Did you have a Saturday job when very young and was was it

Yes several over the years. First one at 13-14 was working at the local zoo taking Exmoor ponies and donkeys around for the children to have rides and in rainy days I helped out in the children's zoo, absolutely loved every minute the money earned was a bonus. I also worked in a shop selling handbags, etc. Had no choice if I wanted anything as my family had little spare money. Worked in the holidays between my two years at college to pay for the books for next year. Gave me a brilliant work ethic so full time work wasn't a shock.x

In 1956 I too, like oldgimmerl, collected newspaper money on Saturday morning. I was 14 at the time. It would not be safe these days to carry a bag of cash around. I found one of the ladies I called on in a state of collapse one cold Christmas Eve. I ran to the nearby doctors surgery for help. The lady was taken to hospital where she died a few days later. I was so thankful she was warm and cared for, not lying on the cold floor lonely and frightened when she died.

My first job was in 1966, I was 12 and worked in the sweet kiosk at the local zoo, paid £1 for Saturdays and £1.50 for Sunday’s. Graduated to Saturday girl at C&A when I was 16, for £4 a day. All through my teens, I did occasional waitressing (my mum worked for an outside catering company and they were always looking for casual staff). It was usually great fun and I loved earning my own money.

Potato picking first for me on the farm where my uncle worked. You picked into a basket and then threw it into the trailer. Because I am shy the men called me Dozy Dora as I only spoke when spoken to! Next my Mum got me a weekend job at the cafe 4 doors down from our house. We had a long upstairs room as well as the cafe and had coach parties in. One time a party of race goers were in and I managed to spill minestrone soup all down a man’s back. He was very nice about it. Then the cafe owner gave it up and went to work as head waiter at a local hotel. He asked if I and my sister would go to work as waitresses. It was silver service and I was proud that I never dropped anything else! We were also left alone on Sunday afternoon to serve afternoon tea to customers who came in, making sandwiches from scratch and also the tea. We were 15 and 13.

ANother BHS old girl here, I worked on the food counters, mainly bacon and cheese. I hated the old dears who expected me to shave the cheese so they had exactly 4 ounces! There was also a cake counter and a half hour or so before closing the superviser came round and told us to sell everything left at half price. Ten minutes before she came round we put 'our' selection into the chiller under the counter and when she's been round we 'bought' our cakes for half price!

No, but did a lot of babysitting during sixth form years. It was mainly for a youngish couple, evidently well off, with just one toddler who never woke up. They went out quite a lot, used to leave me very nice things to eat and drink - and the bloke used to drive me home in his E-Type!
Yes, I know I was very lucky.

I had a job in a clothes shop, 25 shillings, mid 60s. When the sale was on certain items had a code on their Kimball tags and if we sold those we got extra in our pay the next week, if the senior assistants saw you were about to sell one of these they would take over, hence getting the bonus. One week I serving one of my teachers with quite a few reduced items when someone came to take over. The teacher told her to push off, that I was serving her, She told me later that she'd worked in shops too and knew all the tricks the seniors got up to!

Very first Saturday job age 13 was in a florist shop.
Paid 5/- per Saturday and was let go very quickly as I was useless.
Various jobs in hairdressers followed at 10/- per day until I got a job in a local bakery/coffee shop.
However I earned more money babysitting - very lucrative as I was always available, the children liked me and I was totally trustworthy.

I worked 8am to 1pm delivering meat in all weathers by bike for the family butcher's shop, netting 12/6 (62.5p). I had time to get home, grab a bite to eat and meet my friends at Carrow Road for the 3pm for kickoff. I think I had quite a lot of my 12/6 left over by the end of the day.

I was a Saturday girl in the local public library from 15yrs 3 months to 18. It ranged from frantic to incredibly boring and back again. I got really good at putting things in alphabetical and numerical order and my favourite job was putting the tickets in order towards the end of the day. This was in the day when everyone had their own three(?) tickets to put the card from the book in. Those were the days!

I lived in the depths of the country, so in the school holidays my sister and I picked up potatoes after the soil had been turned over. We were paid 1/3d (7.5 pence ) for every hundred weight sack. We saved £1/10 which seemed like a fortune. This was in the fifties.

As we lived in the Netherlands my DC used to peel bulbs when the schools broke up. Didn’t pay well but was very sociable.

Collecting the empties in my parents pub and washing up. Age 12.

My first Saturday job, aged 15, was around 1964 at a small branch of Boots in Levenshulme Manchester. I was paid £1 and as my bus fare would have cost me 1/6d one way, the manager Mr Hodson took pity and picked me up and dropped me off as he had to pass through the part of Stockport where I lived. I worked a whole week one Easter and with £5 I bought a lovely new coat

Yes had a Saturday job, started at 13 - chicken farm, then housekeeping at a Red Lion Hotel. Did not stop working until 67 - qualified for a profession so you can go on and on, Both children had Saturday jobs too, they are very high earners with degrees. Partners four children did not and what do they live on but welfare benefits bar one and yet both him and late wife had degrees.. Although it is said the difference between working class and middle class is ask the question did they have a Saturday job?

I had a paper round from the age of 12, so an early morning start each day. The Sundays with their supplements took up Sunday mornings.

When I was fifteen I got a Saturday job at a hairdressers, washing hair and sweeping up. I hated it. I felt physically sick washing people's hair. The second week I just walked out and threw up outside (the old lady had big round bumps on her scalp - yuk!) so that was that.

Next, I got a Saturday job in a small grocers - loved it. At 17, having left home and at college, I worked Friday nights and weekends in a pub.

Started off with a milk/paper/rolls round then worked up to cash desk in an electrical store after school and all day Saturdays. Remember it with general affection.

Had a job teaching at a riding school. I wonder what adults thought about being taught by a teenager. No rules about qualifications then.

Having been brought up abroad as the child of an Army parent we weren't allowed to do Saturday jobs so am highly envious of the independence you had.
My youthful earning power was down to evenings babysitting for Army Staff on the base and any money was spent in the Naafi on English sweeties. Such a treat.
Many happy memories of full sized Mars & Crunchie bars....Not the minuscule offerings we are permitted now.

Paper girl to start with, then Saturday girl in in the hairdressers, then in a delicatessen where I managed to cut myself badly on the bacon slicer and cause the manageress to pass out. She could not deal with blood.

My parents had a sweets/tobacconist shop so I had to help out every weekend and all through school holidays. It was good for shy little me, as I had to be friendly, polite, and I learnt to add up in my head and give the right change from about 12yrs old.

My first Saturday job was in a hairdressers. I was 13 years of age and earned £1.00 working 8.30 - 6.00

Marks & Spencer in the mid 60s - 26/3d - best paid Saturday job in town at the time!

Had a Saturday job aged 16 in a local B&B. Waitressing and washing up the order of the day. However, from time to time I also had to keep an eye on a toddler while frying chips for the family in their basement kitchen. Mum was usually upstairs sorting out the laundry for the paying guests.

Fortunately I managed to avoid splashing the toddler with boiling oil or setting fire to the house.....

Stacking shelves in a local super market in the late 50s, then in the bakery of a small tea shop. Left school at 15.

Both our children had Saturday jobs and worked every spare hour when at university. They both now have a good work ethic, unlike their partners who never had saturday jobs.