instead.
‘What’s your name then?’
‘Reynolds, sir. William Reynolds.’
‘You know about engines and mechanics, do you, Reynolds?’
‘A bit, sir, yes.’
‘Where do you live?’
‘Nowhere presently, I’m afraid. I was lodging in Cumberland Road, but I ran out of money.’
‘Any experience in this sort of work?’ Wilkins asked.
‘I’m afraid not,’ William admitted his heart sinking.
Wilkins studied him doubtfully, and William waited for the usual dismissal, but for once it didn’t come straight away. Eventually Wilkins turned and beckoned for William to follow.
‘You can start tomorrow if you want,’ he said. ‘Your wages are ten shillings, but that’s just pocket money. You get your board and lodgings on top.’
William could hardly believe what he’d heard. Though ten shillings sounded a pitifully small amount, he was too tired and relieved to care. ‘Thank you,’ he said gratefully. ‘I won’t let you down, Mister Wilkins.’
‘I’ll give you the address of the place where you’ll be living. You can go there tonight if you want. The doors are opened at half past six. Ask for Taylor, ‘e’ll show you ‘round.’
Five minutes later William went outside again. The other men waiting had already been told the position was filled, and he was aware of the envious looks they gave him and the dull despair in their eyes. He couldn’t look at them. He could hardly believe that a few short minutes ago he had been like them and now, suddenly, by a stroke of good fortune, everything had changed.
CHAPTER 7
The first weeks at Ballantynes passed quickly. Besides William there were half a dozen people working in the stockroom in the charge of Mister Wilkins. They were responsible for taking delivery of goods and distributing them to the appropriate departments, and also for arranging delivery of items to customer’s homes. They were kept busy most of the time, but the work wasn’t particularly strenuous or difficult, and they kept the same hours as everybody else in the shop, which meant they started at half past eight in the morning and finished at half past six.
William’s mechanical knowledge stood him in good stead. The Hallford lorry, which was the pride of the shop’s manager and a symbol of the firm’s determination to keep abreast with the times, frequently broke down. Since nobody else knew anything about mechanics it became William’s unofficial responsibility to maintain the lorry and keep it on the road. He didn’t mind because he found it interesting, and during his first week he subscribed to an automotive magazine so that he could learn more. A month later, an opportunity arose to improve his knowledge further when the manager of the shop bought a new Sunbeam and asked if William would look after it for him. William accepted gladly, and afterwards the manager would occasionally ask him some question or other and they would end up discussing the latest developments in the automotive industry, their relative positions in the shop briefly forgotten.
The other advantage of looking after the lorry was that it got William away from the shop. After his initial relief at having found a position that also gave him a place to live, he found that his life was almost completely given over to Ballantynes. The firm owned several houses where many of its employees lived. William shared a room with four other men, and one of the first things he had to do was learn the rules that governed the arrangement. He discovered that there were set times when they were allowed to come and go, and everything had to be done in the manner laid down. Beds had to be made in a certain fashion, possessions kept tidily and to a minimum, and if any rule was infringed there was a fine. Their meals were taken at work, half an hour for dinner at midday, which would be a hot meal, and another half an hour for tea which might be bread and butter and jam, while they had to provide breakfast at their
‘What’s your name then?’
‘Reynolds, sir. William Reynolds.’
‘You know about engines and mechanics, do you, Reynolds?’
‘A bit, sir, yes.’
‘Where do you live?’
‘Nowhere presently, I’m afraid. I was lodging in Cumberland Road, but I ran out of money.’
‘Any experience in this sort of work?’ Wilkins asked.
‘I’m afraid not,’ William admitted his heart sinking.
Wilkins studied him doubtfully, and William waited for the usual dismissal, but for once it didn’t come straight away. Eventually Wilkins turned and beckoned for William to follow.
‘You can start tomorrow if you want,’ he said. ‘Your wages are ten shillings, but that’s just pocket money. You get your board and lodgings on top.’
William could hardly believe what he’d heard. Though ten shillings sounded a pitifully small amount, he was too tired and relieved to care. ‘Thank you,’ he said gratefully. ‘I won’t let you down, Mister Wilkins.’
‘I’ll give you the address of the place where you’ll be living. You can go there tonight if you want. The doors are opened at half past six. Ask for Taylor, ‘e’ll show you ‘round.’
Five minutes later William went outside again. The other men waiting had already been told the position was filled, and he was aware of the envious looks they gave him and the dull despair in their eyes. He couldn’t look at them. He could hardly believe that a few short minutes ago he had been like them and now, suddenly, by a stroke of good fortune, everything had changed.
CHAPTER 7
The first weeks at Ballantynes passed quickly. Besides William there were half a dozen people working in the stockroom in the charge of Mister Wilkins. They were responsible for taking delivery of goods and distributing them to the appropriate departments, and also for arranging delivery of items to customer’s homes. They were kept busy most of the time, but the work wasn’t particularly strenuous or difficult, and they kept the same hours as everybody else in the shop, which meant they started at half past eight in the morning and finished at half past six.
William’s mechanical knowledge stood him in good stead. The Hallford lorry, which was the pride of the shop’s manager and a symbol of the firm’s determination to keep abreast with the times, frequently broke down. Since nobody else knew anything about mechanics it became William’s unofficial responsibility to maintain the lorry and keep it on the road. He didn’t mind because he found it interesting, and during his first week he subscribed to an automotive magazine so that he could learn more. A month later, an opportunity arose to improve his knowledge further when the manager of the shop bought a new Sunbeam and asked if William would look after it for him. William accepted gladly, and afterwards the manager would occasionally ask him some question or other and they would end up discussing the latest developments in the automotive industry, their relative positions in the shop briefly forgotten.
The other advantage of looking after the lorry was that it got William away from the shop. After his initial relief at having found a position that also gave him a place to live, he found that his life was almost completely given over to Ballantynes. The firm owned several houses where many of its employees lived. William shared a room with four other men, and one of the first things he had to do was learn the rules that governed the arrangement. He discovered that there were set times when they were allowed to come and go, and everything had to be done in the manner laid down. Beds had to be made in a certain fashion, possessions kept tidily and to a minimum, and if any rule was infringed there was a fine. Their meals were taken at work, half an hour for dinner at midday, which would be a hot meal, and another half an hour for tea which might be bread and butter and jam, while they had to provide breakfast at their
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