Oral history recording of Miss K. Coulson and Mrs D. Sherring

Oral history recording of two former Sainsbury's employees in London. Interviewed by Karen Fielder (Sainsbury's Archives) with students of the University of the South Bank as part of their oral history project. The interview was held at Sainsbury's Archives, Wakefield House, London. Topics include work at Sainsbury's, other jobs, childhood, adult life.

Interviewees:
Kit Coulson (born 1915)
Doris Sherring (born 1915): Started in Sainsbury's in 1961.

Summary of content:
14_A: Doris Sherring: Grew up in Dalston Junction, Tottenham Road, Hackney. Sainsbury's and Princes stores nearby. Mother sent her shopping to Sainsbury's. Household chores. Father kept chickens. Recalls plucking chickens in the kitchen. Father cabinetmaker. Mother machinist. Introduction of electricity. Father factory in Shoreditch. Mrs Kit Coulson's father had a cafe. Lived in Streatham, Croydon, Romford. Only child. Schooling. Scholarship. Ambitions. Attended Morely College for 1 year court dressmaking. Father ill so left to join family business, jobs included working in shop and cooking. Second World War work. School subjects included laundry and sewing. Doris: attended Stamford Hill dressmaking course. Became a machinist. Pay 6 pence, halfpenny. Next job making moccasins. Worked in bakery. Started in Sainsbury's in 1961. Linen shop in Hackney. Community life. Doris managed pub with father and husband before Second World War in Cable Street. Husband cabinet maker. 3 brothers cabinet makers. No staff discount at Sainsbury's. Health care before the NHS.
14_B: Cable Street 1936. Always something going on. First child born 1942. Taylor (?) public house. Miss Coulson working men's cafe. Sainsbury's used to deliver orders to cafe in Hackney. Long working hours. Leisure time used to go to pictures. Alexandra Theatre Stoke Newington. Part-time at Sainsbury's as widowed with a daughter, 3 days a week. No training as part-time. Cutting butter behind the counter to order. Brawn and corned beef. Size of shops. Cake and sugar sales, weighing not pre-packed. Male managers. Opportunities for promotion. Patting butter, customer's requests. Doris £8 wage 3 days a week. Miss Coulson £20 wage a week. Views on men and women's different wages. Opinions on self-service shops. Working hours 8am - 5.30pm. Liked working for Sainsbury's, pleasant and treated well.

15_A Request leave from Supervisor. Holidays with 5 year service. Staff outings with staff association. Difference between branches. Application for job, personnel interview at Bakers Arms shop or Blackfriars. Fortnight training. Married women working in the 1960s for pin money. Benefits of working full-time included extra time off. When retired they get an outing and annual dinner. Christmas bonus extra week wages. Process of promotion. Cooked lunch at branches. Impact of self-service. More staff needed in the office. Pay rise with promotion to office work. Customers' wanted quicker service. Cash registers introduced. Customers shopped daily as opposed to weekly shopping. Luxury goods. Pies made at Blackfriars delivered daily. Employees boarded with local people. Self service and shop lifters. Veterans discount. Compulsory retirement at 60 years old.