Recently I have been looking through digitised newspapers to find any articles for my Paternal Pearson family. The article below is relatively recent, although still 42 years ago. When reading this article, please bear in mind the era it was written, as some of the comments are now archaic and offensive. Especially the opening quote. Remarks like that can never be classed as banter. As a woman, I am pleased to say things have improved. But there is still plenty of challenges and improvements required, as evidenced by the recent report on the London Fire Brigade.
It is pleasing to read that my Father, Don, took Lyn on as an apprentice. The only company which seems to offer her an apprenticeship. Hopefully, she continued working in the industry, especially as she states in the article,
“The job’s great, and I love every minute of it.”
Lyn
LEICESTER MERCURY, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1980
Lyn gives ladders a new slant
At the store where Lyn Welham is working just now they call her Twiggy “Because she’s so decorative” joked one of the assistants.
Seeing her overalled figure perched up a ladder customers exclaim in astonishment “Gracious it’s a girl,” And Lyn stops her painting for a second to retort “Why not”.
As far as she knows Lyn is Leicester’s only girl apprentice painter and decorator. Now 17, she left Rawlins School at Quorn just over a year ago, and after a couple of jobs she hated, ended up working for Community Industries.
Potential
“The person in charge told me about the jobs available – decorating, gardening, bricklaying and so on, and mentioned that girls usually looked after children. I said I’d like to do painting and decorating.”
“I liked it so much, that I decided to try and get properly apprenticed. I tried dozens of places in the yellow pages, but no-one was prepared to take a girl.”
Don Pearson and his cousin Bill run a city painting and decorating business begun by their grandfather in 1893. They heard that Lyn was looking for an apprenticeship, and went to inspect her work.
“I decided she had potential, said Don. “We’ve never employed a girl before, but Lyn is proving very satisfactory. She’s a good timekeeper, doesn’t have a radio glued to her ear all day, and all the clients she’s worked for so far have been very pleased.”
Ron Collin, the craftsman who is supervising Lyn’s work says she is keen to learn, and interested in the job. “Certainly, she’s as good as the lads I’ve taught- and in 40 years in this trade, I’ve taught a few.”
Domestic clients are always pleased to see a girl, Don Pearson says, “They seem to think she’ll make less mess, and be better at clearing up than a man.”
As for Lyn, she says the lads, both at work and at South Fields College, where she attends classes, have accepted her quite happily. “They were amazed to see a girl at first, but the novelty soon wore off. The job’s great, and I love every minute of it.”
Included in the article is a photo of Lyn in her overalls leaning against a ladder. The caption reads.
Lyn Welham, not just a decorative face.
Mentioned in the article is the fact that the company was founded in 1893 by my Father’s Grandad, Henry Arthur Pearson. More to follow in a further post.
the curious past 