White collar 1957 - 1970 Analytical chemist specialising in brewing. When it dawned on me that the men (and even the women, who were paid less) in the bottling room got between twice and three times my salary. I was at the time assistant chief chemist at Goldwells (remember "Snowball"?), so I gave the boss instructions (quite explicit, as I recall) re the insertion of my rolled up contract of employment in a suitable aperture, and departed.

I was better paid as an apprentice than as an assistant chief chemist, and five years on I was a time served carpenter and joiner.

So off with the white collar and on with the......bib & brace overalls!

Not a blue collar in sight.

When building work was scarce, I did anything I could get, right down to cleaning sewers. Blue collar at last?.........NOPE! Boiler suits.

So never a blue collar did I wear, but still a straightforward working class grafter.

Don T.