First payday

Reading Jay's latest post this morning reminded me of the first 'job' I ever had, certainly the first time I ever earned any money by my own efforts. It was the school summer holidays, and I was either 8 or 9, I can't remember which. A new block of flats was being built just across from our house, and at the front, by the main road, the construction plans evidently called for a low wall. What purpose it was supposed to serve, I don't know, because it was only about two feet high, running the length of the building midway between the pavement and the structure itself. I can only imagine it was supposed to be decorative, in some shape or form. That week, obviously not having anything better to do, I spent quite a bit of time watching the two bricklayers who were building the wall, and, before long, I was chattering away to them, and fetching and carrying a few small things for them. They even let me have a go at laying a few bricks myself - the wall is still there, forty-odd years on, so my handiwork is still on view, although I wouldn't even be able to find the relevant section myself now - and, on the Friday, when the job was finished, one of the workmen gave me two shillings, or half a crown (we were still using 'old money' then), something like that, as my 'wages' for the week. I was thrilled to bits, needless to say, rushing home to tell my mum all about it. These days, men fraternising with a young boy in such circumstances would no doubt attract, at the very least, parental suspicion, if not worse, but I guess they were, as the saying goes, more innocent times. And I effectively had my pocket money doubled that week, my first introduction to 'capitalism', I suppose.

Love & best wishes to all
Sammy B