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Harold Taylor tells us of his father's time when employed by the local council. As you will find out, his time with them was not always a happy one. Harold's memories are based around the 1930's to after the war, probably up to the 1950's.
As foreman to the Public Health Department at Chichester, my father had come under the local sanitary inspector, Mr Nash. There was a Mr Osmond in the office and the secretary was Miss Putnam.
My father's responsibility was the care of the council houses. His workshop was in Chapel Road, where the road now cuts through to the library. He had a staff of about eight workmen, but this fluctuated. In the summer they had a programme of redecorating the outsides of the houses. There was also new building taking place, for which he was usually the clerk of the works.
One other job that was allotted to him, although I suppose it was not his function, was the allocation of council houses. There was no points system, like that developed after the Second World War, I suspect it was more on a first come first served basis. He would no doubt go out and vet these applicants, and by virtue of this, he seemed to know everyone in Chichester.
As time progressed, some of my father's employees and other council staff got called up from the reserve for military duty. More and more jobs were passed on to him as the council was not taking on more staff, resulting in him having to work late. Toward this end, my mother and I used to help him out at times.
His early working day would now start with him cleaning out and tidying four of the public toilets and emptying the cash machines. This was at Eastgate Square, South Street near the Globe Hotel, the Butter Market in North Street, and the toilets next door to his workshop in Chapel Street. In the evening, after work, he cleaned out the Butter Market after trading had finished. After eight o'clock when the public library had closed, he would clean that also.
Helping him clean the Butter Market gave me an opportunity to visit a side store where many artifacts were kept, such as items from the museum, which had been held in The Guildhall, in Priory Park. This gave me a certain pleasure as it renewed my acquaintance with some objects I had known earlier, such as some of the carved doors from the Old Gaol in East Street, and Roman jars and vases from the burial site in Alexandra Terrace.
The Butter Market job did have its advantages, as the butcher would let Dad have odds and ends and the fishmonger would let him know when they were expecting supplies.
He would then return home in time for his nightly shave and wash before resorting to the pub. This was also his time for singing practice when the house would be filled with his melodious voice as he practised his arias.
His usual pub was the Nag's Head, in St. Pancras, although it was not uncommon for him to visit the British Legion first. Certain nights he would visit the Golden Fleece in East Street, or the Hole in the Wall, in St. Martin's Street.
Among some of my father's other commitments, was maintenance of the Isolation Hospital and, to some degree, the Royal West Sussex Hospital. At the former, he was clerk of the works when it was built, at a guess in 1933. One of his men, Will Rogers, drove the fever ambulance for the Isolation Hospital, and Bill Redman, one of his bricklayers, helped him.
The mortuary also came under his jurisdiction, and was in one corner of the Isolation Hospital grounds next to The Hope Inn. The Hope was built about the same time as the hospital, or perhaps I should say re-built, for there had stood a pub on that site before, from my memory a thatched roof place. It was called, probably colloquially, 'The Dell Hole' and I still refer to the area as such to this day. Many I talk to know where I mean, even if they do not make the reference themselves.
The site of the hospital, when I was very young was an open space, where fairs were held and was always known as Dell Hole Field, but I do not ever remember there being a hole there. In modern days with the removal of the wall around Oaklands Park, there is revealed the pond into which the River Otter flows. I often wonder now if this is the Dell Hole referred to.
Later on the council had to provide a pest control officer, as an employee of the Health Department. Dad was already employed on some of this work, but the rest was passed on to him and he was appointed rat catcher. His plumber, Tracey White assisted him, and they usually took turns with the catching in the evenings. I would accompany him on these excursions.
My father was also a first aid party leader during the Second World War and their established post was St. Bartolomews Hall in Orchard Street. Several of his workers were in the same party. I think they were eight strong, including the ambulance driver who was the daughter of a local vet.
As the war went on and the threat of bombing and invasion passed, the authorities decided that instead of the first aiders turning up each night and weekend and doing nothing, they would organise party games. So Sundays each week was competition day. They would organise events between parties, ostensibly to keep them on their toes.
Father's lot would have none of this, so when expected to perform, they did not. They came to do a job, and would do it, but would not play 'silly buggers' to the gratification of the Town Hall etc.
This of course did not put Dad in the good books of the local town officials, resulting in him being demoted and someone else being put in charge of the Party. The only snag was that no one took any notice of the new man and would only follow my father. After the war the town officials got their own back, however.
Nash became due for retirement during the war, but because of the hostilities, was not allowed to do so. As soon as the peace came, it took effect. What happened next was known as the 'dirty tricks campaign'.
They did away with the Health Department as it was, and placed all council house repairs as a side issue of the Highways Department. They advertised and appointed a housing manager, for which my father applied, but was ignored. The appointee had no experience of housing whatsoever, and would often seek out my father for advice.
They also advertised for a maintenance foreman, but my father could not apply because he was still that person and had not been sacked. Tracey White applied, but was unsuccessful.
Dad was then reclassified as foreman painter and usually given the worst jobs going. When he was originally appointed the wage was quite low, perhaps only £3 per week, and the extra pay for his position was an additional 10/-. The only compensation was, that this remained and he was getting possibly more pay initially than the person they appointed over him.
I am not sure who father's protagonists were, but I certainly heard the name of Court mentioned, who was possibly the surveyor. Wilkins was the engineer, and Hudson his deputy, with whom my father was on good terms.
My father had soldiered on with the council, despite the invidious position in which he had been placed. I gather some of the men with whom he worked endeavoured to shelter him from some of the situations in which he was placed, i.e. dirty jobs, and jobs where he was to face some of the nasty elements of the weather. They earnestly wanted him to take up a union post, but he resisted.
He was able to turn the tables on his 'enemies' to some degree, however, by his knowledge. Not only of the council, but also of the town, all of which was kept in his head. He was able to point Billy Brooks and Charlie Newell in the right direction to gain improvements, which they sought for the town. Both of these became Mayor, and I believe, both more than once. He took a great interest in the town and was a fountain of local knowledge.
Ironically whilst all the 'who ha' was going on, my mother was working amongst it. She was 13 years older than my father, and had never worked since their marriage. However, when they wanted a cook at the Control Centre, which was run by the town officials, she applied. So all through the war she cooked there, being out about three hours every evening. I believe she had a bit of foresight on this too, for if she got some stamps on her card, when she was 60 she would be able to claim a pension.
I think in those days one had to have a minimum of two years' stamps to claim full pension rights. As it was, the war lasted longer than she thought, and she was able to claim almost as soon as it was over. A new National Health Act took over in 1948, so she backed a winner right well.
After my father retired, his main activity was walking to the Coach and Horses in the St. Pancras, where he would spend quite a bit of time. The landlord and his wife were acquaintances of youth, as one or other came from Arundel. (I note that recently they have both died, in their 90's). A game they played in particular was an old card game called Euchre.
On his journey home one day my father noticed a couple of people scratching about in the earth on the corner of St. Pancras, and Alexandra Terrace, where some old house had stood. He leaned over wall and said, 'It's no use looking there for anything, there was a 10 foot cellar there. If you are looking for Roman remains you'll have to dig around here in the un-disturbed earth.' Apparently they took his advice, but the only thing they uncovered was an ancient debris pit, which contained oyster shells.
Better luck next time!
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