Red Brick Building

But they used to have this trick, if it was somebody new taking the cards and if you weren’t careful because you didn’t get what they were going to do, they would throw down the wet skins that bit harder onto the pallet and absolutely soak you with water as you walked by!
[Julia, Morlands]

We used to have races on the chairs, sit backwards on the chair and race up the skittle alleys and see who got there first – a chair race instead of a horse race!
[Wendy, Morlands]

Baily's friends after a night out Photo: Fran Truscott
Baily’s friends after a night out
Photo: Fran Truscott

There weren’t a lot of mixing between – this end, the footwear, coat making and all that. I knew about 4 or 5 in the fire brigade that was working upstairs as well, so they were my mates.
[Jim, Morlands]

And believe it or not, I was very shy and quiet at the time when I started. You soon got that knocked out of you in the factory.
[Judith, Morlands]

Friends and colleagues all chipped in for birthdays and weddings Photo: Judith Kenniston
Friends and colleagues all chipped in for birthdays and weddings
Photo: Judith Kenniston

I mean, there was sort of romances going on all the time and all sorts of things going on! Because you’d get that when a lot of people work together.
[Tim, Morlands]

They used to send the young apprentices down, and they said “Go and get a long weight!” and the stores would leave them waiting! It was cruel!
[Caroline T, Morlands]

Relaxing in the sunshine outside the canteen Photo: Bev Coggins and Sue Ford
Relaxing in the sunshine outside the canteen
Photo: Bev Coggins and Sue Ford

Going round from department to department like we did, there was a general atmosphere of cheerfulness – people laughed a lot and made jokes. I don’t think they were too dissatisfied with their lot.
[Adrian, Morlands]

Dorothy Davies (second from the left) with her Morlands friends
Photo: Siobhan White
Dorothy Davies (second from the left) with her Morlands friends Photo: Siobhan White