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I had several of these of varying duration whilst at school and then college, from age 14yrs when you could only work a half day. Most of us did. Anyone remember the department store Henry's? Not as memorable as Toby's etc, but it deserves it's place in history. On Wheelergate, it was a sizeable shop with a ground and first floor. It's now a pound shop and was a Virgin record store for a while. I worked on the jewellery counter, but once or twice got roped in to the cafe for washing up duty. That was gross, rinsing all the fag ends out of the saucers. All your mates who didn't work on Saturdays used to cruise round from shop to shop to see one another and pretend to be customers. I got made redundant from there, then went to Shoefayre. More of that later if you're interested.

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I worked in our local hardware shop from the age of 13. Not sure if it would be allowed nowadays at such a tender age. I served paraffin, firewood, paint and all the other paraphernalia normally found in such a shop. Left when I was 17 as I started a full-time job as a Secretary.

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I did waiting on tables at the big CO-OP restaurant in the City, for a few Saturdays. HAHA, I was too nervous. I was worried about spilling Soup or food on someone. So I legged it in my break, I let them keep my mornings pay. I did OK from Babysitting around the Estate. Can any one remember going Potato Picking! That was a back breaker, but we all had a laugh.

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I had a few Saturday jobs while I was at school - WH Smith, the only one where I can remember the pay - £1.85 for the day!, Green Shield Stamp shop (remember that?), British Home Stores (so boring - hardly had any customers), and my favourite, Fords, on Alfreton Road.

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I was an order boy at the Long Eaton Co-Op on Grasmere Road from age 14 to 17. Worked one hour on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, two hours on Friday night and four hours on Saturday morning. Stocked shelves, collected and delivered grocery orders and swept up. I "think" I got paid about 25/- but at Christmas we would work as many hours as possible and often got a pay packet with over five quid in it - that was big money in those days!

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I worked at Sissons Paperbacks, on the corner of Milton Street and Shakespeare Street, from 16-19, and only left then because I had to do work experience for 9 weeks when I was at college. I think my pay started at £2.50 for the day and was something like £12.50 when I left. I worked at the Savoy Hotel in their Grill Bar, for the 9 weeks, can't remember what the basic pay was, but I do remember I made about £400 in tips over that period!

I never went spud bashing, Carni, but I remember seeing people come to Watnall for it.

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carni I went spud bashing here a few times .

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.001764,-1.274958,3a,75y,335.94h,94.98t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sLMF7BFFeon5rNk320nRh7g!2e0?hl=en

Hard graft it was & remember picking spuds down by the viadict thingy nearby, which gets mentioned reguarly on Nottstalgia.

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I can't imagine the kids doing it today. It really was hard work, I bet we didn't get much pay either. We probably spent it on Park Drives and Chips!

My two boys went courgette picking in their school holidays, (about 20 years ago), that's posher than spud picking by the way :unsure:

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OK then. If you ever bought shoes from Shoefayre near to The Bell. This was in the days that shoes were displayed in the window and you asked the assistant for your size in the desired style. The assistant would bring out your choice of shoes and you would try them on in front of her. They might be a bit snug but you really wanted them. So, the assistant would say ' I could put them on the shoe stretcher if you like, but if I do that you'll have to buy them'. You might have said 'yes please' and seen the assistant take the shoes away into the back room. Then heard a motor starting up. Shoes came back..tried them on....the shoe stretcher had worked! All happy. But you should know that the motor was some sort of fan, and the shoe had been stretched on a broom handle! But hey! And please do nott judge me too harshly, I was only 16 and under management instruction. Hope you loved your shoes.

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My saturday job was working in the butchers shop that used to be at the top of Derby Road near Canning Circus in the early 50s,can't remember the name

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What was the name of the shop on Clumber St - a Stationery/card type shop - half way up on the left hand side - same side as the Lion. This woud have been in the 70's. Failed miserably in an interview for a Saturday job there!

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My saturday job was working in the butchers shop that used to be at the top of Derby Road near Canning Circus in the early 50s,can't remember the name

Masons..

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My very first job was shelf stacking in a little mini supermarket on Alfreton Road. Then when I was old enough to legally work a full Saturday, I went to Woods greengrocery also on Alfreton Road. The first week of two was fine, I was on the cut flower department. Then however, I was moved to the fruit and veg section. Never brilliant at mental arithmetic, I had to calculate things like ' a pound and a half of potatoes at 1/11 a pound plus a quarter of mushrooms at 7d a pound plus half a pound of tomatoes at 1/6 a pound'. I tried my best but it clearly wasn't good enough because I suddenly got grabbed by the owner into the back of the shop, had my coat thrown at me and was shoved out the front door. I had evidently served a man from 'weights and measures', and not surprisingly got wrong whatever I had served him with. Oops!

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