Les Ellis Looks Back at Changing Times of Employment

Old advertisement for Cowlishaw & Walkers iron foundry at Knypersley

Les Ellis reminisces about the old days in Goldenhill during the 1950’s and 1960’s. Les tells us that he attended the GSM from 1957 to 1961 and then took an apprenticeship at Cowlishaw & Walkers iron foundry at Knypersley, and after 12 months taking home a pittance in wages he went to work in the pottery industry and his wage trebled, wow he say’s he thought he should have done it earlier ! Anyway, he worked in various departments at various factories until the age of 20 when he became a van driver delivering pottery to various shops, and at 21 became a truck driver working for a small company at the top of Sneyd hill called Henry Fox. Les stayed there for a while before starting with BRS and Beresfords, “good old days”; 1980 saw him doing his first continental trip to Italy with them, what an experience that was, no sat nav and very little motorways in those days, just your book of lines (atlas), but after a good while you get to know when and where not to stop! Well after retirement from the trucking industry 7 years ago, his last job being a container driver, easy job that is you only have to open and close the doors, it’s loaded/unloaded by others, and as an active pensioner of 72 he still likes to travel, so he’s got a caravan and tours the UK and travels to Spain for the winter, loving life until the next reminisce.