George describes the harsh regime of discipline which prevailed at the factory. All our interviewees who worked at Canbury Park Road have, without fail, also talked about the primitive toilet facilities.

It was somewhere where, as I’ve said before, you never addressed your seniors other than sir. You don’t stand and argue with them. They are right and you are only an underling, so you have to take it.

And it’s a bit comical really when you look at it, but the toilets in those days were…

Well, you went in and there was a little cubicle at the entrance and a little man with a book and you went in and he took your name and your clock number – everybody has a clock number, that’s the number you are in the factory. And he’d take you name and your clock number and the time and he’d give you a key to the toilet and you were given ten minutes. Obviously some people took longer, if they did he would come and thump on the door. And the doors were not for modesty.  They were about that size so your legs and your head were above it that was. And you get used to all this I suppose, you know, it’s one of those things.

And the washing facilities were like a great big round bowl with a spray in the middle and that is where you washed your hands. As I say this gentleman was very tight on the time you were allowed in there. And I will admit I chose not to go as much as I could. It was very Victorian.