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Tate girls in their "dungies" and gingham hats
© Scottie Press
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Tate and Lyle: Sugar love |
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Adapting the uniform…
The younger workers hated the bib and brace overalls – or “dungies” as they called them – so they rolled up the legs to knee length, like pedal pushers, and fold the blue and white gingham squares, which the older women wore as turbans, to make a pill box hat instead. Some of the Tate & Lyle pensioners still use those gingham squares to this day – to clean their windows.
Tate girls entertain the Lord Mayor (early 1970s)
© Scottie Press |
Later on, in the 70s, the ‘girls’ were still going out straight off the 2-10. Usually to a local pub, but often going on into Liverpool city centre, to the “Clipper”, or a club, some still in their overalls! But many took their dungarees and hats with them, rolled up in their handbags, leaving no room for “lippy” or anything else.
A solution was soon found, though. In turn, before they went out, one of the girls would collect all the uniforms and take them to her house. The next day, before their shift, the gang would turn up, one by one, to pick up their work clothes.
The family spirit extended to money, as well. Thursday was pay day, and many of the girls used to take enough cash from their wage packet for their night out, but give the rest to their chargehand, or supervisor, to ‘mind’ for them – in case they spent it all and could not ‘tip up’ to their mothers the next day.
Words: Ev Draper
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