MY FIRST JOB. I LEFT ST JOHN;S SCHOOL WHEN I WAS FIFTEEN. THE SCHOOL AGE HAD JUST GONE UP. FROM FOURTEEN .I WENT TO WORK IN LITTLEWOODS POOLS. YOU HAD TO PASS A TEST FIRST.IT WAS DOWN TOWN IN A PLACE CALLED M.C DONALD HOUSE NOTHNG TO DO WITH FAST FOOD LIKE WE HAVE TODAY. YOU TRAINED FOR TWO WEEKS IN LITTLEWOODS IN OLD HALL STREET.THEN I WENT TO WALTON HALL AVENUE YOU WERE PUT IN WHAT THEY CALLED THE POST ROOM .SORTING ALL THE POST IN TO DIFFERENT GROUPS YOU STAYED IN THERE FOR ABOUT SIX MONTHS THEN YOU WENT OUT ON THE POOL IT WAS A LARGE PLACE . IT HAD TWO DIVERSIONS ONE WAS H AND THE OTHER WAS J IN EACH ONE THEY WHERE DIVIDED IN TO GROUPS I WOULD SAY ABOUT TWELVE OR FOURTEEN AND THEY HAD THIRTY OR MORE GIRLS EACH ONE HAD THERE OWN CLIENTS. IT WAS A VERY STRICT PLACE TO WORK IN YOU ALWAYS GOT CALLED BY YOUR SURNAME. WHEN I WENT OUT ON THE POOL YOU WHERE PUT ON A GROUP. AND WAS CALLED A SLITTER WHEN THE POST CAME UP YOU HAD TO SORT IN WHAT THEY CALLED PIDGEON HOLES FOR EACH GIRLS POSITIONS. THEN IT WENT IN A MACHINE TO SLIT THE TOP OPEN. YOU HAD TO GIVE THAT OUT THEN. THE GIRLS ON THE GROUP ALWAYS HELPED TO SORT THE POST OUT YOU WHERE THE JUNIOR. SO YOU HAD TO DO A LOT OF JOBS IF ONE OF THE GIRLS WANTED ANYTHING THEY WOULD ASK YOU TO GET IT FOR THEM.BECAUSE THEY DID NOT HAVE TIME YOU HAD A LOT TO DO ONCE YOU GOT YOUR POST .I DONE THAT JOB FOR MAYBE SIX MONTHS ,THEN YOU GOT TRAINED TO GO ON THE POOL YOU SAT WITH A GIRL FOR ABOUT SIX WEEKS THEN YOU GOT YOUR OWN PART. IT WAS HARD WORK .ON MONDAY THEY HAD WHAT THEY CALLED A JOEY YOU HAD TO STAMP EVERY COUPON WITH IT AND YOU HAD OVER A THOUSAND EACH TO DO IN MAYBE HALF HOUR OR LESS THEN THEY WERE ALL HAND MARKED SO YOU HAD TO BE SURE YOU NEVER LEFT ANY WINNERS IN BUT NEARLY ALWAYS YOU WOULD MISS ONE OR TWO. AND YOUR NAME WOULD GET PUT IN A BOOK AFTER SO MANY YOU WOLD BE TOLD OFF .JUST LIKE BEING IN SCHOOL.. TUESDAY YOU ORDERED YOUR MONEY TO PAY OUT SMALL WINNERS. WEDNESDAY YOU HAD TO START SENDING ALL THE CLIENTS THEIR COUPONS OUT THURSDAY WAS YOUR DAY OFF FRIDAY WAS A EASIER DAY YOU FINNISHED AT FOUR O CLOCK SATURDAY WAS A HARD DAY THATS WHEN THE POST WOULD COME IN EVERY DOOR AND WINDOW WOULD BE SHUT FOR SECURITY .WE HAD TO WORK TILL SIX O CLOCK THEN I HATED WORKING THERE.BUT MY MA WOULD NOT HEAR OF ME GOING IN A FACTORY OR BAG WAREHOUSE BECAUSE THAT IS WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE WENT TO WORK. BRIDIE AND RONNIE BOTH WORKED IN LITTLEWOODS RONNIE WAS A POOL CLERK BUT BRIDIE HAD A GOOD JOB SHE WAS ON CORRES CALLED AN OUT WARD READER SHE CHECKED ALL THE LETTERS GOING OUT AND THEY ALSO PAYED OUT SOME OF THE BIG WINNERS ONE TIME A GIRL OFF BRIDIE,S GROUP WAS CAUGHT TAKING THE MONEY AT THAT TIME THE FIVE POUNDS NOTES WHERE VERY LARGE AND SHE HAD A WAD OF THEM UP HER SLEEVE .BRIDIE HAD BEEN TOLD THEY WHERE GOING TO SEARCH HER. SO YOU CAN IMAGINE HOW BRIDIE FELT KNOWING SHE HAD THE MONEY U P HER SLEEVE SHE WAS DISMISSED AT ONCE I DON’T KNOW WHETHER THERE WAS A COURT CASE OR NOT EVERY MORNING THE THREE OF US LEFT TOGETHER WE WHERE NEARLY ALWAYS LATE WE USED TO GO UP BARRY STREET THAT WAS OFF WALTON RO.AD AT THAT TIME IT WAS TRAMCARS NOT BUSES.THERE USED TO BE WHAT THEY CALLED THE TURNAROUND IT WAS SAY THE NEXT BUS STOP.BRIDIE OFTEN GOT THAT .THE DRIVER USED TO WAIT FOR HER.SHE USED TO GO LIKE THE WIND.SOMETIMES ON THE TRAM A LOT OF BRIDIE;S MATES WOULD BE ON BRIDIE AND MYSELF WHERE VERY SLIM RONNIE HAD A BIT WEGHT ON.T HERE WAS ONE MATE CALLED LOUIE WESTON, USED TO SIT OPPOSITE US AND RONNIE USED TO ALWAYS MOAN ABOUT THE GIRL .SAYING SHE HATED HER BECAUSE SHE WOULD BE STARING AT HER .THE GIRL WAS A VERY NICE PERSON .WHEN YOU GOT TO LITTLEWOODSTHEY HAD A AUTOMATIC GATE THAT CLOSED AT 8 30 PROMPT .IF YOU WERE LUCKY TO GET IN AND YOU WHERE A FEW MINUITES LATE YOU HAD TO REPORT TO PERSONAL.OFFICE IF THE THREE OF US WHERE THERE, WE WOULD BE ARGUIING WHO WAS GOING IN LAST ,BECAUSE THE LAST ONE SEEMED TO COME OF THE WORST .ONE DAY WE WHERE LATE BUT BRIDIE GOT THROUGH THE GATE .RONNIE AND I WERE LEFT OUTSIDE.I WAS GLAD AND SAID TO RONNIE I AM NOT GOING BACK THERE WE HAD OUR FINAL WARNING ABOUT BEING LATE .AT THAT TIME YOU COULD GET A JOB EASY .RONNIE WAS UPSET. WE WALKED HOME , AND WE WORRIED ABOUT WHAT MY MA WOULD SAY. ESPECIALLY TWO OF US BEING OUT OF WORK WHEN WE GOT TO FOUNTAINS ROAD ,MY MA WAS IN A SHOP CALLED WATERWORTHS ,I WENT IN RONNIE THE COWARD WENT DOWN HOME .MY MA JUST SAID TO ME WHAT ARE YOU DOING HOME I SAID WE WHERE LATE .AND I AM NOT GOING BACK. SHE WAS ALRIGHT ABOUT IT .IN THOSE DAYS THEY DEPENDED ON YOUR WAGES IWAS ONLY OUT OF WORK FOR TWO DAYS ONE OF MY MATES SPOKE FOR ME IN TILLOTSONS ,IT WAS A PRINTERS THEY DONE ALL THE CIGARETTES PACKETS, SOAP POWDER BOXES AND VARIOUS OTHER THINGS .IT WAS SO DIFFERENT FROM THE POOLS BUT I LOVED IT . THE GIRLS WHERE SO FRIENDLY ,IT WAS A BIG ROOM I WAS IN CALLED THE TUBING WE HAD FOUR GIRLS ON THE MACHINE ONE AT THE BACK CALLED THE FEEDER.SHE USED TO PUT LONG STRIPS IN THEY WHERE MOSTLY CIGARETTES PACKETS WE DONE ,,AT THE FRONT WAS A GIRL ,SHE WAS CALLED THE TAKER OFFER. SHE WIULD PUT THE CUT PACKETS IN A TRAY AND THERE WAS TWO GIRLS OR IF IT WAS A BIG JOB THERE WAS THREE ONE USED TO SORT AND MAKE SURE ALL THE PACKETS WERE PERFECT AND THEN THEY WOULD BE PACKED UP AND TAKEN AWAY WE USED TO SING ALL DAY ON THE MACHINE IT WAS NOT FAR SO I USED TO GO HOME FOR MY DINNER IF WE WANTED TO KNOW A SONG I USED TO ASK MY MA AND SHE WOULD WRITE THE WORDS FOR US .I STILL KEEP IN TOUCH WITH ONE OF MY FRIENDS CALLED GWEN WE MEET ABOUT EVERY MONTH . BUT SPEAK A LOT ON THE PHONE .I HAD TO LEAVE THERE WHEN I GOT MARRIED IT WAS ONE OF THE RULES WE GOT A LOT MORE MONEY THAN LITTLEWOODS. OUR RONNIE ENDED UP IN VERNONS POOLS SHE WAS STILL OFF ON A THURSDAY. I WAS MADE UP BEING OFF ON A SATURDAY. BRIDIE STAYED IN LITTLEWOODS AFTER SHE GOT MARRIED .DAVE WAS IN THE MARINES AND WAS GOING TO MALTA FROM EGYPT SO HE GOT A PLACE FOR HIM AND BRIDIE AND SHE WENT OVER FOR TWO YEARS. AFTER LEAVING TILLOTSONS I HAD SEVERAL JOBS BUT NONE FOR VERY LONG THEY WHERE HORRIBLE PLACES AND I WOULD NOT STAY. AFTER HAVING THE CHILDREN. I NEVER WORKED FOR AGOOD FEW YEARS, WHEN WE MOVED TO NORRIS GREEN. MARK WAS ABOUT SIX MONTHS OLD AND JIMMY WORKED PERMANENT NIGHTS MARY DOOLAN ONE OF MY FRIENDS GOT ME A JOB IN WALTON HOSPITAL ON MORNINGS.AS JIMMY CAME IN OF NIGHTS I WAS ABLE TO GO TO WORK.I ENJOYED BEING THERE I WAS ON B WARD. IT WAS MOSTLY BROKEN BONES AS SUCH.AND IT WAS A MAN;S WARD .YOU IGOT TO KNOW THEM ALL QUITE WELL.,IF IT WAS ONE OF THERE WIFES BURTHDAYS OR ANNIVERSARY I USED TO GET THE CARDS FOR THEM IT WAS VERY INTERESTING WORK GETTING TO KNOW ALL THE FAMILY HISTORY.THE MEN USED TO LOVE TELLING YOU ,THERE WAS A FEW PATIENTS WITH CANCER.THAT UPSET YOU WHEN THEY DIED.BUT MOST OF THE TIME YOU WOULD HAVE A GOOD LAUGH WITH THEM ALL . I WAS THERE FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS. AND JIMMY CHANGED HIS JOB SO I HAD TO FINISH. I THINK MY NEXT JOB WAS WHEN MARK WAS IN THE NURSERY I STARTED IN THE SCHOOL KITCHENS IN MARY HELP OF CHRISTIONS.IT WAS ONLY A COUPLE OF HOURS A DAY ,BUT IT WAS HEAVY WORK.UT I WAS ALWAYS HOME FOR THE KIDS COMING FROM SCHOOL AS WELL AS WORKING IN THE SCHOOL. I DONE WEEKENDS IN A PETROL STATION ON THE EAST LANCS ROADS FROM ABOUT TEN IN THE MORNING TILL EIGHT O CLOCK AT NIGHT.IDID NOT STAY THERE LONG’ IGOT A JOB IN LITTLEWOODS POOLS ON A SATURDAY MORNING I COULD NOT BELIEVE THE CHANGE IN THERE’ THE MONEY I GOT WAS VERY GOOD ; THEN I STARTED TO WORK ALL DAY SATURDAY I WAS STILL IN THE KITCHENS IN THE SCHOOL BUT THEN THEY ASKED IN LITTLEWOODS ;DID ANY ONE WANTED TO WORK ANOTHER DAY SO I WORKED TWO HALF DAYS ; AND ALL DAY SATURDAY FOR A WHILE I GOT MORE MONEY SO I FINISHED IN THE KITCHEN ;AFTER A WHILE IGOT TWO FULL DAYS WHICH WAS BETTER;I DONE THE ALL DAY SATURDAY FOR AFEW YEARS BUT I ENJOYED IT ;I WAS WITH SOME SMASHING GIRLS; WE ALWAYS HAD A GOOD LAUGH TOGETHER THE ONLY THING IF YOU WERE GOING OUT ON THE FRIDAY IT WAS GETTING UP FOR WORK ON SATURDAY; AFTER A WHILE I ASKED ABOUT COMING OFF SATURDAY AND I DONE TUESDAY AFTERNOON ALL DAY WEDNESDAY ; AND FRIDAY MORNING IT WAS IN A ROOM CALLED COLLECTORS WE WHERE LIKE ONE BIG FAMILY ; WE STILL ALL KEEP IN TOUCH AND GO OUT TOGETHER.WHEN I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER ‘ IGOT ALL FLOWERS AND MASS CARDS ; GET WELL CARDS’ THEY STILL RING ME UP TO SEE OUR I AM DOING ‘WE MET A FEW WEEKS AGO’ IN THE SETTER AND VINE FOR A DRINK’ I ALSO GOT BOTTLES OF BACARDI OF A LOT OF FRIENDS. WE WILL ALL BE MEETING SHORTLY FOR OUR CHRISTMASS DRINK.WHICH I LOOK FORWARD TO.IT IS NEVER A SAD GET TOGETHER EVEN THOUGH A LOT OF THEM HAVE PASSED AWAY .WE ALL JUST HAVE A GOOD LAUGH TALKING ABOUT WORK. WHEN I WAS SEVENTY IN OCTOBER I I DID NOT WANT A PARTY;I GOT OVER EIGHTY CARDS A LOT OF VOUCHERS AND PRESENTS. WEALL JUST WENT OVER TO THE LEGION IN LOWER LANE. THEN CAME BACK TO THE HOUSE.IT WAS A ENJOYABLE EVENING .IWILL CLOSE NOW AND SEE CAN I GET OFFERED ANOTHER JOB .HOW ABOUT WRITING FOR THE ECHO.THE END