Slippers, Opinionated Women and a Day in the Life of the 1950s

A brief family history

My grandparents were German Jews. They fled Heidelberg in the late 30's and ended up in Yorkshire as England's biggest slipper manufacturers. A great business until central heating arrived and decimated the industry.

The way my dad tells it my grandparents weren't natural soul-mates. Apparently if you were a young German Jew in the late 30's you grabbed the nearest available partner and fled.

Relationship aside they seemed somehow contented with their lot in life. There were a few more challenges immediately post war than there are now. Hard work and stiff upper lip was the natural order of things. Feelings and emotional needs were a luxury reserved for the next generation.

Wasn't life a bit simpler back then and weren't people a bit happier as a result?

But things have changed

That was my thought process as I wondered round the office recently.

My Family Care is dominated by talented, opinionated women. There's a lot of flexibility, a high proportion of working mothers and questioning the status quo seems to be the default setting. A hard-working, emoting, challenging team is a potent cocktail. Throw in a bit of sunshine and some very demanding clients and it's not an environment for the feint hearted.

If I'm honest how we work and the mix of people we have represents enormous progress and I wouldn't have it any other way.

But just maybe nominating one day a month as "1950's work style day" would be good all round?!

Now to find someone brave enough to suggest it...

Ben Black