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First Days
"I was leaving, first day I started — never
seen so many people in my life" (Jean)
Starting
work at Rowntrees could be difficult. As Mavis recalls
in the sound clip, the sheer size and noise of the factory
was a shock. Although there were Teachers
helping new workers to learn their tasks, many of the
women recalled their training as simply a matter of “getting
on with it.” Training for most was sitting next
to another woman doing the same job.
Women who started work at different ages had different
experiences, as Alice remembers: “Well we had
to start at 38 and do the same rate…without the
help.” The conveyor belts were constantly moving,
and women had to work to the speed set by the machine.
Younger workers were allowed time to develop their speed
before being put with more experienced workers. However,
for those starting at the factory later in life, no
such allowances were made and adjusting to the speed
of work was more difficult. Lily, who first went to
Rowntrees in her forties, said, “I used to look
at the people opposite me and think…I’ll
never be like that.”
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