VSE049 Sandra Cox, JR Freeman's Cigar Factory, Cardiff
Sandra left school at 14 but didn’t start working in the factory until 1973 when she was 22. She describes making the cigars and the smell on their hands. One girls lost the top of her finger in the cutting machine. They had to get as many cigars as possible from one leaf. There was one strike about the heat. Their targets were written on a blackboard in the factory. She travelled on a Vesta scooter to work. There was security to stop staff stealing any. They had ten cigarettes free a week and five cigars + cigarettes at Xmas. She competed to be Miss Freeman, not in swim wear but they were interviewed. She left because she was sacked (or she resigned).
VSE032 Violet Ann Davies, JR Freeman's Cigar Factory, Cardiff;Currans, Cardiff
Ann left school at 15 (1955) and went straight into the cigar factory in Clive Street. The machines were dangerous – no guards. Singing and playing pranks. Smell of tobacco sticking to you. Names the girls she worked with. Got 200 cigarettes every month. Piecework. Describes processes. Making 3000-4000 cigars a day between two machines. Proud to be making King 60s and Indian Sticks. Company supportive when her mother was ill and when she had to take time off. Sick leave pay. Moved to new factory in 1960 – one big room. Radio and music. She left when pregnant in 1962 but returned on evening shift in 1963 but she became ill. Poverty and not having shoes to go out in. Tells story of Pat Perks – gymnast who competed in Commonwealth Games. Factory collected money to buy clothes etc for her. Ann worked part-time in Curran’s 1976-78- saucepan and baths factory. She worked on returns. Refused to work out in the yard. Her dad worked there during the war – terrible burns from boiling lead. Later she was a home carer for 23 years.
VSE078 Margaret Duggan, JR Freeman's Cigar Factory, Cardiff
Margaret was born in Ireland and she left school at 17 (1964) after doing a course in a technical college. She worked as a cook initially. Between 1966 and 1970 she worked for General Electric (EI) and then she married and moved to Wales. She started working in Freeman’s. She describes making the cigars. She caught her hand in the machine – 8 stitches. She had compensation through the union. Changed jobs – check weigher. Targets – e.g. how many they could get out of one leaf. She could walk around and chat. She had a set wage. Strong smell of tobacco, conditions improved and they were given masks to wear. Fine mist to keep tobacco moist. Paying tax on the cigars, she did the finished order audit. She left in 2002 when she was 55. She received a watch for 30 years’ service. Good pay and bonuses every Xmas and Easter. Extra holidays depending on period of employment. Tobacco Worker’s Union – dispute about finishing at 1.30 on Friday – union won. She had redundancy pay. In the beginning it was a workers’ market. Newsletter – Smoke Signals. Perks - free cigars and cigarettes every month. Social clubs, e.g. golf and badminton. The company paid for her to go on a computer course. Xmas draw and dinner. Family place.
VSE023 Frances Francis, JR Freeman's Cigar Factory, Cardiff
Frances’ mother worked in the old cigar factory in North Clive Street – making them by hand. After leaving school at c.15 Frances worked in shops and then went to the new Freeman’s Factory – making them on machines. The smell there was sickly. When she was in training she broke the press – they put it in a glass case. A modern factory. The valley girls wore curlers – they hid cigars in the curlers! – spot checks. Toilet break timed. Horrendous noise of cutting cigars. Later worked in shop for 30 years. Piecework. Her factory number was 344. She has all her payslips. Knows of Miss Manikin competition. Her parents were poor - the story of the shoes. They could order cigarettes and cigars once a month e.g. 4 oz of Old Holborn. Frances never smoked.
Margaret talks of her father’s unionism NACODS and of leaving school at 13-4 (1944-5). She started working in a boarding school in Yeovil and then returned to Wales. She worked in Freeman’s. They travelled there from Tredegar by train. It was a new world. She saved with a provident cheque from her wages. The work was about earning money. Radio and singing. Shirley Bassey used to work there. Before Freeman’s she says she worked in Spirella’s. She had been apprenticed at The tailoring shop in New Tredegar- Parry’s. She didn’t go into the factory but did corset fittings for people in their homes. She had a skirt and jacket made for herself at Spirella’s. In c.1949-50 she went to Cora’s, making clothes for M&S and began in the cutting room. Supervisors were sent to Leicester to train. Then a new supervisor who began sacking workers. She was on examining and because one whole batch was bad he sacked them all. The union stood by them and they had their jobs back. After getting married she didn’t work in a factory.
VSE074 Tryphena Jones, JR Freeman's Cigar Factory, Port Talbot;JR Freeman's Cigar Factory, Cardiff
Tryphena left school at 16 (1966) and started in Freeman’s. She had an interview and an IQ test. She was in the making dept. – and had to get so many cuts out of one leaf. Some of the girls in hair rollers and hairnets. This stopped after 2 years. Describes a day’s work. Singing and chatting. Targets. Describes procedure of making a cigar. Worked in pairs – at the same speed. She explains the work in the stripping room. Quality control checked and if 5 faulty you were in trouble. She explains how they worked the targets. Well paid job. She worked for the money. It was difficult for women to become charge hands – this changed. She learned to fix her own machine and felt it was unfair that mechanics were paid more than the women. Time and motion person – she describes how they behaved when he was watching. Three warnings for not meeting targets and out. Dangers - one girl next to her lost 2 fingers. Union didn’t start for two years – disputes about noise and heat. Discusses harassment. She was involved in sport and had to take unpaid leave. Story about her television interview. Social events: It’s a knockout, skittles, dances etc. Miss Manikin – some jealousy and some opposed it. Noise has affected the workers’ hearing. Changes because of mechanisation. Looked after if ill. Four canteens and different food too. She did 3 years in Port Talbot too; 12 years in Cardiff. She was able to pass tests on gymnastics while there. Good learning curve.
VSE020 Jenny Kendrick, JR Freeman's Cigar Factory, Cardiff;Smith's Crisps, Swansea
Jenny worked in Smith’s Crisps Swansea during the summer holidays after finishing in University in 1970 (at 25 years old). Worked there for 3 months. Factory made Quavers and Chopitos. Putting 14 packets in a box. Her friend had to pick out bad quavers from off a conveyor of rancid fat – sick every half hour. Jenny was promoted to do weight checking with clipboard - weighing samples and adjusting machine. Brilliant relationship with other women. Re-packing Chopitos from waste – rougher work. Standing all day – feet painful. Very noisy and singing bouncy songs e.g. Lola by the Kinks. Allocated toilet times. Very hot summer, Women - no interest in unionism. Stinking of oil – using Cologne. Fire – but no health and safety standards. Really tough women – running homes and working. Teasing but no sexual harassment as she had found in London offices. Perks – stealing packets of crisps. Later when she worked in Freeman’s (between 1966 and 1970)she was given cigarettes and cigars cheap. She was in the office. Factory jobs demanded no skills but a lot of fortitude. It informed her feminism. Most of women enjoyed it and the extra buying power. She feels a lot of respect for working-class women.
Doreen left school at 15 (1955) and worked in Littlewood’s café before going to Avana’s (1958)She put nuts on Dundee cakes first – wore overalls and turbans. Changed jobs, but difficult to keep up with conveyor belt! Saturdays she wore rollers under the turban – told to take them off. Ringleader for mischief. Talks about the foreign workers in the factory. Singing to radio. Cakes for M&S. Dancing and roller-skating in Cardiff. Pranks: dared to go down belt to loading bay; tying shoe laces. The men worked the ovens. Made 21st birthday party for her. Cakes half price. Left to get married 1961. Stayed 2 months at the Lyonite Factory, Canton making music boxes, but smell of glue. Back to Avana for 2 years. Worked a few months in laundries and then in Freeman’s.c. 1965-6.Working on hopper . She put the top leaf on the cigar then. Then pregnant and left (1968)If late lost her machine. In documentary about training in cigar factory. Afterwards she worked in a restaurant for 21 years. In Elke’s Biscuits for c. 8 months between Avana and Freeman’s. She tried to lead strike in Elke’s because of heat. In Avana someone lost a finger in the machine- put it back on. Enjoyed in the factories.
VSE074 Tryphena Jones, JR Freeman's Cigar Factory, Port Talbot;JR Freeman's Cigar Factory, Cardiff
Tryphena left school at 16 (1966) and started in Freeman’s. She had an interview and an IQ test. She was in the making dept. – and had to get so many cuts out of one leaf. Some of the girls in hair rollers and hairnets. This stopped after 2 years. Describes a day’s work. Singing and chatting. Targets. Describes procedure of making a cigar. Worked in pairs – at the same speed. She explains the work in the stripping room. Quality control checked and if 5 faulty you were in trouble. She explains how they worked the targets. Well paid job. She worked for the money. It was difficult for women to become charge hands – this changed. She learned to fix her own machine and felt it was unfair that mechanics were paid more than the women. Time and motion person – she describes how they behaved when he was watching. Three warnings for not meeting targets and out. Dangers - one girl next to her lost 2 fingers. Union didn’t start for two years – disputes about noise and heat. Discusses harassment. She was involved in sport and had to take unpaid leave. Story about her television interview. Social events: It’s a knockout, skittles, dances etc. Miss Manikin – some jealousy and some opposed it. Noise has affected the workers’ hearing. Changes because of mechanisation. Looked after if ill. Four canteens and different food too. She did 3 years in Port Talbot too; 12 years in Cardiff. She was able to pass tests on gymnastics while there. Good learning curve.
Irene left school at 16 (1949) and started in Kayser Bondor on March 9th. She was on the strapping section for 25 years and then on the lathe in cutting. She fed two machines at the same time. Then the straps were cut and then to the bucklers. Then changed to ribbon straps. She took work home every night to keep up. ‘Chinese labour’! Those making garments earned more .She gave all her money to her mother. Shop for Not Quite Perfect things for sale. On strike for wages and picketing – cooking on wood fire outside. Needles through hand – and in hospital – operation to get them out. Also lost top of thumb- clip stitched it back. £200 compensation. One girl lost her hair – bald. In canteen, same music everyday ‘Itsy bitsy’ and on wall slogan ‘Output is the main key to prosperity’! Noise gave her tinnitus. Quarrelled with men for not pulling weight. Had a laugh at army boys learning to sew. Cycling to work. Worked in Kayser Bondor in Merthyr and Dowlais. Hockey and football teams.Lovely Xmas concerts. Ten and 21 year clubs. In 21 year club given 21 guineas and bought Rotary gold watch. Also had nightie and negligé for not missing work. Reunion. Made redundant at 51 (1984).
