Memories of shop work

 Good morning. This is a picture of Station Street in Burton upon Trent. I am not sure of the exact year it was taken, probably way before my time. I worked in a shop a few doors down on the right hand side when I was about 16 - 17. My shop work started at Woolworths, but then I moved to Melias. It was a general grocery and food shop. 

Part of it was a mini supermarket where you walked around filling your basket, and part of it was asking the assistant to serve you on the deli counter. I did the serving on the counter, as well as weighing up the blocks of cheese and butter into smaller pieces. We also had a bacon slicer so people could buy two rashers of bacon if they wanted to. I would slice up a large chunk of bacon and arrange it nicely on a tray so people could point at what they wanted and say how many slices. 

Working on the till was part of the job, as was mopping the floor at the end of the day. The stock was delivered once a week at the back door so we helped Colin the driver unload it. I smiled sweetly and fluttered my eyelashes at him, hoping he would notice this skinny beanpole was interested in him. Didn't work though.  

I was happy there. My best friend Sheila worked at Woolworths at the same time as I did. She was married to Basil a policeman. I remember them well. 

Bernie was another staff member. She used to flirt with Mr Laidlaw the manager. I was jealous because she was getting all his attention. Funny what goes through your mind when you are a naive teenager. Crikey he was old enough to be my father, and not at all what you might call handsome. I think I was desperate for someone to love me, as my own father was somewhat lacking any affection for me. 

I got my brother Stephen a job at Melias. We delivered groceries direct to people's houses. Remember Granville on his bicycle on Open All Hours? Stephen had a bike like that. The carrier on the front loaded up with boxes of food. I remember him struggling up Henhurst Hill. I don't think he lasted long on that job. 

After Melias I moved onto factory work because it paid more. Roberts and Birch was a meat factory and I worked in the sausage room. I didn't last long there. It was boring and made me feel sick. I walked into a job at a toilet roll factory. Much better. Clean work with friendly people to work with. When I left there I was 18. I also left Burton, and went to live in Blackpool. Time to strike out on my own and make my own way in life. The rest is history. 

It's Friday. What have I got planned for today. Something will happen for sure. 

Thanks for popping in. Get ready for the weekend. Toodle pip.   ilona