I remember... my first job

By margaretsur@aol.com

Reader news

26 March 2008 18:54

It was in 1949. It was so scary leaving the comforts and friends at school to go out and start a job. After all I was only fifteen years old.

Anyway, I started as a Receptionist in a Solicitors office. The Solicitor was a Mr Reginald Johnson, and the offices were in Hayes Town, Middlesex.

I used to cycle to work from Hillingdon,cwhich was quite a distance and in all kinds of weather. After doing this work for about six months. I started going up to London with the Article Clerk John. Which meant, The Strand in London - Sommerset House, The Law Courts,and Barrister Chambers. And one morning he told me we had to go to the "Bear Garden.

"I imagined a garden full of bears only to find it was a chamber in the Law Courts and also going to different companies to do Completions - eventually I was doing it all on my own!

One morning I had to go to Sommerset House. On checking my briefcase to get money out I would need, it fell onto the ground, and was then blown all around the courtyard. I luckily enough, had enough helpers to gather it all up again, with a great sigh of relief.

I used to love going to Lincoln Inn fields and watching all the Barristers, with their bags on their backs (which were blue at the time because we had a King)

If a youngster was walking around London with a briefcase full of money today I would just dread to think of one's safety.

I really regret leaving this great job, because at the time it was the thing to work in town - London and every day was a challenge!