Bradford Woollen

[Janet Olsen 10]

I worked on reception & was the telephonist for a couple of years. The telephonist job then went to a guy who was blind Eric was his name. I continued to work in reception firstly with Pat Goddard, then Rita Fewkes. Mr. Adam Machattie was the General Manager. Girls who worked there were Christine (office) Beryl (office) Girls in the depts that I can remember were Cindy Winn Biggin (knitwear) Audrey Ryder (shoes) Mona Pengally a lady called Heather. Guys who worked there were John Greaves Tom Travis a guy in electrical called Alan. David Brough Heaps more people. It was a good place to work .

[curriechick 10]

I left school in 1974 and started work at Bradford Woollen, I worked as receptionist/telephonist with the man you mentioned Eric. We became really good friends and we would go out together at lunchtime. Prior to this he used to have in lunch in the staff room as he was from Kimberworth and didn't know his way around town. But Mr McHattie, who was a lovely man, aranged for Diane to cover reception at lunchtime so I could take Eric out.

 

After a while I got promotion to work in the cash office, settling the accounts of the retailers who used Bradford woollen and emptying and cashing up the tills each night.

 

When I was pregnant I had a thrreatened miscarriage, after which I went back to work and again Mr Mac stepped in and let me work back in reception so that I could sit and not have to carry the heavy bags of money from the tills.

 

It was a lovely place to work, when I left to have my son they gave me some beautiful gifts.

[bullerboY 10]

Hi curriechick,I knew blind Eric,his wife worked with my wife at Lombard finance,he was working for the Halifax then but i'm afraid he died about 15yrs ago,his wife is still alive and still lives at Kimberworth.

[curriechick 10]

Hi butterboy, thanks for that I am so sad to hear that Eric died he was a great bloke with a wicked sense of humour, I just loved him. Glad to hear Pat is okay though, I only met her once I think but felt I knew her well from listening to hear Eric speak.

 

God bless Eric,

[bullerboY 10]

Haha,curriedchick it looks as though you need glasses lol.Pat is a very classy woman and always dresses impeccably,her and Eric thought the world of each other.

[curriechick 10]

Butterboy, I'm confused why would I need glasses? I never said anything bad about Pat or Eric. I said I had only met Pat once and that was correct but it was at a Christmas dinner/dance in 1974. But Eric always spoke about her, he adored her and I felt I knew her through the way he spoke.

 

Eric and I used to have lunch together, one of his favourite places was a restaurant above Hornes Menswear and he used to have tomatoes on toast, I had never heard of that but it is now one of my favourite lunch time snacks and I often think of sitting, chatting in that restaurant when I have it.

[bullerboY 10]

Hi ,Curriechick,you really do need glasses if you have not spotted your mistake either that or you are taking the pee.I did not say you said anything bad about them,I do hope you see the funny side of your clanger,no harmful intentions meant lol.

[curriechick 10]

Hi ,Curriechick,you really do need glasses if you have not spotted your mistake either that or you are taking the pee.I did not say you said anything bad about them,I do hope you see the funny side of your clanger,no harmful intentions meant lol.

 

Sorry you are going to have to help me out here, I just can't work out what it is you are referring to.

 

ps is it Listening to hear Eric speak? That's all I can see and agree it is not grammatically correct.

Edited September 12, 2011 by curriechick
added ps

[bullerboY 10]

Hi,curriechick,you called me Butterboy, ahah I've been called worse so don't worry.

[curriechick 10]

Hi,curriechick,you called me Butterboy, ahah I've been called worse so don't worry.

 

Sorry I never realised that at all. I must have glanced at your name the first time and seen it as Butterboy and just carried on. I honestly do wear my reading glasses when on here otherwise I would see nothing at all but obviously they need changing now.

 

Once again sorry for that.

[RdMC 10]

Just spotted this thread (ex-Sheffield 'lad' but moved away with family many years back). I seem to be a bit late!..

 

Going back to some of the earlier comments, I think my Dad probably washed/cleaned the owners' cars at Bradford Woollen on/off West Bar in the 50s and early 60s. I'm sure I went along as a young lad just the odd time. He ran a car parking and cleaning business off Scargill Croft, at the back of Bank Street, and I remember him - in his dark blue overalls and always wearing an old maroon parachute regiment beret - carrying heavy pails of hot water, with his sponge and chamois leather (sold in an old shop also in West Bar at that time), to go further along West Bar to a client/s premises.

 

(In a separate recent post, I've asked if anyone also remembers [Carlton's?] Furniture Store, which was further along West Bar towards Snig Hill.)

[slotter47 11]

My dad,Arnold Carr,worked there as a rep back in the day,Eric and Dennis Swycher were the bosses one of which lived at Sandygate and drove some really upmarket cars which my dad drove on occasions when needed.