I remember! Reminiscences of a Cobbler's Son

urn:iso:std:iso:639:ed-3:eng

52

text excerpt

[Arthur Gill did a number of jobs after leaving school in 1900, aged 13, including working as a stockroom boy at John Barran’s, a Leeds clothing firm where he ‘whisked’—kept clothing clean of dust]

I soon became bored with the monotony of whisking boys suits, however I did occasionally take a skep on wheels to another dept. by a subway under the road. I remember meeting one day a chap in this subway called Bucknall, he was a bass singer who used to go about singing solo parts in Oratorio at Chapels. This particular time I met him, he was bellowing out “Why do the Nations” from the “Messiah” and when I say “bellowing” I mean it! Can you possibly imagine what it sounded like in a Subway?!!.... it nearly deafenned [sic] me.  Talking about singing… there was one department I had to visit now and again, which rejoiced me very much. The foreman of this department was a Choir-Master and he encouraged his chaps to sing while they were working—and they could sing!—part songs, hymns and such like. It was a happy department! This was genuine “MUSIC WHILE YOU WORK” not to be compared with the stuff turned out on the Radio in later times.  There was no Radio then! 

excerpt from 'I remember! Reminiscences of a Cobbler's Son' pp. 52 (213 words)

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