Your first wage?

[Swiss Peter]

Re: Your first wage?

My dad was part of the workforce building Aberthaw power station. He arranged (unknown to me) for me to spend a night shift with him.
It was a wonderful adventure for an eleven year old, riding on the narrow gauge railway moving the concrete mix around and drinking tea out of a tin mug with the men.
In the morning it was their pay day and I got a proper McCalpine pay packet for 2/6, it even had my name on it.

Lovely story

[BLUETIT]

Re: Your first wage?

My dad was part of the workforce building Aberthaw power station. He arranged (unknown to me) for me to spend a night shift with him.
It was a wonderful adventure for an eleven year old, riding on the narrow gauge railway moving the concrete mix around and drinking tea out of a tin mug with the men.
In the morning it was their pay day and I got a proper McCalpine pay packet for 2/6, it even had my name on it.

Hope you declared it to the Taxman

[goats]

Re: Your first wage?

My dad was part of the workforce building Aberthaw power station. He arranged (unknown to me) for me to spend a night shift with him.
It was a wonderful adventure for an eleven year old, riding on the narrow gauge railway moving the concrete mix around and drinking tea out of a tin mug with the men.
In the morning it was their pay day and I got a proper McCalpine pay packet for 2/6, it even had my name on it.

My old man used to take me around his works in the docks about that age, it was a crazy place. They made anchors and chains. Massive piles of them everywhere. Furnaces, molten steel, dark, crazy noise all the time. He often said so and so lost an eye, finger or arm today. One guy died. It was a right baptism of fire when I worked there for 6 months at 18, the bosses son. I got so much grief from the other workers it was unreal, 25 years of pay back to the boss I reckon.
Great learning curve though....nothing was as crazy as working there ever again.

[poc]

Re: Your first wage?

My old man used to take me around his works in the docks about that age, it was a crazy place. They made anchors and chains. Massive piles of them everywhere. Furnaces, molten steel, dark, crazy noise all the time. He often said so and so lost an eye, finger or arm today. One guy died. It was a right baptism of fire when I worked there for 6 months at 18, the bosses son. I got so much grief from the other workers it was unreal, 25 years of pay back to the boss I reckon.
Great learning curve though....nothing was as crazy as working there ever again.

cant think of the name dumballs road by any chance ?

[Swiss Peter]

Re: Your first wage?

I worked at my dads place for a few weeks. It was a supplier of plumbing parts in Zurich. I spent a few weeks counting widgets with the gastarbeiter in the warehouse. They started at about 7 and someone would go down the bakers at 9 to get croissants and beer! How times have changed.

[cardiff55]

Re: Your first wage?

£11 per week, from Barclays Bank Porth in 1972. I hated the job but stayed in various branches for 10 years, some were good like Barry Docks, Llandaff and Tonypandy, others were horrible places to work.

Years later, about 1976, when working in Barry I used to cash £5 on a Friday to see me through the weekend! Also had a half day from there to take some mates to see City get promoted at Bury. Back about 4 am, the work in Barry.

[goats]

Re: Your first wage?

cant think of the name dumballs road by any chance ?

Yeah Beal & Son ltd on Dumballs rd

[poc]

Re: Your first wage?

Yeah Beal & Son ltd on Dumballs rd

thats it amazing place

[insider]

Re: Your first wage?

£27 quid a week youth opportunities scheme trainee alarm engineer.
1985 think it was a step up from the yts.
Company paid some government the rest.

[Stanmore Bluebird]

Re: Your first wage?

£2.10s.0d per week in 1960. Marconi International Marine Co, Mountstuart Square Cardiff

Those were the days.

Yes, seems low but what would that be worth in 2021 I wonder?

[Stanmore Bluebird]

Re: Your first wage?

And re the Top Rank, who remembers ‘Grab a Granny Night’ every Monday?

[IanD]

Re: Your first wage?

My first wage was around £70 a week working down Merretts (Sunblest) bakery on Maes-yr-Coed Road...in hygiene department, 1977. 10 hours a day, 5.5 days a week 7am to 5pm. Mainly in the tray wash unloading the empty bread baskets, stacking them then putting them through the tray wash ready for the next day's deliveries. There were some right characters driving the vans down there. Hard, physical, work but relatively well paid for a school holiday job.

[poc]

Re: Your first wage?

And re the Top Rank, who remembers ‘Grab a Granny Night’ every Monday?

[Moodybluebird]

Re: Your first wage?

£6! what a loser!

Plus 10 shillings AND Luncheon Vouchers !

From 5 shillings a week pocket money it was a huge amount. Don't knock it !

[Des Parrot]

Re: Your first wage?

Used to black current pick or potato pick in school holidays. Ffing horrendous, paid by the tray or box, whatever the pay it wasn’t enough.