Leaving School

21 March 2018

15:22

1951 Leaving school

"A man from the labour exchange (mistitled as careers officer) came to school to interview those due to leave school in July

First question was “What do you want to do when you leave school?

Harry “I want to be an electrician sir”.

CO “You can’t be an electrician! Only grammar schoolboys can be electricians, You need a 'School Leaving Certificate' to be an electrician and only grammar school boy get those

You have to go to night school and do hard sums.

I have a lob here for you; A 'Passer through' in the weaving shed”.

Harry “I am not going to do a dead-end job sitting underneath a loom in any mill.

If I go in a mill, it will be as a 'Millwright' or in the 'Design Office’”.

CO “Who do you think you are? You will take the job I give you. You are not clever enough to do those jobs”.

Harry “My mums’ cousin is a millwright, and he went to our school and had no certificates”.

CO “Well he was very lucky”.

Harry “My dad’s cousin is chief engineer in a mill and has offered me a job as apprentice millwright or in the design office if I want; I am not here to fill any job on your list, you are supposed to help me find the job I want; not just fill vacancies on your list”

CO “So you want to work with tools do you! Here's a job in a tool shop; take this card and wo betide you if you refuse; you will have me to answer to.

Now go and give them the card”.

He gave Harry a green card with the address of a local tool shop.

Harry put it in his pocket and left

As he left Harry thought I will try to find a job as an electrician; if not I will go to Uncle Percy and join Leo as a millwright.

The next few weeks Harry spent most of his time searching for electricians and requesting a job without success.

Then one day father came home “Uncle Percy says try ICI in Huddersfield they are taking on engineering apprentices now.

So go and see what they have to say”

Next morning Harry got on his bike and rode over to Huddersfield.

The gate police directed him to the personnel office.

He gave his details: name and address, school, what job he was looking for.

“We will send you an appointment for an interview”.

A few days later a letter arrived with an appointment for a days interview and tests.

The Interview

Harry had a haircut.

Then dressed in his suit; clean white shirt; tie and highly polished shoes he travelled by bus to the factory gates.

Again, he was directed to the main offices, then into the conference room.

There were some lads of his age standing around some talking; others like himself; just standing.

There were some tables each with a chair set out.

Harry counted them. 10 rows of 4 = 40 they must want a lot of apprentices, they cant all be electricians. He counted the lads 35; then a few more entered; yes five more, one for each table.

Four men entered “All take a seat”.

Harry went to the nearest table pulled the chair out and sat down.

The men came down the lines with a pile of thin foolscap books placing one on each table, with a blank page uppermost.

“Turn your books over and fill in the first page. When you have done that sit back. Do not open the book until told to do so.

Start now; turn your book over and fill it in.”

Harry filled in the page with his neatest writing Name. Date of birth, Religion, Address, School,

Certificates, Hobby's. Next of kin.

Harry sat back. One of the men walked round reading what had been written.

“You haven't filled in your school, boy”.

Boy replied, “I've left school sir”!

“Yes so have all these other boys. We want to know which school you went to boy”

“Which school did you go to?

Almondbury Grammar School sir”

“Fill it in, Now!

Harry thought. If that's how clever grammar school kids are I have no problem. He sounds stupid.

“Now turn the page and complete the arithmetic test. When you have done close the book face up and sit back”

Two pages of addition; subtraction; multiplication, division. In increasing difficulty.

Harry completed them all.

Not being the last to complete he could look around; So the careers man said he wasn't clever enough did he; I'm not the slowest here.

The door opened a lady came in with a trolley containing a tea urn, some paper cups and sweet biscuits.

“Go and get a cup of tea an two biscuits and return to your desks”.

After a few minutes “Return your cups to the bin and retake your seats”

They were then shown to the toilets.

On return another booklet was handed out.

“Read the instructions. You have half an hour. Start when you are ready”

Harry read the instructions. Write an essay about an interesting day in your holidays.

After a few moments thought.

The day he went over Pockstones moor alone.

He wrote about the journey. Through Bradford; through Ilkley to Bolton Abbey. Turning down to cross the river at Barden Towers; stopping for lunch at Skyrehome Farm near Appletreewick.

Going up the green track between two walls then out onto the open moor. How he had discovered how to locate his position on the map with only hills for locations from which to take bearings; The sounds of grouse calling and skylarks singing. Then the journey home to Otley then over the Chevin hill to Bradford

I think that should be interesting enough and they can see I am able to write.

The books were collected, and each boy was given a tray with compartments, in each compartment were some dismantled items; A cycle bell; a cycle hand tyre pump; a cycle front hub and a door lock. After 5 years of doing his own cycle maintenance the cycle parts were soon assembled and the cones on the hub adjusted.

He had never seen the inside of a door lock but the three parts were soon put in place and tested with the key.

Pleased with himself; Harry had look around. Boys spilling the ball bearings on the floor, putting the washer into the pump the wrong way round.

“What are you doing boy”.

“I've finished sir”.

“Bring your tray; and we shall see”.

Harry did as told.

“Stand there while we inspect your work”.

Each item was inspected. The bell rang; the pump produced pressure “he has the washer the correct way” the door lock worked “He's adjusted the cones. Feel these” they whispered together then

“What is your name?

“Harry sir!

“Alright Harry! Go and sit down in your place”!

After a while all the trays were collected; the tea lady returned with another trolley with the tea urn and some sandwiches, again eaten at their decks.

After the short lunch break, they were called out individually to a small office.

“You want to be an electrician”.

“Yes Sir”

“We don’t have an electrician’s apprenticeship for you” Harry felt deeply disappointed at this" after a few seconds they continued

“We are prepared to offer you a job as an Instrument Artificer Apprentice. It is a new trade and covers a wide range of skills; much wider than any other trade. - You would have to go to night school. What do you think; would that be acceptable?

“ Yes sir”

“First you would have to pass our medical and your father would have to sign an agreement. Would that be alright/

“Yes sir”

“How would you travel here ?

“On my bike sir its only ten miles”

“How long would that take and how about in winter when it snows/

“About forty minutes by bike; it takes one and a half hour on the bus. And I have ridden through the Yorkshire Dales in snow and over the Snake Pass”.

They looked at each other.

One said quietly “that wasn't a made-up story”” I can tell you that you were the only one to complete the practical test none of the others have everything correct, and in record time.”

“You can go back to the others, but some are not going to be offered jobs, so we don't want you to tell then anything; will you?

“No sir”

Each boy went in in turn then the two men returned “Those who were offered a job stay here the others can you go to the office where they will give you your bus fare.”

“You are all being offered a job, here are some forms for your parents to fill in and return; then we will make an appointment for you to see our doctor then for your parent to sign your Indentures. Alright you can now go you will receive you fares when your indentures are signed”

Harry went home full of joy “ so only grammar school boys could be apprentices.

Medical passed, indentures signed Harry went with Arthur may and his two sisters (Ann and Margaret) on holiday to Cleethorpes.

Returning from holiday at the end of August; he started work in the training school on 10th September.

Uncle Percy had sent up two pairs of boiler suits

On the Tuesday afternoon they were all marched up to the local technical college to sign up for day release

“You two from Barnsley can sit over there and sign on to night at Barnsley tech”.

Harry though 'If they can go to Barnsley, I could go to Batley tech; If I go to Huddersfield it will be past ten o'clock before I get home, Batley is only twenty minutes’ walk from home'

October a form came from the junior employment office. We have no records of where you work; fill in this form to keep our records straight where you work; how much you are paid; what hours you work

Answer " You refused to help me get a job I wanted so why should I help you to keep your records straight.

Your records are no concern of mine; the information you request is confidential and not for you to know

Wild Rose

March 2019