I came to live in Welwyn Garden City from Macclesfield in Cheshire in 1951, which was when Fine Fare supermarket chain were set up. I was fresh out of school when I moved, and my first job was as a till checker in the Food Hall at the ginormous Welwyn Department Stores. Fine Fare had just taken over the food hall. I was one of them who were what they call a cashier now, and back then we were expected to be accurate, efficient and always accommodating to our customers and inspected by our supervisor. Maths wasn’t my best subject at school but it was a job that I earned £2 a week from; not much but it was something.
The checkers were expected to be in on time and ready for when the Food Hall opened at 8:30 every morning. I remember running from my lodgings at 13 Howlands to the bus stop opposite where they put Heronswood School in and then catching the bus to Hydeway: cost me thruppence the fare, I got off and walked down and over the railway via the footbridge-‘of course I could smell Shredded Wheat!!
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