[speaker001:] Can you tell us what er what section you work in?
[speaker002:] I work at the weaving
[speaker001:] In the weaving?
[speaker002:] section, aha. And
[speaker001:] And what do you do?
[speaker002:] I'm what you call a Axminster handler
[speaker001:] Aha.
[speaker002:] which involves like when the frames comes off the weaving and they're yarn left, I strip the yarn off.
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] Off the, the, the weaving frames.
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] That's basically my, aha.
[speaker001:] It's quite spec specialized so
[speaker002:] No no, no, no. It's not specialized, no.
[speaker001:] Mhm, have you ever worked in any other factory?
[speaker002:] Aha, I worked in spooling, I've been left now two year.
[speaker001:] [cough] And how did you find that?
[speaker002:] Er, I liked the spooling but some... I just don't know, some of the girls get kind of... one one thing by the other I can object to, I think it was actually the atmosphere of the, the girls that worked in the department that I
[speaker001:] Mhm, mhm.
[speaker002:] just objected to.
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] But it was a good job.
[speaker001:] And have you worked in here for many years?
[speaker002:] Oh yes. Ca more than I care to remember.
[Ken:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker001:] Aha. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker002:] Unless it been, like I left from my kitchen.
[speaker001:] Aha, and is this your first job?
[speaker002:] Aha, aha.
[speaker001:] You left straight from the school?
[speaker002:] Yes.
[speaker001:] And er what attracted you to the job, did you know somebody that worked here?
[speaker002:] Er, no, we just like actually applied, like Saxone were, they were looking for girls then, Saxone, B M K, and this was the, the, one that
[speaker001:] And how did you do that? Did you just walk round the factories and put your name in the office?
[speaker002:] No no, we just er came down to Personnel Office and
[speaker001:] Aha.
[speaker002:] asked if there was any jobs going.
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] So they took a list of, they took your name?
[speaker001:] Your names.
[speaker002:] Mhm. And then sent for you.
[speaker001:] Right, erm [cough] so do you think the place has changed much in the years that you've worked here?
[speaker002:] Oh factory-wise, aye, aha.
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] I mean it's, it's gonna seem, it was an awfully big factory over there, it's a different factory entirely.
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[Ken:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] More like a big shed here.
[speaker001:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker002:] That's all it is.
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] But you cannot expect... I mean we was actually lucky there was a job there now, when it closed down.
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] I was lucky the factory started up again.
[speaker001:] Mhm, mhm, er so how did you find arrangements when you left to have your children, did you feel that your job was secure? Did you feel satisfied?
[speaker002:] I suppose a job more or less was always secure at that time, aha.
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] Because it is a kind of semi-skilled you know. It was always more or less
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] secure.
[speaker001:] And what happened when you came back, did you er wait until your kids were that wee bit older or did your... family
[speaker002:] Well
[speaker001:] help you out?
[speaker002:] Nigel started a kind of evening shift, that you was there with your kids during the day and then your husband got them at night and you come out and worked at nights, so it
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] kind of works.
[speaker001:] Oh that's
[speaker002:] Well that was, mhm.
[speaker001:] And are you from?
[speaker002:] Sorry?
[speaker001:] Are you from?
[speaker002:] Aha, aha.
[speaker001:] And so was it, do you just travel er the bus?
[speaker002:] It's er I stayed up like, aha, in Street at the time you know. So it was quite convenient.
[speaker001:] So were there any, nowadays you know if there's any opportunities to come back part time, if you've got small children.
[speaker002:] No, there was nothing like that, no, I think there's only one girl I've ever part time.
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] It's started up again.
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] We work, to my knowledge only one girl.
[speaker001:] Mhm.... Erm so do you feel that in the years that you've worked here are women just as important in the factory and make up a large part of the workforce now as they, as they've ever done? They do important jobs in the factory?
[speaker002:] Well I think actually not as, as, as many as there were the, like in the other, years ago, but that's to be expected nowadays. I would say there were more men in important jobs in here than there is
[speaker001:] Mhm.... Does that ever cause any resentment if there's, you know if the, a man's a head of a section where there's a lot of women who maybe feel that you could do the job as well?
[speaker002:] No it's more petty things that's resented than actual, the actual
[speaker001:] Aha.
[speaker002:] job, it's just petty things that
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] like obsessed girls you know.
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] If one gets a better design, if one gets bobbins and the other doesn't get the, they just scrap, you know, [LAUGHTER] scratch one another 's eyes out [].
[speaker001:] [LAUGHTER] Is there a lot of that?
[speaker002:] Oh ye you'd actually think they was making their own pay the way they carry on, I mean
[speaker001:] Aha.
[speaker002:] you've got to. It doesn't matter what job, but there's a wee bit resentment among just the girls themselves.
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[Ken:] Mhm.
[speaker001:] Aye, and have you any nicknames for people in the factory?
[speaker002:] Oh y we used to have the Sisters.
[speaker001:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker002:] They retired a fortnight ago, [LAUGHTER], called the oh aye there are a few nicknames for them, including the Sisters.
[speaker001:] Anybody else?
[speaker002:] Erm... they call me Doughnut, which I detest.
[speaker001:] Why's that?
[speaker002:] My name's and my sons get called Doughnuts so I get called Doughnut.
[speaker001:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker002:] Erm, no just to kind of or the wee one or something like this, aye,.
[Ken:] Mhm.
[speaker001:] Mhm.... Or the biggie. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker002:] Oh bi aye, the big one. Mm, biggie.
[speaker001:] Aha. Mm. Yeah, what else? Oh do you do anything? Do you ever keep up with people outside work? And have you made any friends that you do things, maybe go for a drink or?
[speaker002:] Well actually before we come here, like back here we've had weekends in Belgium.
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] And weekends in London. And we're booked up to go and see Cats in January, oh we've quite a few and then like, there actually spooling's quite good at organizing for er charity.
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] And we have nights out and things like this, for that.
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] Oh definitely.
[speaker001:] And what do you do, do you just put so much a week in a kitty for that?
[speaker002:] Well if we're going to be
[speaker001:] somewhere.
[speaker002:] No, we used to actually actually do that, like you had nights out, maybe Christmas and certain times of the year you had a night but that's kind of stopped here. No, it's more like just save ourselves more
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] or less you know. There is a girl that collects money if you want to give her it.
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] She collects for all the charities and her, she's a great organizer, terrific. [LAUGHTER] She organizes everyone.
[speaker001:] And do you get a lot of er pay offs and things in the factories now?
[speaker002:] You get a few but not our bit, it's actually more at the picking now where all the young ones are.
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] There not many, there, it's just them started,
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] like er there's four young ones just out of spooling.
[speaker001:] Mhm. And what do you do when somebody's er having a pay off, do you do her out and the
[speaker002:] aye, the works, aha.
[speaker001:] And is that done in the work?
[speaker002:] Er no the girls take it home.
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] And do the quoting in their spare time.
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] There's a lot of work involved in that.
[speaker001:] And do they make up verses and things for it?
[speaker002:] Mhm,
[speaker001:] take her round the factory?
[speaker002:] Round the factory, aye,
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] aye. It's not changed. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker001:] No, how about the men, do you do anything for the men?
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker001:] [LAUGHTER]
[Ken:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER] Grease and oil and you name it, mhm
[speaker001:] Really?
[speaker002:] Mhm. There was a big gi big woman once in here at the weaving, oh and she's huge, and oh she goes for the men,
[Ken:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker001:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker002:] she does, the works on the men, and we leave it all to Magda.
[speaker001:] Aha.
[Ken:] [LAUGHTER]...
[speaker001:] What was I, oh yes erm, do you find that like maybe like one section thinks they're a wee bit better than another section?
[speaker002:] Mhm.
[speaker001:] Because of the kind of job they're doing or the fact that they're getting a wee bit more pay?
[speaker002:] They do, mhm, mhm, they do.
[speaker001:] And who, who thinks they're best?
[speaker002:] Erm spooling, I would say, department thinks they're one up on everybody else. Mhm.
[speaker001:] . The cream.
[speaker002:] The cream, aha. From under the cow. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker001:] [LAUGHTER]
[Ken:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker002:] And that's where I used to work in but that's the reason I left, because I thought actually some of them was getting kind of uppish.
[speaker001:] Aha.
[Ken:] Aye.
[speaker002:] this, that, and the next thing.
[speaker001:] Mm, mm, anything else I was going to ask you, I think that was about it, was it?
[Ken:] Aye, well I mean the social activities you used to have in the old place, were th were those any better than over here?
[speaker002:] When we started here it looked er but we'll only get actually six weeks, said you've got six weeks work, that's all.
[Ken:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] But it's lasted about seven year, so you never can organ but once we did start I did enjoy the ones over here because over there when your kids were small you didn't go out much anyway but now that your kids are up you've got it, and personally I enjoyed the ones that started but they don't have Christmas dance, barn dances and things like this, they don't org we have to have to organize like that ourself.
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] But the work doesn't organize anything like that.
[speaker001:] Did those used to be big things?
[speaker002:] Mm, they used to have like big dances and thin in the Grand Hall of all places, [LAUGHTER] but music was once a year, things like that but they don't have that now.
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[Ken:] Did they used to have clubs and stuff, the
[speaker002:] Oh they have er, we can join the cricket club,... like er B M K workers pay in so much and they are members of the cricket club.
[Ken:] Mm.
[speaker002:] You can go to that?
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] I don't think there was really that many
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] down for that.
[Ken:] Mhm.
[speaker001:] Mhm. And do you get any perks like do you get any discounts in the town, through?
[speaker002:] Aha, they'll say you get a card like d for the jewellers, and things like that.
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] Jewellers,, not much mind you, but it's always helped.
[speaker001:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker001:] You don't get any cheap carpets, no?
[speaker002:] You're joking.
[speaker001:] [LAUGHTER]
[Ken:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker002:] You're joking, we get our chicken and that's it at Christmas.
[speaker004:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker001:] You get a chicken at Christmas?
[speaker002:] We get a chicken at Christmas, aha, sorry a turkey. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker001:] A turkey?
[speaker002:] A turkey, we get that at Christmas.
[speaker001:] To take home?
[speaker002:] Mhm, frozen, and you've, by the time you've thawed it in forty eight hours, it's no use for Christmas time, that's what I've got against it. So you've got to actually store it till new year [LAUGHTER] cos you can't, you haven't got time to thaw it out?
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] But that's our perks, that's it. [LAUGHTER] A turkey. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker001:] is it the fair holidays you get?
[speaker002:] Aha, aha.
[speaker001:] A fortnight at the fair?
[speaker002:] Fortnight at the fair.
[speaker001:] Mhm, what's your kind of favourite places for going?
[speaker002:] Well the last f four year I've been abroad.
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] We've been to the Canary Islands, and was er Bulgaria last year, I've been to Yugoslavia,
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] oh, aye, places.
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[Ken:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] I like to try a different pace very year to see what it's like.
[speaker001:] Aha.... And do a lot of people go abroad now do you think from the factory?
[speaker002:] Mhm, mhm. But you have to work damned hard to, all year round to get
[speaker001:] Aha.
[speaker002:] that fortnight, I mean it's
[Ken:] Mhm.
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] impossible to like if my husband and I didn't work.
[speaker001:] Whereabouts does your husband work?
[speaker002:] He works in.
[speaker001:] Mhm, mhm.
[speaker002:] Mhm. You've to work and you've to work overtime and you [LAUGHTER] be round the clock. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[Ken:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] You've to work to get that fortnight.
[speaker001:] And do you find that if you didn't have the overtime then you, you'd be struggling with your wage?
[speaker002:] Och, aye, because I actually dropped twenty pound coming from the spooling to the job I'm doing just now.
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] Dropped twenty pound, this actually me on the bottom scale
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] I work at just now.
[speaker001:] But is it a better job do you think?
[speaker002:] No I wouldn't say it was a, I would say it was far dirtier and
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] I mean before you used to have your own, your own, like the job I'm, I was started for I've got sweep all the... floor, the place where we work.
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] I've got to do that twice a day which I didn't know we actually had to do when I started it.
[speaker001:] Mhm. Mhm.
[Ken:] Aye.
[speaker002:] Aha, I would resent, I'd resent that.
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] Because I'm not kidding you, see that, I mean I've to buy big bags of it.
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[Ken:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] Aye, I object to it.
[speaker001:] And when did you move to that job?
[speaker002:] As I say I didn't... I thought the girls was plus that fact it was a lot of concentration for the spooling.
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] And with this in this thing now that B M K's in, every had got to be spot on.
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] And you could easily make a mistake with the work, you get all worked up. I used to get worked up if I made a mistake, I mean, I weave and a nervous breakdown spooling [LAUGHTER]
[speaker001:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker002:] No way.
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] So I thought then it was time to move.
[speaker001:] Mhm, but so you're, you're quite happy in your job?
[speaker002:] I like it fine, except for this brushing, I object to all this mess it's doing and
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] things like that.
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] That's the only thing I've got against it.
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[Ken:] But how do you feel B M K could other factories in the town, do you think it's a good, good factory to work in?
[speaker002:] Well basically I see we get less holidays than every other factory.
[Ken:] Mm.
[speaker002:] I mean we're not allowed as many holidays as, as most of them, but then again it was starting up so we just had to take it that way.
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[Ken:] Aye.
[speaker002:] It's either that or you'd no job, and
[speaker001:] Mhm, do you have a family?
[speaker002:] But I actually think if there's more factories opened up in and thing, I think going with the talk a lot of men, especially men would, would look for jobs elsewhere because you don like in here the men don't get paid if they're ill. I mean
[Ken:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] you only get like, they ge the guys are on get pound a week if they're ill
[Ken:] Aye.
[speaker002:] fifteen pound at the most, they, in other factories they ge for six month men get their full wage.
[Ken:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] Well they don't get that in here unless you're higher up the scale like a tenter or something that's, things like that.
[Ken:] Aye.
[speaker002:] But down the scale a bit and the, the men don't get... I feel sorry for them I mean you've kids and everything.
[Ken:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] The likes of us we've got a man behind us, but the likes of them I feel sorry for, they cannot actually afford to be sick and that's it.
[Ken:] Yeah.
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[Ken:] So
[speaker001:] Do you have a family?
[speaker002:] I've two boys, aha.
[speaker001:] And where do, where do they work?
[speaker002:] Er one's in the, works for himself, he's brickie, and there's one works in the glazer. He, he used to work in here
[Ken:] Mhm.
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] but he started in the glazer about two months ago.
[speaker001:] Mhm, do you find that's a, a common thing that mothers and fathers' ll maybe get their kids a job in where they work?
[speaker002:] Well I don't think they would actually but my, my sons are into, to trade you know.
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] But it closed down it's closed so
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] I just got him in here and then he got into, er the glazier.
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] so it was better conditions in there.
[speaker001:] Mhm, mhm.
[speaker002:] I mean he liked his job in here right enough but it was more money and better conditions in the glaziers so
[Ken:] Aye.
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] he bought a flat do he had to go where... he was getting, aye, more money, and then again as I say if he was ill he would get his pay for so long.
[Ken:] Mhm.
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] It's just things like that just
[speaker001:] You have to weigh up the pros and cons.
[speaker002:] Mhm, mhm.
[speaker001:] Mhm, and you feel that youngsters nowadays have maybe less opportunity than you had yourself when you were leaving school?
[speaker002:] Och, aye, I have, aye.
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] Girls, it's a shame really... I also find they didn't need to, they don't, didn't need to work as hard as the ones years ago.
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] They only will stand for the same, I don't think they're going to stand for the same conditions
[Ken:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] that we used to have to make our own and I'm not kidding you, and [LAUGHTER] was ne was a [] you know?
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] With things like that, I think the young ones that way
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] have kind of changed
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] I mean I think we're all when theirs were running about but they're
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] kind of calmer I think the younger ones.
[Ken:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] I think they're a lot calmer.
[speaker001:] Do you think the young the younger generation are too lazy? [LAUGHTER]
[speaker002:] No, I mean it, not lazy, I would say they're cleverer, put it that way.
[speaker001:] [LAUGHTER]
[Ken:] Aye,
[speaker002:] Mhm, more common sense than we had.
[speaker001:] Mhm, mhm.
[Ken:] So do you ever see the town picking back up again, and getting a few more factories in the?
[speaker002:] Mm, I'd hope so but I don't think so.
[Ken:] So
[speaker002:] Look at at one time the and you had er well you've got Johnnie Walkers but there are not as many works in that either.
[Ken:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] Cannot see it, no. This is what I mean.
[speaker001:] Do you think there's there's a kind of widespread feeling that nearly everybody feels like that?
[speaker002:] Aye, and they feel as though they've got to stick to the job they've got, especially at our age.
[Ken:] Aye.
[speaker002:] Where could we get a job at our age?
[speaker001:] Mm.
[speaker002:] So you've just got to
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] it's that or nothing.
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] And unfortunately the bills comes in just the same as you've got to stick it. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker001:] Right thanks very much.
[speaker002:] Alright.