157 Ross Street, Cambridge

History of 157 Ross Street

1913

John Thomas Shadbolt

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1939

H A Forsdyke, clerk

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1962

Herbert Forsdyke

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1980s

Bert Forsdyke

Bert’s father, Arthur George Forsdyke, was a carpenter who helped to build houses in Ross Street in 1910.During WWI he constructed huts for the army. Bert did a paper round in the week and was a butcher’s boy on Friday and Saturday. In the evenings paper boys had to use old candle lamps. As a butcher’s boy he worked from 6pm to 11pm every Friday and then went back to the butcher’s on Saturday at 8am preparing orders and then delivering them until 11pm. His wages were 1s 6d. On Sundays Bert was a choirboy in the Wesleyan Chapel, later Romsey Mill. There he was paid a shilling a quarter for his singing and fined a penny if he didn’t attend.He started his full-time working life in 1918, when he went to work on the railway. he earned 7s 6d a week which was 1s 6d more than others because he was a competent shorthand typist. He worked for GER 8am to 8pm 6 days a week and got three days holiday a year. he worked as a clerk for British Rail for 46 years. (See Down Your Street, 1984, chapter on Ross Street.)