At fourteen, fifteen and sixteen years old, I really wasn't that much younger than the youngest of the workers. A buzzer type bell marked each break and tools were downed, work stopped at that precise moment. Radio 1 boomed out of the radio, the hum of machines was constant and the occasional shouts of the floor manager. He'd walk into the factory with a big, wooden tray strapped across his shoulders and propped against his waist, shouting, "PIE MAN - PIE MAN", offering a selection of sausage or bacon butties, pasties and cheese and pickle sandwiches - delicious! They were probably made by Mrs Pie Man that morning, fresh-as-they-come and wrapped in grease proof paper. The Pie Man would come through the factory at the first break in the morning and you could buy your lunch for later. He told me that I was to stay on the factory floor with the "girls" and eat with them, which was awkward for me, but must have been a real pain for them! Each morning we greeted each with, "Aal reet lass!", which means, "Alright lass", but actually translates as hello.
(This is what the factory looked like, to my memory, but I've no idea if this picture is the actual factory!) I worked for a few summers at his factory, on well below any minimum wage anywhere! My father was also a manufacturer, making make-up and wash bags, powder puffs and in later years dog beds (probably inspired by Lottie, our Dalmatian). I love making a product and bringing it to market. Unfortunately my research led to no such discoveries, but it did open my eyes a little and get me thinking about everything.
I hoped that I might find some ingenious method, or discover a wonder machine that would cut our making time in half! Oh joy, then we'd actually be able to carry stock - imagine being able to reach into a box and pull out product. In pursuit of faster production methods I have been scouring the internet to see if I could improve the old, traditional hand sewing techniques at Red Rufus.
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