THE SLAB BOYS BY JOHN BYRNEHigher Scottish Text 2014-2015

•John Byrne, born 6th January 1940.• Grew up in Ferguslie Park, a housing scheme in north west Paisley.• Left school prior to sitting his ‘Highers’• Started working as a ‘Slab Boy’ for A.F Stoddard carpet manufacturers in Elderslie.•Accepted into Glasgow School of Art in 1958.

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT

Read An extract from the foreword to John Byrne's 'The Slab Boys'.

The play was set in 1957 and published in 1997.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/education/hist/employment/carpets/section_b/page01.shtml

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE & CONTEXT

LEARNING INTENTIONS

To have: A basic understanding of working life in the

1950s Knowledge of what the job of a ‘slab boy’

entailed. A basic understanding of life in a housing

scheme in the 1950s. A basic knowledge of fashion tastes in the

1950s. An understanding of the treatment of mental

illnesses in 1950s Scotland.

CONTEXT – SCOTTISH CARPET INDUSTRY

Extract from BBC - Education Scotland

http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/education/hist/employment/carpets/section_a/index.shtml

SLAB BOY Were the bottom rung of the ladder, the

lowest paid workers. However, the work done was essential to

production. Laborious work

What did they do? Used a marble slab and palette knife Took the paint powders Ground the paint powder with gum- arabic

and water to make the paint “Dished” these for use

WORKING LIFE

40-48 hour week 16 days holiday £7.50 weekly wage 8.7 million in

manufacturing ‘job for life’

37 hour week 4 weeks minimum £500 weekly wage 2.5 million in

manufacturing “ ‘Job hopping’ is the

new normal”**

1950s 2012

1950S FASHION

Teddy boys, winkle pickers, drainpipes and beetle-crushers???

1950S PAISLEY/HOUSING SCHEMES

What do you think it would have been like? Noisy High levels of poverty Overcrowded Dirty/unhygienic Rough Smelly Cheap Lots of people in work

1950S HOUSING SCHEMES/ “FEEGIE”

Stoddard’s Carpet Factory, Elderslie

Ferguslie Park “Feegie”

1950S HOUSING SCHEMES/ “FEEGIE” “Feegie” – Fergulie Park, Paisley.

Built in stages between the 1920s and 1960s (Post WWI “Homes for Heroes” scheme)

Like other housing schemes, intended to lower population congestion and poverty

Outskirts of Pailsey Cut off from the rest of the town by a network of

railway lines and disused embankments Lack of amenities and transport By late 60s-early 70s “Feegie” had become a slum to

rival the ones it replaced. By 1970s areas of the scheme had to be demolished –

the only 20th century built estate where this happened.

MENTAL ILLNESS

The Victorian era introduced mental asylums, or psychiatric hospitals.

These were used in the 1950s, though the government wanted to move towards “Care in the Community”

There was a “taboo of silence” around mental illness which did not break down until the 1960s.

Introduction of anti-psychotic mediactionElectro shock therapy and sedation were

common treatment methods

St David's Hospital Carmarthen 1956-1958

"I saw the doctor in charge and was foolish enough to tell him about my voices... I was... moved to a ... ward where patients were given insulin. Before moving I had read on the walls of the admission ward, notices about rights of appeal to the local M.P., but decided this would be a waste of time.

... the lady psychiatrist ... tried very hard to persuade me to sign a "voluntary form". This seemed a farce to me and I refused."

"my shouting and yelling disturbed the other patients... I was forcibly stripped (except for a sanitary towel!), fighting and struggling, turned over and injected in the buttocks. The last I remember was someone saying "Sit on her". Then I passed out."

"I was given about 4 E.C.T.s and about 4 to 6 weeks insulin. I said I was not going to physically fight... The (man) doctor said 'Doesn't she think she ought to feel grateful for having treatment?'"

"I expected psychiatrists to talk to their patients". [See Stafford-Clark 1952] "I hardly ever saw (five times in two years) the man in charge of me, except passing in the corridor."

Nurses did far more than they were paid to do, taking patients to their own homes, to the pictures etc. There was much kindness in this hospital, but it has taken me years to get over it, and the fear of going back is strong"

READING THE PLAYOVERVIEW & CHARACTERS

MAIN CHARACTERS

Phil – the leader of the slab boys. He is a bully, a joker and a talented artist. He is determined to break free from his working class life. He is also vulnerable: “d’you think going off your head’s catching?”

Spanky – Phil’s sidekick. He seems a slightly kinder character than Phil.

Hector – The butt of Phil and Spanky’s jokes.

Alan – the newcomer who is resented because of his social class. He will be working in the design room, not the slab room.

MINOR CHARACTERS

Jack – A designer. He clearly looks down on the slab boys claiming they are lazy and disengaged. He has bad skin much to the delight of Phil and Spanky.

Mr Curry – The boss of the slab room. An ex-military man he despairs at the lack of work commitment from the slab boys.

Sadie – the tea lady. She disapproves of Phil and Spanky and mothers Hector.

Lucille – the office sweetheart. All of the boys want to take her to the staff dance.

ACT ONE – THE EXPOSITION PAGES 1-12

The first 12 pages of the play serve to introduce the characters; create an understanding of the relationships between them; introduce some of the themes of the text.

Make notes under the following headings, with evidence:Initial impressions of each characterHow is the generation gap portrayed?How does Alan’s character contrast with the other slab boys?Themes that are emerging

**You will need your notes for next period’s discussion**

REFERENCES AND EXTRACT SOURCES

http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/education/hist/employment/carpets/section_b/page01.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/education/hist/employment/carpets/section_a/index.shtml http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeannemeister/2012/08/14/job-hopping-is-the-new-normal-for-

millennials-three-ways-to-prevent-a-human-resource-nightmare/ http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/clips/z749wmn ukhousing.wikia.com/wiki/Paisley http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fac/iatl/reinvention/issues/volume1issue1/paice/