Saturday Jobs

[tiggerblue10]

Do school age teens still do Saturday/holiday jobs?

When I was around 12 I started working weekends and holidays at my dad's cafe, waiting tables, washing dishes, cleaning etc. After that I worked at my uncles dry cleaners, serving customers and putting wrap on clothes. I carried on working at the dry cleaners for a couple of years after I got a full time for a bit of extra dosh.

What job(s) did you do at weekends and school holidays?

[Samuraisan]

The age of twelve my parents owned a laundry. I had to go and iron tablecloths and serviettes at 6.00 a.m. every morning before school.

[pixie374]

I worked with horses. It seems most teens want to- but there are so many rules and regulations about where, when, how long they can work, that employers find over 18s easier!

[Patsy33]

Worked on a Saturday for a while in little cafe when 12-13, then done waitressing in a hotel, plus clearing tables, washing up. When me & friend was paid, we use to catch bus into town and buy new clothes. We both bought the same little skirt and top once, we looked like twins!

[aelmpvw]

caddying at the local golf course

[-SharonA-]

I worked as a Saturday girl in Woolworths. I loved it. Also worked school holidays.

[Ken4155]

Sat mornings were spent mixing plaster for my uncle, a master plasterer. Old tin bath and spade - hard work for a 13/14 year old. The money earned paid my entry fee on Turf Moor, half time refreshments and more:-)

[aelmpvw]

all that hard work to watch Burnley? i don't know what to say . . .

[jennyjoan]

Weighed vegetables at veggie shop at 13. Run errands for neighbours. Baby sat loads babies never got paid. Shop assistant corner shop. Cleaned brothers shoes. Never got paid

[Prudie]

I didn't start until I was 16. First in an independent chemists then I was a checkout girl in a supermarket when you actually had to press numbers on a till (loved that job), blackcurrant picking (worst job ever) and also waitressing in a beach cafe.
There were all during 6th form, getting some money so I could spend a couple of summer weeks camping in Snowdonia with my boyfriend each year :-)

[pastafreak]

Did babysitting...I don't think children worked in shops back in the States. I did weekends in a German bakery when I was older.

[Redhelen72]

Newspaper delivery, babysitting, mucking out at the local stables and fruit picking

[bednobs]

Cafe, super drug type pharmacy, local co-op then cardboard Box factory

[FatticusInch]

I did the obligatory paper round, dreaded Sundays and all the supplements because it would necessitate a return to the shop halfway through the round to pick up the second sack in order to complete it. The paper job was obviously 7 days a week, not just Saturdays.
I moved to a milk round at the age of 14, a typical Saturday started with a 4 a.m. pick-up, 4.30 start and 10.30 finish.
Children these days really do not know how lucky they are. I saw something on here recently about the obesity epidemic.
It starts at a young age with a sedentary lifestyle, or certainly seems so in the last thirty years or so.

[Smowball]

I used to babysit from the age of 12. But I genuinely think most kids these days don’t want to.

[zebo]

My granddaughter is desperate for a part-time and/or Saturday job but she has found that most places won't take her on while she is still at 11-16 school, even though she was 16 last October.

[choux]

A little hotel work and worked on petrol pumps. Saved my money to buy a new bed, carpet (which I laid myself) and do my bedroom out.

I have been bemoaning the loss of Bob-a-job-week recently. There is so much help I could do with and I would have paid them handsomely.

It is tough getting old...

[SIRandyraven]

When I was at school aged 14 I was a pump attendant at the Esso garage owned by Bruce Forsyth and his sister.
Then when I was 16 and at college I run a self service Shell garage Sunday mornings. Yep they left a 16 year old on his own in charge of a busy petrol station. We had a car wash etc that I had to reset when cars got stuck in it. It didn’t like some car shapes.
Even then in 1980 I used to take over £2,500 in a 8 hour Sunday morning shift. Mainly cash those days with the odd cheque.
I also did the odd Friday night shift also. See all the drunks falling out of cars onto forecourt and those were the drivers lol

[Zacs-Master]

The problem now is indemnity insurance which prevents a lot of companies employing below employment age kids. Such a shame for those willing to work.

[SIRandyraven]

I certainly learnt about life working in that garage.
I saw everything on a Friday night shift.
One Sunday morning the chemists on other side of dual carriageway way started smoking.
It was about 5am and I saw flames. I had to close up garage and go around back bashing on flat door to wake people up who live above the chemists shop.
Fire service were very quick on the scene.
Got back to garage and then got abuse from a black taxi driver because we were shut.
Next time he came in following week into him we had no diesel , when we did lol

[SIRandyraven]

Everyone who worked in that garage was on the fiddle.
From the owner to the chap who swept up.
You could earn on top of pay £200 to £250 a shift even in 1980 via the agency cards truck fill ups.
The chaps who worked full time doing well lol
They got raided by police one day and one of them taken to court for fraud. Found not guilty ….you could not make it up.