Interviews of Nancy Hadden

In this interview, Nancy Hadden (b. Wallyford), who was 79 at the time of the interview, recalls her time working at the Inveresk paper mill (1958-1968). Nancy went to work at the paper mill when she left school, aged 15. She worked as a paper overhauler, checking and counting paper into reams which were then sent upstairs to be packaged and dispached. A supervisor monitored and checked the work done by the overhaulers and the papers were of many different types, sizes and thicknesses.

Nancy enjoyed working at the mill and she recalls the working day, social times with her work friends (going to the cafes and dancing in Musselburgh) and being moved to different Inveresk sites, such as the envelope factory at Meadowbank. Nancy also recalls how Musselburgh has changed over the decades. When she was young, the 3 industries meant that there were times of the day when the streets were crowded with workers heading either to their work in the morning, or back home in the evening. Although the workforce was large, Nancy remembers relations with the bosses were good and you knew everyone. Nancy left when she married, in 1968, and by 1971 the mill had closed.