John worked for E. Pordage and Co, the fruit and vegetable wholesaler based in Norwich, visiting small city and village shops and driving to Covent Garden in London to buy supplies. I left school in 1960 when I was 15 and my first job was a newspaper boy delivering papers. The chap I worked for, […]
Retail
A Jarrolds Story – and the circus (1950s – 1980s)
Margaret tells us about her life working at Norwich City Hall then at Jarrolds, and being part of a circus family. My working history starts as a teenager in New Costessey, near Norwich, in the 1950s. My first job was when I was 15 and still at school at Papmax crisp factory at the top […]
Bringing home the bacon (1958 – 2008)
David Dowe recounts his time working for Co-op, British Home Stores (BHS) and Copeman’s dealing with deliveries, groceries, provisions and training. David also spent time as a milkman and postman. He settled into his final working role as an area rep for Read Woodrow’s and Heygates. His recollection provides a contrast of how different shopping […]
Dancing shoes and selling groceries
Pauline talks about her working life in the shoe business and keeping a shop. Pauline’s daughter Janet introduces the story: She was born around the now Hotel Nelson (Norwich) area to a very hard life. She met and married my Dad and had a shop in St John’s Street near King Street Norwich which had a […]
Groceries and Miss Thetford (1952-1991)
Phyllis talks about her working life in Thetford shops and about winning a Miss Thetford beauty competition. I left school in 1952 and my first job was at the International Stores in Thetford. I got the job because the manager was a neighbour. I was living with my parents at the time and I asked […]
Half a century of change in food shops (1941 – 1995)
Joyce tells us about her long working life in retail – including Sainsbury’s and Lambert’s Mecca speciality store in Norwich. When I left school, at 14, my mother brought me into Norwich and I went to various shops to see if they needed an assistant. I eventually found a job at the baker and confectioner, […]
Happy days. Shoes, shops, school and caring
From the age of 15, Paulette worked in Norwich making heels for shoes, later for British Home Stores, made crackers at home and worked with children and older people. She still cares for people and helps her fellow residents at Doughty’s Hospital. The heel factory I started work at fifteen at Andrews Wood Heels on Mile […]
Open all hours
Jean worked in her father’s shop as a girl and remembers the war and the soldiers who came into the shop. Our lives changed when I was nine years old. Father worked on a P&O liner but the war affected liners’ work in 1939. We left our home in Eastwood in Essex, and it meant […]
Sales and recycling (1953-2000)
Robin recalls his working life delivering groceries by bicycle, Walls’ produce by mobile van, recycling waste materials and managing a public hall. Boxes on bicycles, paraffin on the van In 1953, when I was 13, I worked as a part time grocery delivery boy. Savages was the main grocery in Thetford and the ladies would […]
Shop Windows, Clothes and Catwalks
A working life in Norwich 1955-1996. From humble beginnings as a window dresser in Norwich stores our contributor designed and made dresses in the swinging sixties, then went into the vintage clothes business. Her beautiful collection of clothes formed the basis of a series of successful charity fashion shows in Norwich.