Forum Topic

“Decline of the Saturday Job leaves young unfit to work”

This is an article in The Times today.  Alan Milburn, Labour’s employment tsar said “The long standing decline of the Saturday job means young people are no longer ready for work”. Having a Saturday job was an important part of my teenage years.  I wondered if others on the Forum had a Saturday job when they were young?

Martine Guy ● 2d12 Comments

I worked in a department store on Saturdays and also in the week during school holidays if they needed someone.  Mainly I sold electricals, though sometimes I'd turn up for work and be sent to another department.  I was paid £1.75 per day to begin with (this being the 1970s) and I learnt some valuable lessons : how hard I had to work for my £1.75 and how to deal with customers who were often quite rude to the shop staff.

Helen Passey ● 23h

As a kid from about 10 did a paper round mondag to saturday for 10/- and Sunday papers for 2/6d.Saturday job in Lawsons dept store hammersmith broadway for £2.10s.After leaving school supplemented my £7 a week wage working as a saturday board boy in the bookies for £1.10s.and in the Highwayman pub on saturday night for £2.10s

Andy Pike ● 1d

Oh just realised when I worked at Ravel on a Saturday, was was working in J.Lyons in the week as well, that's how I saved for my driving lessons.

Barbara Stevens ● 1d

I agree young people need the independence of working and the valuable life lessons that they will learn.  I can’t remember what I earned in my Saturday jobs, but I needed the money for clothes and going out. Ravel’s was posh in Birmingham too.  I did a lot of looking in shop windows, wishing I could afford the platform boots and shoes.

Martine Guy ● 1d

Excuse my typing mistakes, typing on my phone, prefer computer.

Barbara Stevens ● 1d

Very true Sue, I paid for driving lessons. Loved going to Hammersmith King Street. Looking at the clothes and shoes. I WIRKED AT J.Lyond, Cadby Hall, in the offices at 15 1/2. Massive building.If I went in on a Saturday morning got paid more, on top of my weekly wage. Youngsters should get a chance to work, working with older people also teaches them and helps them grow up. Hope I can put this on here but so funny when I was younger, a young lady said, if a boy tells you you won't get pregnant if you do it standing, don't do it because it's not true.

Barbara Stevens ● 1d

Anyone remember what they were paid?  I was paid 7shillings and 6p. I think for a full Saturday at HMV with a staff discount.  My poor sister got 2/6p in the florist for a full day but made up for it in salary terms later life by becoming a Consultant specialising in breast cancer.Kids need the independence of working.

Robert Wheeler ● 1d

My Saturday job was also in a shoe shop but not a posh one like Ravel (well it was considered upmarket back then), mine was at Barrett’s in North End Road Fulham, located in the middle of the market.  I loved working there and with the money I earned I was able to buy my own clothes and bits and bobs off the stalls.  I got to know quite a few of the stall owners in the market and they would give a discount to the shop workers.  It was a great feeling of accomplishment to be working and contributing to the family budget by not having to ask my parents for pocket money.  Happy days!

Sue Hammond ● 1d

When I look back on those brief teenage years, I seem to have had lots of Saturday jobs, and Robert’s post reminds me that we were able to work before the age of 16.  I envy you again, Robert, for having a job in HMV Oxford Street. My first proper Saturday job was shop assistant at Chelsea Girl in the Bullring Birmingham.  I was clothes/fashion mad and it was a good place to work.  It was a shock to an unworldly girl like me when things got stolen from my shopping that I left in the staff room, but I learnt a lesson from it .  Our uniform was orange hot pants, orange waistcoat and white blouse.  Awful.
Another ghastly uniform was when I worked at West Brom FC:  PVC miniskirt and cape.  I cringe when I look back at it and I didn’t stay in that job long.  I don’t know how I had the nerve to do it. Two really good jobs were at Woolworths and our local dry cleaners.  Plus waitressing, which I didn’t enjoy.

Martine Guy ● 1d

YES, I worked Ravel Richmond on a Saturday for a while, also after school washing hair in white hart lane hairdressers.

Barbara Stevens ● 1d

My younger sister had numerous Saturday jobs starting when she was 12 (she lied and told them she was almost 15).  Everyone forgets you could leave school at 15 and many children left school at 14.  My sister’s Saturday jobs were in a florist and then she worked her way through Oxford Street eg Dolcis, Ravel, C&A and finally Top Shop as she was fashion mad.  I got a job in HMV in Oxford Street.  Both of us went onto further education.  Saturday jobs give young kids confidence and finance skills but unfortunately the unemployment level now means many of these jobs are not available.I insisted our children when they were teenagers got Saturday jobs.  Both worked for Gap on a Saturday in Putney Exchange and it gave them an idea how hard you have to work for minimum hourly shift work pay.  Thankfully it paid off.  I am now training my grandchildren in the art of knowing and valuing how hard you need to work for items not just assume someone will provide!

Robert Wheeler ● 2d

Newspaper round Monday to Saturday, eventually even including Sunday (not for long as I began to oversleep - and I had never let the customers down before). That taught me a lesson. I wanted the money, but I was also at school and had something of a social life too.Probably mentioned it before but the worst day of the job was a Sunday with the worst snowfall in our area in 1963. Hair becoming a hard thick layer matted with refrozen melted snow, and pointless soaked-through woollen gloves (better than my mittens though).I gradually moved over to the all-day Saturday job as newsagent counter assistant as I went through 6th form. Better, warmer and a 2-hour lunchbreak.But the snow, the snow! The only good memory of it is the wonderful wind-carved shapes of drifts by walls. So cold, I almost gave up the whole delivery round job, which was partly to fund my holiday in Spain that summer - but my father told me not to be silly - so I wasn't. Fortunately.PS I must have done a Saturday late afternoon "sports" paper round at least once - that was probably just in an emergency, I expect. I only remember it because, coming from a house, I heard the unfamiliar and strange music of the first "Doctor Who" ever - so I missed it!

David Ainsworth ● 2d