I started working in the mill when I was fifteen. In
those days it was a forty-five hour working week, but fifteen year olds where
not allowed to work for forty-five hours, so we got a longer dinner break.
Instead of stopping at twenty past twelve, we stopped at twelve o' clock.
We could buy a juvenile ticket in the canteen; I cant remember how
much it was, probably about sixpence in old money, for that you
got a two course lunch. We used to get two tea breaks a day, one in
the morning and one in the afternoon. The trolley would go round
all the flats in the morning and they sold hot or cold rolls and
on a Friday they sold chips. Of course everyone looked forward to
friday for the roll and chips. In the afternoon it was homemade
cakes and scones, they were always delicious!
The first year of my working life I had to work on Christmas day, as that was not a holiday in Scotland, all we got was two days at New Year. When we stopped for the Paisley Fayre we used to smuggle in alcahol, usually vodka. When we got the chance, we would go to the toilets for a wee drink. The gaffers must have known what was going on as every time we came out of the toilets our faces were a bit redder and our eyes a lot more glazed, but they turned a blind eye.
I have lots of happy memories of when I was a young girl working
in the mill. We had to work hard but we had a lot of fun, it was
a great place to work. |
