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"My first recollection [of the cotton industry] was taking my Father's lunch to him, wrapped up in a rag. I had to walk from Failsworth to the Asia Mill in Hollinwood with his lunch each day. In the school holidays my sister - who is older than me - used to warm whatever he was having, wrap it in a cloth, and I had to go at my best speed into the Mill, to my Father's floor, where he was running a set of mules, then whilst he eat his lunch, I used to help out around the mules, going into the alleyway, to see where Mum was, as she used to put the bobbins on the creel for the mules to spin: Health and Safety those days !!!!!!!! "Gradually, I learned. Father used to take me to see the engines at the Mersey Mill, and the Argyle Mill, where his friends used to be the engineers, and so I learned how to run those engines, whilst the Engineer supervised me. I was really amazed to see the engine at the Argyle Mill: it's such a shame those magnificent machines were just scrapped. "I was taken on at the Argyle Mill, as a "Tuber", and with my knowledge soon became a "Little Piecer", than graduated over to the "back half" of the mules to run them on my own as "Big piecer", with a day off at Oldham College to study 1st year Engineering, and Cotton, but soon did not like that. I wanted to see the world, and caught the bus down to Manchester, a Tuesday afternoon it was. If there had been a Royal Air Force recruiting shop there I would have joined them, but it was the Royal Navy, where the guy in the office asked what I was doing, and signed me on as a "junior" engineering branch, at 15 ½: I dont think that is allowed now, but when I came home on leave, I still used to go into the Mill and work my leaves, as my friends then were all at working the Mills. "I did see the mill engine at the Asia mill, only once, as my Father's friend was the fireman there. One day in the fog we used to have in those days, he was carrying a barrow load of ashes from the boiler house, and fell into the mill lodge (most mills had either there own lodges to draw water or used a nearby canal, the Asia had its own lodge), and he drowned. My father never went near the lodge again. "With your website now, I can look and see what type of engine the Asia Mill used. I do remember, wherever the hot water from the condensors went back into the lodge or canal, there used to be some lovely big golden carp to try and catch. "I hope this has given you a little insight into the start of my working life, all through, the cotton mills, my marvelling at the steam engines that drove the cotton mills, and memories of our father and mother working in the cotton mills of Oldham. My sister and her husband emigrated to Australia on the assisted passage in 1961. I went onto join the Royal Navy, and travelled all over the world." Malcolm Taylor, as related to Nigel Rudyard, March 2004. View the Women workers collection to find out more > |
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