Anne describes the working life of a grammar-school educated woman with secretarial training working for an optician in Bury and then for a well-known Thetford building, undertakers and commercial business. She took on all the responsible work, including arranging funerals, working out wages and paying them before the days of calculators or computers, and there […]
Secretarial
Automobiles and Archaeology (1956-2000)
Joan was a secretary for the Royal Automobile Club in London, which was quite a forward-looking organisation. When she married she she moved to Norfolk and worked at the Rural Life Museum for 30 years. Part of her work was transferring archeological records and she is proud that these are now available for future generations. […]
Carbon paper, Canada and the civil service (1961-1996)
Lal became a secretary in Oxford and London and then went to Canada for a few years – she worked in Toronto and Vancouver. On returning to England she became a civil servant and eventually moved to Norwich with her husband. Secretarial college I left school when I was just 18 and I went to […]
From Secretary to Town Mayor. A life in community service (1955-2010)
Audrey’s first jobs in North Walsham were as a bookkeeper and secretary in engineering firms Randells & Gleave and Key. Later she worked at the canneries at Westwick while looking after her son. Much of her life was spent in community service, fund-raising, organising events, and as Town Mayor. She received the MBE in recognition […]
From the office to peeling onions (1955-1997)
Janet worked as a typist at a building company and for a tea merchants before having a family. Later she got paid by the tray, peeling onions for pickling. Typing and baling I left school at the age of 15 and I went to work at Melton and Sons, a building company at Beetley. There […]
If it hadn’t been for the War… (1937-1982)
Hilda describes her varied working life, beginning with her first job at Mansfields Factory. During the Second World War, Hilda was called up to work for Home Security in Cambridge. Hilda eventually qualified as an Established Civil Servant. After the War years, Hilda worked as a Clerical Officer for Telephone House. First job at Mansfield’s […]
Many skills, many interests (1960s-2009)
Maureen describes her incredibly varied working life, including owning a car spares shop, working in a hospital and being at the forefront of national patient information. She was also a co-ordinator for the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. I went to a new type of school. A Technical School. And coming up to the last […]
Mary’s schooldays – pupil and secretary (1935- 1991)
Mary had a long and very happy career as a school secretary and it was through the school that she developed her passion for sailing. School days and early working life I was born in 1935 and at four years old, when war was declared with Germany, we left London and were evacuated to Rayleigh […]
Memories of an office clerk at F.W. Harmer (1957-1990)
Eileen describes her work as an office clerk and comptometer operator at F.W. Harmer of Norwich (a major clothing manufacturer) and at other Norwich firms. Beginning at Harmers I started work in 1957 at F.W. Harmer and company as an office junior. My mother took me down for the interview because she was determined that […]
No daughter of mine … (1946-1988)
Heather always wanted to be a cook but her mother stopped her because she did not want any daughter of hers to go into domestic service. Heather did shorthand/typing training but later in life fulfilled her dream by becoming a cook! Childhood and family I was born in Lessingham. I can remember when there was […]