The next advertisement that caught our eye was for an apprentice hairdresser at ‘Maison Yvette’, in Hanley. How would you like to be a hairdresser?” said Mum. I had not any burning ambition in that direction, but was willing to try it. I really did want a job, and up to that point although I admit to being rather aimless, the fact that I had not got a job was not entirely my fault,. Mum and I went to Hanley to see what “Maison Yvette’ had to offer. The proprietor of the salon was in fact very nice, and said that I appeared to be the type he liked to employ. The terms were, a premium of twenty five pounds to pay, no wages for a year, lunch at a local cafe every day, “The young ladies get a very good lunch for a shilling, and we like them to eat properly”, he said. All very sensible, but I knew all this was going to be out of the question. My bus fares would have been five shillings a week, (ten pence return to Hanley before nine a. m) plus the lunch money, no wages, and a lump sum of twenty five pounds to find. Mum said we would have to talk it over at home and let him know. .
On the way home she became quite indignant over the fact that he was asking for a premium. ‘I wouldn’t let you work for anyone like that,” she said. I believe it was the standard practice for good hairdressers to charge for the apprenticeship those days, but Mum would never admit to not being able to afford it.