| A compilation of audio-interview extracts recalling employment in Leicester during the first half of the twentieth century. This largely unedited collection of oral-history recordings gives an insight into the nature of work in Leicestershire, particularly in the period between the two world wars. A picture emerges of a workforce moving between employers and frequently taking additional part-time jobs to bring in a little extra income. The huge textile and boot and shoe trades in Leicester and Nottingham were female dominated and the “women’s jobs” were generally regarded as more skilled than the labouring jobs given to the men. The local hosiery industry is described in detail, together with the introduction of progressively more automated machinery in the late 1920s and 1930s. Other contributors describe work as a tram conductor, knocker-up, shoe machinist, teacher, shop assistant, and home worker. Some recall their difficulties in finding employment in the 1920s but one woman claims that, unlike elsewhere in the country, you could always find work somewhere in Leicester. The importance of trade unions and the closed shop is also touched upon. The original recording is held by the East Midlands Oral History Archive. (EMOHA ref. 408, LO/028/C28), Click here for further information. This audio recording lasts 23 minutes and 31 seconds.
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