]

carith wrote: My first day at work involved reporting to the wages office at lofthouse pit, then taken to the stores where i remained until after my 16th birthday. At this point i was then deemed legally old enough to be trained to work underground.I remained at lofthouse pit until 1973 where i moved on for a safer (or so i thought) working life with a demolition company. And the rest is history as the saying goes. My first day at work was at the Newton Hill Training Centre in 1961. I then worked at Miggy. I was also at Lofthouse in 73. I shall never forget the first day of Spring!

[carith]

While doing my underground training I was on day release at Wakefield college on Fridays. We used to walk up to Newton hill to collect our wages. The 21st of March 1973 is well imprinted in my memory.