Audio recording and transcript of George Ridgway (Sainsbury's employee 1923 to 1950s including as branch manager) interview

Oral history interview and transcript of George Ridgway, who was employed in Sainsbury's stores from 1923 to the 1950s. Worked at Pinner Road; Greenford (as first hand); returned to Pinner Road (branch manager circa 1945); and Kenton stores. Interviewed by Bridget Williams (Sainsbury's Archives). See also transcript of another interview with Mr Ridgway on 2 Mar 1990 at SA/EMP/10/3.

Topics include training, his work at Sainsbury's, memories of the shops and people in the company.

Summary of content:
43_A:
1937: Oxted opening.
?: Oxted and Goring Road closing.
1950: Selsdon opening.
1931: Mr Norton. Greenford.
1923: cutting up butter. Under and overweight.
various: Sampling.
1920/30s: Norton. Numbers on coats. Sampling. Introductions. Special offers. Advertising. Training School. Mr Norton. Samplers.
1920s Norton. Training school. Training in shop. Tills. Handling money. Butchers. training school.
1920s/1930s 13-15 128 Kilburn. Brondesbury. bacon. Kentish Town. Bacon. 128 Kilburn. Brondesbury. Harrow. Stamford Fork. White coats. Laundry. Carving cooked meats. Knives. Cleanliness. Cricklewood. Bacon counter. Bacon. Cutting bacon. Greenford. Bacon machines. Price of bacon. Training school. Post World War One. Women as managers. Demob of men from war. Women demoted. Pinner. Greenford. Ruislip. S.E. Smith. Carrying sides of bacon. Dressing shelves. S. E. Smith. Cleaning. Weights and measures. Promotion. Red buttons. Trevor Hales.

43_B:
1930s: Red buttons. Mr Alan Sainsbury.
1925 Pinner Road. Living in.
1920/30s: Sidney Walter. S. E. Smith. Mr Biddlecombe. S. E. Smith Shipsides. Mr Hedges. Greenford. Short stocks. Staff pilfering.
?: Mr R.J Sainsbury. Prosecution and imprisonment of caterer for stealing.
1930s: Mr Alan Sainsbury.
1920s/30s: Price cards. Special offers. Window dressing. Mr Tutman. Watford. Mr JB Sainsbury. Cambridge. Mr Snow. John Bergin. Kenton. Mr Alan Sainsbury. Johnny's boys. Mr Salisbury. Letter from JB Sainsbury to Mr Snow on his illness.
1950s: Mr JB Sainsbury. Mrs Morton-George. Peter Snow. Mr Alan Sainsbury.
1980s: Mr RG Sainsbury.
1940/50s Wartime rationing. Meat.

44_A:
1940s/50s: Meat pricing. Food in wartime.
?: Ordering and sales. Adjusting size of orders. Mr Lamb. Kenton. Turkey sales at Christmas. Mr Goffy. Turkeys at Easter - first time. Mr Goffy. Pattern of trading year and Christmas trading at Kenton. Displaying and selling turkeys at Christmas. Weekly trading patterns. Cleaning. Joel Street. Duties of porters. Marylebone. Staffing levels at Kenton. S. E. Smith. Mr Lamb. Philip Leech and Mrs Leech. Window displays. Mr Hedges. Greenford. Williams Brothers. S. E. Smith and the holly tree. Cold storage.
1920s/1930s: Ice boxes. Cricklewood. Egg boy. Mr Holland. Living in. Cricklewood. Bournemouth. Deliveries by horse and cart and steam lorry. Harrow. Holiday allowance. Mr JB Sainsbury. Pension scheme. Staff problems. Discipline. Brondesbury. Cricklewood. Mr JB Sainsbury.
1925: S. E. Smith. George Hoare. Pinner Road opening. S. E. Smith
1920s/30s: George Hoare. Guildford. Oxford. District of Harrow. Sidney Walters. Customers in Harrow. Serving customers. Deliveries. Boys on bicycles and trikes. Mr Moore. Mr Shipsides. Peter Snow. Watford. Mr Alan Sainsbury. Mr Lamb.