Title
Kathleen Weller talks about WW2 situations and working in hosiery factories in Leicester
Subject
Work
Description
Kathleen Weller talks about WW2, cutbacks of electricity, and working in Cherub Hosiery factory at the age of 14. Describes the working conditions during and after WW2, as well as working hours. Left Cherub and worked for Corah, describes this.
Creator
East Midlands Oral History Archive
Source
EMOHA
Publisher
EMOHA
Date
1947
Rights
You may use this item in accordance with the licence http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/uk/
Format
.mp3
Language
English
Type
Audio
Original Format
.wav
Duration
3'45''
Bit Rate/Frequency
128kbps
Transcription
There was a bad winter in 1946. What do you remember about that?
We only did part-time at work because they only allowed you to have the electricity on for so long. So you worked till about... until it began to get dark and then he finished.
So you were working and you could only work a certain amount of time. Yes. So did that affect your pay then?
Oh yes, bound to. In fact, we used to do so many days on the unemployment exchange. I think we did about two days there and about three days, half days at work. So big cut in your money coming in, you know?
So what did you do at the employment exchange?
I worked at the Cherub Hosiery.
And when did you start there? What age were you?
I was 14.
And you worked in underwear all of that time?
All the time, yes.
And so can you describe your job, what you did?
Well I started off, I did a bit of running about for a start, putting buttons on little vests, and then Mrs Jackson taught me everything I thought oh she put me through all the stages of the underwear, over locking, I ended up a flat locker. I worked there from 14 till I was 30, and I'd met my husband then and got married, and then I found out I was having Margaret so I worked there, I had two years off with Margaret and I went back when I was 30.
Did you notice many changes from when you first started in the war to when you finished there? What sort of changes?
Well, when I first started, it was very strict, ever so strict. I mean, if the boss walked in, which was one of the Foysters, Mr. Foyster, if he walked in, everybody put their head down and you don't look up because it was very strict. But then when, during the war, they had to be a bit more laxs, they had to have a bit more freedom, but it was it was the discipline.
How much did you get paid?
About £3.50, well not fifty - three pounds, ten shillings to four pound on our own time.
How long was your working day? What time did you start and what breaks did you get?
When I first started when I was 14, till I was 15, we had to finish at 5 o'clock so that was an hour less than the older people, but once you turned 15 you went to what was called full time.
What was full time?
8 till 6. So I did and I went to Corahs, but only went for a week.
What was different about Corah's? What didn't you like about Corah's?
It was vast. I mean, Cherub wasn't small. It used to be Kendall's. You know Kendall's, the umbrella and raincoat place, it was Kendall's and Kendall's swapped their big factory, which was Cherub. and they had Cherub’s, smaller place, nice and roomy, spotlessly clean.
What was the atmosphere like when you were working? Was it all women on the machines and did you chat to each other or was everybody quite quiet while you were working?
We were working and talking at the same time. Flat locking's quite, it's quite complicated, so you can't, like with some jobs you could just do it, like when I was on welting, I did that before I went on flat locking, and it was more specialised.
We only did part-time at work because they only allowed you to have the electricity on for so long. So you worked till about... until it began to get dark and then he finished.
So you were working and you could only work a certain amount of time. Yes. So did that affect your pay then?
Oh yes, bound to. In fact, we used to do so many days on the unemployment exchange. I think we did about two days there and about three days, half days at work. So big cut in your money coming in, you know?
So what did you do at the employment exchange?
I worked at the Cherub Hosiery.
And when did you start there? What age were you?
I was 14.
And you worked in underwear all of that time?
All the time, yes.
And so can you describe your job, what you did?
Well I started off, I did a bit of running about for a start, putting buttons on little vests, and then Mrs Jackson taught me everything I thought oh she put me through all the stages of the underwear, over locking, I ended up a flat locker. I worked there from 14 till I was 30, and I'd met my husband then and got married, and then I found out I was having Margaret so I worked there, I had two years off with Margaret and I went back when I was 30.
Did you notice many changes from when you first started in the war to when you finished there? What sort of changes?
Well, when I first started, it was very strict, ever so strict. I mean, if the boss walked in, which was one of the Foysters, Mr. Foyster, if he walked in, everybody put their head down and you don't look up because it was very strict. But then when, during the war, they had to be a bit more laxs, they had to have a bit more freedom, but it was it was the discipline.
How much did you get paid?
About £3.50, well not fifty - three pounds, ten shillings to four pound on our own time.
How long was your working day? What time did you start and what breaks did you get?
When I first started when I was 14, till I was 15, we had to finish at 5 o'clock so that was an hour less than the older people, but once you turned 15 you went to what was called full time.
What was full time?
8 till 6. So I did and I went to Corahs, but only went for a week.
What was different about Corah's? What didn't you like about Corah's?
It was vast. I mean, Cherub wasn't small. It used to be Kendall's. You know Kendall's, the umbrella and raincoat place, it was Kendall's and Kendall's swapped their big factory, which was Cherub. and they had Cherub’s, smaller place, nice and roomy, spotlessly clean.
What was the atmosphere like when you were working? Was it all women on the machines and did you chat to each other or was everybody quite quiet while you were working?
We were working and talking at the same time. Flat locking's quite, it's quite complicated, so you can't, like with some jobs you could just do it, like when I was on welting, I did that before I went on flat locking, and it was more specialised.
Interviewer
Jenny Escritt
Interviewee
Kathleen Weller
Location
Interviewees home
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