Living History

Fun at the bakery

I got my first job when I was fifteen or sixteen. The job was working in a bakery—I counted buns into bags and scrunched up bread to make bread crumbs. I got the job because my cousin was there, and she helped me get it. I worked there on my school holidays. I wanted to work for a new experience and also to get some money, as my pocket money at that time was 50p a week.

I worked six days a week for nine pounds a week, and we started very early in the morning (because we had to fill the bread van). There were two young guys the same age as me who were employed to do this as well as me, and we had a lot of fun—there’s a lot you can do with buns!

I remember it as being like a big fun holiday, there was always laughter and lots of loud music on the radio as we worked. I had very long black hair, and there’s a song with a line, “her hair hung over her shoulder with a black velvet band,” and whenever it came on, everyone would call out, ‘That’s Sheena’s song,’ about me.

I also remember that while I was there, I watched a young love affair... There was a girl who iced the cakes who was very pretty, and a boy who made the dough, and they were always flirting. It was a ‘mute’ kind of love, they didn’t talk, but they would always pass by each other and she would flush. There were lots of downcast eyes and him glancing, and he’d make sure to have a lot of business up where she was. It was lovely. I don’t know what happened to them though.

Now, when I smell fresh bread, it just washes over me, memories of that carefree holiday of fun and laughter and music.

Sheena, Ireland

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