The History of Ruddington Depot
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Dismantling And Disposal
Enjoying life in peacetime
Conscription had disrupted the lives of many young men, and compulsory war work had been very unpleasant for a lot of young women, but in the 1950’s they were enjoying life in the post war world. Some, like Bernard Slack’s work mates, found opportunities for fun at work.
“Some of the lads up there treated everything as a joke. They even used to ride to the canteen on motor bikes until they were stopped.
Alongside ‘The Concrete’, where the tanks were cut up, there were stacks of the old heating pipes. Rabbits used to get inside them. One of them used to come out and sit and watch what was going on only yards away. The lads decided they would catch it, and one day some of them held a sack at one end of the pipe while a sweeps brush was pushed through from the other. The rabbit was caught in the sack, and had a big pink ribbon tied in a bow round its neck before they let it go. After that it used to sit and watch tanks being cut up with a pink bow tied under its chin.”
The majority of the work force had to have their fun out of working hours, and they made the most of their leisure time. Working at the Depot remained a way in which couples met. One night Bernard Slack went to one of the dances held in IOF, the main canteen, which were very popular with the younger people working on the site. At the dance he met Lilian Elliott, the ex A.I.D. inspector who was now working in the transport office of Taylor Woodrow. Bernard and Lilian married a year or so later and have recently celebrated their golden wedding. When the opportunity offered, Bernard Slack transferred from the dismantling side of the Disposal section to the auction side. It was a time of hope and optimism for those who had been in the war. They felt things were looking up for them and it was good to be alive.
The Story > Chapter 6 > Section 6.04