When this photograph was taken, in the early 1950s, a construction worker’s pay was 12 ½ p per day (half a crown, or two shillings and sixpence, or two and six). Rain on the heavy clay-based soil made working conditions hard and unpleasant. Clay in this area used to be called “three-horse clay”, indicating the number of horses needed to pull a plough through it. Note how construction-site workers’ clothes have changed: nobody is wearing a hard hat or a “hi-vis” jacket.
Discussion
Why has work clothing changed since 1950? Find some examples.