Here is the rear of my prefab, it was built in 1946.Not
that I have lived here that length of time. My wife Maureen and I moved in here in 1986. That was cold winter. So cold
that the windows inside the prefab iced -up.
I started work aged 15 at Hasland locomotive
shed. For a few months I helped to clean steam locos.From there I moved on to be a full footplate fireman. My wage
for a full weeks work was £3.12 .6 per week. I gave my wages to my mum, she in turn gave me 10 shillings to spend..
How I loved railway work. To reach speeds of 80 miles
an hour was breath taking. For 7 years , I was a railway footplate fireman, then as diesel engines became more cheaper to
run than coal fired engines, our shed was under closure threat. I left the raiways to find work in an engineering works in
Chesterfield.
There I worked for several years as a bricklayers labourer. From there,
I worked on motorway construction The M1was extending to Sheffield. My occupation was as a chainman, I improved with
my work and became a instrument man. For 2 years , I worked from dawn to dusk, the pay was pretty good.
