Life as a Junior Office Worker with the N.C.B.
In June 1964, at the age of 17, I was employed by the N.C.B. Many of my family and friends had worked in various roles for the company and I was quite excited. I was to work 3 days a week as a Comptometer Operator in the general offices at Hafod colliery, the remaining 2 days were at the general offices at Llay Main where I worked between 2 departments. One of them was Costing and the other was where all the pay roll sheets for the North Wales area were printed. My first wage was £4. 6s. 0d. which to me was a fortune.
I had no car to get to either of these sites and so relied on lifts. Hafod was a particularly difficult place to get to if I did not have a lift, especially in winter as I would have to get 2 buses and then walk down the fields from Johnstown to Hafod. There was always a coal fire burning in the hearth of the office and I was so glad of its warmth on those days.
My work there was to calculate the wages of the colliers and other colliery workers using a comptometer. This was a pre computer calculating machinefor which I had attended college in Liverpool to master. Its workings are far too complex for mw to go into here. In those days, to be a Comptometer Operator carried a certain status. I think there were 3 of us in the Wages Dept. there were also wages clerks there. My mnager was Mr. Elwyn Griffiths.
example of a comptometer "keyboard"
The men were paid in cash every Thusday and at holiday time when the collieries closed for Miners' Fortnight then we would pay out 3 weeks wages. To me at such a young age, I had never seen so many pound notes and coins.
It was a very happy environment at Hafod and I was disappointed when I was asked to move to the wages dept at Llay Main. However I soon settled in there too.
As a Junior and before times when everyone had a specific job description, I was expected to work wherever I was required and eventually ended up at the Planning dept at Llay where I was employed to calculate the length and area of tunnelling required underground to access the coal face and extraction of coal. I also operated a machine which printed out plans and maps. i can still smell the extremely powerful and pungent smell of the ammonia required to print out these plans. it was obviously a health hazard and would not be allowed now.
Whilst working in the Planning dept., I used to relieve the telephone operator on the main switchboard at lunchtime as I had worked as a switchboard operaator for a few months in a previous job. But what a difference in size. It was a double board and never stopped ringing. Emails were about 30 years away. I absolutely loved the experience and it stood me in good stead in future years in other companies.
Unfortunately, due to cutbacks, after a couple of years I found myself looking for work elsewhere but I have very fond memories of my time at both sites.