First job from leaving School


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My first job from leaving school was at E.D.Watson, on Waterway St, in March 1955.

I went there to start an apprenticeship in the electrical trade.

My first week was a week in hand, and my first weeks wage,s was £1.19.1.

I didn't stick that for long, the money was rubbish.

I then went to work at N.C.B Bestwood pit for a while, untill i went in to the Motor Trade.

Happy Days Dennis..

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I left school at 16 in1961 and went to work in the Offices at Reynolds Hucknall, my mother chose my job, my clothes and my boy/friends for me, I was sent to college to do shorthand and typing.........

First job? I remember it like yesterday down pit wit me Dad!  

Paperboy at Ingals Post Office Bestwood Estate till in 62 at 15 years old started at Bestwood pit as apprentice electrican , one week at Hucknall training centre next week at Arnold and Carlton Colleg

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I went straight from school to the NCB - South Midlands Region based at Coleorton in Leics. I was a "Student Apprentice Mining Engineer" - an orange stripe around my hat for those who were familiar with such stuff! The first mine I worked at was Snibston in Coalville - it is now a museum. Did my face training at Donisthorpe - where I had the opportunity (twice a day) to ride the last steam powered man riding shaft in the country. It was also the last steam winder to be decommissioned by the NCB when the closed the pit in 1986!

During school I did all sorts of jobs - order delivery boy for Long Eaton Coop, floor sweeper at Tesco in Long Eaton, I worked one summer with the electrical engineers at Ratcliff Power Station and the last summer in school I worked at Pressac on Leopold Street in Long Eaton making printed circuit boards!

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Blackburn & Starling at the still there (mostly) Gresham Works London Road, pretty sure hourly rate at 16 was 1shilling and 8d? don't think I lasted a year, when I think about it Basford to there for 7.30am start and that sort of money wasn't likely to last long! lol,

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First job (1966) was at Gill insulation, as a 'trainee' lagger................rate of pay was 1/3 (one shilling and threepence) an hour, the boss was called Neville Bunn (always addressed as Mr). left after a year & went to John Players No 3 factory, pushing Bartletts (trolleys) full of fags...................lef after a year & back to Lagging, still with it after 40+ years

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Butchers boy on a Saturday . Then apprentice motor mechanic at Automart on Mansfield Road./ Bluecoat Street. Made redundant when they were bought out by Ledleys,

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Blackburn & Starling at the still there (mostly) Gresham Works London Road

In 1968 I was leaving school and attended an interview at B&S for apprentice electrician.

Got the job but decided to stay on at school for 5th year. The boss there told me there

would be a job waiting for me when I left in 1969. I never went back but got a job as

apprentice electrician with the (then) Nottingham Coop (pre 'Greater' GNCS)

However a friend from school did go to B&S that year, Bet you know him, Ken Henstock?

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British Midland at East Mids Airport

Back then - mid 70s - It was just a couple of almost-prefab buildings on the far side of the airport site. The difference now is amazing, not just for the size of the whole place. You could wander round wherever you felt like - security was almost non-existant; it was just two blokes in a Land Rover with a "Security" sign on its roof. Nobody was worried about anything

British Mid was still running mainly turbo-prop Viscounts and Heralds. If a plane took off or landed it was still a bit of an event; people who'd worked there a long time still watched out of the window when they saw something flying past. Probably only half a dozen aircraft movements in an average day.

And it was £24 a week. I still have that first-ever wage slip

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First job was at Raleigh, started there 1/1/62. Crikey, almost 50 yrs ago, now I do feel old! Spent 3 months in the training school, learning key punch, wage was 2pounds 18shillings and 10pence, until fully trained, then a small raise. I started at 9am till 5pm, but if I went in at 8am and helped in the mailroom, opening mail and sorting into departments, I could earn an extra shilling for that hour. Woo hoo.

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British Midland at East Mids Airport

Back then - mid 70s - It was just a couple of almost-prefab buildings on the far side of the airport site. The difference now is amazing, not just for the size of the whole place. You could wander round wherever you felt like - security was almost non-existant; it was just two blokes in a Land Rover with a "Security" sign on its roof. Nobody was worried about anything

British Mid was still running mainly turbo-prop Viscounts and Heralds. If a plane took off or landed it was still a bit of an event; people who'd worked there a long time still watched out of the window when they saw something flying past. Probably only half a dozen aircraft movements in an average day.

And it was £24 a week. I still have that first-ever wage slip

I remember flying to palma in 1968 from Luton Airport with Monarch Airlines, It was a great big yellow turbo prop airplane. My Grandad, who was treating us to the holiday, asked the stewardess when Monarch would be having jets, and i can always remember her reply...........'Oh not till at least 1971'. It seemed a lifetime away.

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Paper boy for ten bob a week before leaving school.

First job after leaving, assembly worker at Ericsson telephones at Beeston. Hoped to get an electrical apprenticeship there but didn't get accepted so quit.

Started an electrical apprenticeship at Clarks of Netherfield in August 1960. Three pounds a week. Stayed until age 21 then moved to electricity board.

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Before leaving school I was a butchers lad for a butcher corner of Hartley Road where it met Alfreton Rd.

Can anyone remember the butchers name?

I had to pedal a delivery bike, one of those with a big basket on the front, all the way up to Bilborough

and Aspley, in the snow!

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Before I left school in 1960 I was a 'Saturday girl' at Arnold Woollies at 14/9 a day and did babysitting for four bob, a bottle of pop, packet of crisps and two parkies.

When I left I went to the EMEB as a trainee junior clerk for £4.10s.0d.a week. I tipped up my wages to me Mam and she gave me back £1 for bus fares and dinners and £1 for spending money.

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First job was on Bridlesmith Street, Wickes Flower Shop making up wreathes wedding boquets and buttonholes i also did all the flower arraingements for the banks when they used to have them on the counter cannot remember how much i got paid but it wasnt much i left soon after a about a year and got a job in a clothing factory where my mum worked, was quite happy there as the pay was good if you were on piece work and you were fast

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Forgot to mention , I got a pound a week at the butchers (Plus all the bacon sandwiches I could eat !!)

£17.10p as an apprentice motor mechanic.

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Not 1950's but apprentice motor vehicle technician at the bottom of Sneinton road in 1968, £3.1s4d per week, finished apprenticeship as a fitter/coded welder in the quarrying industry, still in the same industry but now in Lincolnshire

Rog

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my first job was at sankeys pottery £5 5 shillings a week and boy did'nt you earn it, last job coded welder for saint gobain pipe lines fabricating adapters and couplings used to join all the pipes together.

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First real job C&LE Attenborough George st, Apprentice Dental Tech . I used to line the casting rings with asbestos tape before casting then would break them out of the mold the next morning & sandblast, must have ate 20lb of dust a week all for 2 pound 2/6 a week . My other duties were mash tea for 26, fetch cheese cobs, Fish & Chips, Fags & Johnnies, Sweep the floor

5 years of night school & 3 yrs day release i past the City & Guilds with Credit, Thought i was hot sh......t only to get my pink slip same week as i am now overquallified.

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Formerly Stanton Ironworks

I worked at Stanton (contracting) in early 70's, & recall someone got killed when a railway truck (Molten Iron Vessel) tipped over, can't recall whether 2 or 3 were killed by the molten iron.......................

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