what was your first package (1 Viewer)

[ABZSteve]

Approx £34/week as a 16 year old first year apprentice turner. Started at the technical training centre on August 3rd 1981.

 

[mjltigger]

wow.. my first proper job paid just over £6k a year. I was loaded compared to you lot.. mind you that was in the nineties.. it was full time in the collector of taxes. our eldest earns more than that now doing 3 shifts a week at macdonalds.

 

[Sooty 10]

My first wage was £2.15 shillings as an apprentice baker. Before that I used to earn money at home with photography (passport photos etc) and also printing with my Adana printing machine. Started work in 1957.

Keith (sooty)

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[Terry]

£3 for first week which went up to £5 for second week -Sam said he had paid us short first week because we were 15 and half so only paid us as 15 Never paid us the £2 short from first week APP joiner
terry

 

[fred chase]

shillings five when I joined the royal navy as a junior stores assistant in 1962. it has got to be said though that food, accommodation and all the grief that I could possibly imagine were free!

 

[frogijock]

£1 19/ in 1959 paid fortnightly as boss said cost to much for wages dept to pay it weekly

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[sedge]

July 1972. Then did 40 years straight in insurance. After leaving Zurich went in to loss adjusting with McLarens (I think we have something in common there?), Miller Fisher and Cunninghams . Ran my own adjusting company for a while and ended up the last 8 years managing Dyno-Rod's insurance claim handling service. Took early retirement in 2012 after British Gas (who own Dyno) made my life an utter misery.

LOL - no I was merely a gamekeeper turned poacher Bob - moved from Liability u/w to commericial broking. International commercial broking. Was Chair of the BI(I)BA Birmingham Liability Society for a fair few years. I think Sedgwicks were the only major broker I never worked for!

Anything anyone would like to know about Rylands and Fletcher, the snail in the ginger beer bottle, chair-o-planes, 19.2 (a) (21.2.1) or aircraft grounding cover, I'd be happy to help!

You can answer me a question though, I never discovered - whatever did happen to Dick?

 

[Chris]

I remember it being £8000 pa which was exactly the cost of my rent for a flat in London at the time.

 

[BobtheBass]

You can answer me a question though, I never discovered - whatever did happen to Dick?

McLaren Dick (no idea why they dropped Thorpe Wright and Mills) were bought out (rescued?) by Capita, then seemed to disappear. Someone told me recently that they had started up again in a small way in conjunction with some American firm? They were lovely to work for and I regretted leaving them at the time, only to find out later that most of the middle management people were booted out in the mid-80s. I seem to remember going to a lecture or two arranged by the Birmingham Liability Society, as well as the Birmingham Consequential Loss Society and other such luminaries of the time, unless I have got my societies mixed up.......

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[Fletton]

£2 and ten shillings as a butcher boy.... as a yoof!
then £17.50 as an apprentice bricklayer (started summer of 76 - the hot drought year after the bad windy winter)

 

[vin0114]

Vin, If you still retain the skills highlighted, lets meet, I'll buy the beer you make the sweets!

Your on Bertie

 

[vin0114]

My first wage was £2.15 shillings as an apprentice baker. Before that I used to earn money at home with photography (passport photos etc) and also printing with my Adana printing machine. Started work in 1957.

Keith (sooty)

We had similar starts Keith although you were a few years earlier. I also had a part time job doing weddings for people who could not afford the 'pros'. Usually charged around £15 in the 70's and 80's and that included all the development, printing, deckle edging and the finished albums Did one some years for a Niece's second marriage that was going to be registry office job so offered to take the photos as a wedding present. She changed her mind to a Church wedding and cost me a flaming fortune

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[Portland]

£1/12/6 less 2/6 overalls and then the usual stoppages. 44 hours/week overtime unpaid but said time off instead. Fat chance! I went to foreman and asked for a Saturday off. Sharp intake of breath followed by Too busy this week see me later!! I gave up asking after a few attempts (like every other apprentice)

 

[cruiser]

this thread has certainly brought back some memories . thank you all. I now know I was not the only one on a pittance.

 

[rikfos]

£7 per week as a cadet Purser in the Merchant navy, 7 days a week sometimes 15 hours a day.
This was in 1962.

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[mitzimad]

£13.33 was my first wage packet as a 17 year old apprentice plumber 13.33 was exactly what my wages were supposed to be. I had some overtime and dirty money and they used to pay traveling time and fares on top which strangely enough covered my stoppages exactly this was 1973
two years later i was in dispute with them as the fares were only paid if you traveled over 3 miles and they stopped paying them on one particular job. In the end the sent me to the office where the company secretary showed me on the map where i lived and it turned out the had me down in the wrong place and i got 2 weeks flat money to make up for the discrepancy over the previous two years, blew the lot on clothes from take six oxford st
out of the thirteen pounds mum got six and she put a pound in the christmas club for me

 

[Ralph-n-Bev]

Youth opertunity wage in the very early 80's. I can't remember how much it was. But remember having to give my mother more than half of it. It wasn't as though they needed it either. It was at Saxone shoes. The manager wanted to keep me on when my time was up. But even then , it payed to get rid and get more cheap labour. He gave me an excellent reference. I could pick and chose my next job.
I started with Chelsea girl a week after leaving there. Dream shop for a young fashionable girl. Got to run a concession within the store. I remember wanting to be a hairdresser getting offered a job. As a junior . But I would have had to give my mother £15 and the wage was only £20.
So took the retail job at Chelsea girl £ 40 pw I think... As it left me with more cash. To spend on clothes and going out......
Then went on to lady at Lord john. Worked my way up to be an area manager for them. Worked 15 shops from Leeds to Liverpool being the furthest.
Left work at 31 to have our first born. Followed by twins 23 month later. No free child care then . No willing parents to babysit. So I became a kept woman until 4 years ago.

Now I work part time. Sampling in sainsburys . Last week I was baking croissants and pan au chocolate , Today I've been sampling IPA plus a few other beers and ale.
Later on in the week I'm baking fresh warm bread and butter , next week it's wine week, then chocolate ready for Easter .
No stress ,no agro ,good money and you get to try as much as you like hahaha.

 

[joncris]

Just over £2 but then you could have a great night out on ten bob. When I later started Uni I bought a Citroen like this Early front wheel drive with a crap turning circle but very comfortable to drive http://www.simoncars.co.uk/citroen/traction.html
using part of my grant and there was lots of this and this

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[cruiser]

well bev its great having twins ours are now 34. still growing up.

 

[sedge]

McLaren Dick (no idea why they dropped Thorpe Wright and Mills) were bought out (rescued?) by Capita, then seemed to disappear. Someone told me recently that they had started up again in a small way in conjunction with some American firm? They were lovely to work for and I regretted leaving them at the time, only to find out later that most of the middle management people were booted out in the mid-80s. I seem to remember going to a lecture or two arranged by the Birmingham Liability Society, as well as the Birmingham Consequential Loss Society and other such luminaries of the time, unless I have got my societies mixed up.......

Smack on Bob! When I retired as Chair, I presented the Liability Society with the Chairman's 'chain of office' - a large enamel medallion on a substantial ribbon and to my surprise, they presented me with an engraved cut glass fruit bowl which is on the dining room table behind me as I type! I did that because the Cons Loss Society had one and I was always jealous! LOL Actually they are (were?) both 'BIIBA West Midlands' societies as opposed to just Birmingham.

Someone from McLarens was Chair when I was Treasurer before my elevation. Mel Walmsley?

 

[Bertie Bassett]

Your on Bertie

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[Bertie Bassett]

Youth opertunity wage in the very early 80's. I can't remember how much it was. But remember having to give my mother more than half of it. It wasn't as though they needed it either. It was at Saxone shoes. The manager wanted to keep me on when my time was up. But even then , it payed to get rid and get more cheap labour. He gave me an excellent reference. I could pick and chose my next job.
I started with Chelsea girl a week after leaving there. Dream shop for a young fashionable girl. Got to run a concession within the store. I remember wanting to be a hairdresser getting offered a job. As a junior . But I would have had to give my mother £15 and the wage was only £20.
So took the retail job at Chelsea girl £ 40 pw I think... As it left me with more cash. To spend on clothes and going out......
Then went on to lady at Lord john. Worked my way up to be an area manager for them. Worked 15 shops from Leeds to Liverpool being the furthest.
Left work at 31 to have our first born. Followed by twins 23 month later. No free child care then . No willing parents to babysit. So I became a kept woman until 4 years ago.

Now I work part time. Sampling in sainsburys . Last week I was baking croissants and pan au chocolate , Today I've been sampling IPA plus a few other beers and ale.
Later on in the week I'm baking fresh warm bread and butter , next week it's wine week, then chocolate ready for Easter .
No stress ,no agro ,good money and you get to try as much as you like hahaha.

The job of my dreams, any vacancies?

 

[BobtheBass]

Smack on Bob! When I retired as Chair, I presented the Liability Society with the Chairman's 'chain of office' - a large enamel medallion on a substantial ribbon and to my surprise, they presented me with an engraved cut glass fruit bowl which is on the dining room table behind me as I type! I did that because the Cons Loss Society had one and I was always jealous! LOL Actually they are (were?) both 'BIIBA West Midlands' societies as opposed to just Birmingham.

Someone from McLarens was Chair when I was Treasurer before my elevation. Mel Walmsley?

Ah, the good old days when tradition counted. Things have changed so much in insurance now. I always used to think insurance companies were all honest, decent organizations despite what the public perception of them was and would defend them to the hilt. Being an adjuster you used to see the good side when they bent over backwards to help someone, but those days are gone I'm afraid. I have tried to help a few friends and relatives with insurance problems recently and been amazed at how unprofessional and downright evil/criminal some companies can be. Its not the industry I enjoyed being a part of anymore, and all my friends who are still working in it are desperate to get out I'm afraid.

 

[Snowbird]

Never had a wage packet in my life. The first "wage" as such was £2 10/6d. The profit from a weeks work gas tarring a 6 bay hay shed was £2. The 10/6d was for the gas tar and Turks head brush. This was in 1964. I did put my prices up after this first one though.

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[Neckender]

Just over £2 but then you could have a great night out on ten bob. When I later started Uni I bought a Citroen like this Early front wheel drive with a crap turning circle but very comfortable to drive http://www.simoncars.co.uk/citroen/traction.html
using part of my grant and there was lots of this and this

I bet you wished you still had the Citroen now.

John.

 

[joncris]

I do although I'd prefer either the DS Pallas or the GTX I had later in life

 

[joncris]

Then again the Maserati rear engined DS would be welcome

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[celcat]

Clearing out the loft found my first 'contract' a while back f0r nursing ....£2,078 per year in 1978! £350 py for living in residences. Bought my dad an engraved Zippo, my mum an electric whisk and myself a sheepskin coat with my first tax rebate!

 

[meanders]

£6. 10s a week working in Woolworths as a Holiday job in 1965. £5 a week in 1966 as a trainee Nursery Nurse.

 

[sedge]

Ah, the good old days when tradition counted. Things have changed so much in insurance now. I always used to think insurance companies were all honest, decent organizations despite what the public perception of them was and would defend them to the hilt. Being an adjuster you used to see the good side when they bent over backwards to help someone, but those days are gone I'm afraid. I have tried to help a few friends and relatives with insurance problems recently and been amazed at how unprofessional and downright evil/criminal some companies can be. Its not the industry I enjoyed being a part of anymore, and all my friends who are still working in it are desperate to get out I'm afraid.

Tell me about it Bob - drove me to a mental breakdown eventually in 2008 - fortunately dear old RSA (my contract was Alliance) and Willis (I was with Stewart Wrightson and staff were notified we'd been taken over by them by approx. 3ft of Telex - Pension scheme immediately absorbed into the Willis final salary scheme based on 30/50ths!) & others enabled me to retire early.

And Loss Adjusters these days - we had to have dealings with Crawfords last year after a burglary - they were pretty OK actually - but they deal with the Household claims from Dublin and you could never get to speak to them they were so busy with the floods. We'd both almost lost the will to live in the finish ....

Seems to be all pile it high and sell it cheap rather than risk management now ..... Chubb were the only company going way back, who actually looked for wangles in order to PAY the claim - instead of reasons to avoid it.

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