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Original poster

What perks did you have because of your parents job?

249 replies

SanFranBear · 24/08/2021 22:47

My dad worked in Air Traffic Control and finished his career working at Heathrow. I was lucky enough to go on several visits to the top of the tower and see the incredible work that happens there... the radar screens, the dishes out on the roof and the best view of planes taking off in the airport. I cannot imagine that this would be allowed today (it was 30 odd years ago when I visited) and it was a genuine treat!

My mum managed a dry cleaners which was ace as it meant I could buy whatever really - most of my friend weren't allowed dry-clean only clothes Grin

What sort of perks or treats did you get because of the jobs your parents had?

OP posts:
olidora63 · 25/08/2021 01:39

Tickets to Top of the Pops …he was a BBC correspondent.

GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman · 25/08/2021 01:54

I got to live in a couple of interesting countries. Unreliable electricity, horses and mules tied up along the main street of the town, and no TV.

Bloody loved it. Had a profound impact on many of my attitudes and on my understanding of the world.

And DM worked for a removals company which closed down, and we had reams of classy cartridge paper to use as scrap, with a smart green letterhead.

ThreeWitches · 25/08/2021 01:58

@elQuintoConyo

SanFranBear military. As his dependent, I also can access a hotel opposite Waterloo station in London for peanuts! DH was bowled over.

As for our DC, they get bugger all perks off either DH or me, poor sods!

Love that hotel.
Galassia · 25/08/2021 02:02

After my mother married my father in 1961 she gave up work and became a house wife.

The benefit of that for me as a child was always having a mother that was there when I came home from school and we always had a lovely home and clothes.

My father was an accountant so I guess the perks were wealth.

My father left for work early and came home on the dot at 4.30pm so I grew up with all of us there at tea time and seeing my father before bedtime unlike some of my friends who didn’t see much of their fathers during the week because they came home later in the evening.

shiningcuckoo · 25/08/2021 02:26

My dad was a fireman. Went to see him at the station loads. It was great for parties because it had a ridiculously cheap bar. Dad often drove the engine. A few times he and his mates met me from school and gave me a lift home. In those days firemen were poorly paid and often had other jobs on the side, so there were always plenty of people to offer favours, such as mending your car, plumbing, driving lessons The list was endless. Dads side job was cleaning windows.

Debetswell · 25/08/2021 02:28

My df worked for a milk products factory.
He would bring bags of cream home, so thick that you had to add milk before whipping otherwise you got butter!
They also supplied Baileys so we got bottles of Baileys sometimes.
My friend's df worked at a pottery and we got clay to play with. That was fun.

CanIPleaseHaveOne · 25/08/2021 02:43

My mum had a very high profile position in a smallish town. So the perks we had were more to do with being "people of note" as her children. Looking back (many years ago now) we had a very good ride on her coat tails!

DeathOnTheNile · 25/08/2021 02:48

My dad worked for an airline, so we got cheap but unconfirmed tickets i.e any full-fare passengers would always take precedence over us. This made for a lot of very eventful holidays where we were never sure if we'd actually get on the flight or not, and being bumped off the flight at the last minute and having to change our plans around! It was very stressful for my parents at times but I didn't know travel could be different until I started travelling independently and didn't bother with using my dad's discount - it surprised me that people could just proceed right through check in rather than wait around to be called at the last minute and make a mad dash for the gate. Because our tickets were so cheap we often flew business class and first class, which I took for granted a bit at the time but now that I only travel economy I certainly appreciate a lot more!

I have great memories of those trips and it allowed us to travel a lot more than we could've afforded to otherwise, so I consider myself very lucky.

1forAll74 · 25/08/2021 03:28

Not very exciting, my Mum knew a couple, who had a fish and chip shop, and they asked her if she would help them out on the two busiest nights of the week, so I used to go in, and get some free fish and chips, sometimes. !!

travellinglighter · 25/08/2021 04:32

Mum worked for M&S in the food hall. Cream cakes on the sell by date for a penny. Amazing.

Nat6999 · 25/08/2021 04:46

My dad worked for a manufacturer of coins & silver goods. The company had a hospitality suite at Donnington, I've been to hundreds of motor racing events in the 80's & met lots of famous drivers & riders like Barry Shene, Carl Fogerty & Mike Smith. There was unlimited food & booze whenever we went. We also saw Princess Ann when the World Student Games was on as the company had made all the medals & got VIP seats for the opening ceremony.

Canyrdogdothepussy · 25/08/2021 05:01

Ma da was a joiner who worked all over the place .We had a cracking formica kitchen table growing up that he made. Funny enough ,the same formica as the interior of the QE2!!! 🙄😀

garlictwist · 25/08/2021 05:09

My dad worked for the department of transport. We used to get a set number of free first class tickets to London on the train to use every year.

LoveFall · 25/08/2021 05:15

My Dad was a civil engineer and he went on day trips to inspect projects and check on things. During school holidays he would take each of us out for the day with him, taking turns. It was so much fun to have him all to yourself during the car trip, and to wait proudly in the car while he worked.

We sometimes got lunch in a restaurant with him, which was a huge treat as we almost never ate out as a family.

He was a civil servant, and a very ethical one so we never got any material "perks."

Toooldforthis321 · 25/08/2021 05:27

My dad worked for British Airways at Heathrow. We got 2 flights a year, and sometimes Club or First Class.
We also lived very close to Heathrow so it was a dream in terms of going on holiday!

FiveGs · 25/08/2021 05:37

@shiningcuckoo

My dad was a fireman. Went to see him at the station loads. It was great for parties because it had a ridiculously cheap bar. Dad often drove the engine. A few times he and his mates met me from school and gave me a lift home. In those days firemen were poorly paid and often had other jobs on the side, so there were always plenty of people to offer favours, such as mending your car, plumbing, driving lessons The list was endless. Dads side job was cleaning windows.
Same! My dad's side job was as an electrician.

He was also posted to a station close to a very well known chocolate manufacturers and the fire station would get bags and bags of the off cuts or rejects, we couldn't get through all the chocolate as kids! Great Christmas parties but weren't allowed to slide down the pole (tbf I'd have fallen and broken my leg or something!)

SpeakingFranglais · 25/08/2021 05:38

A beautifully decorated home for many years, for free (painter and decorator)

NumberTheory · 25/08/2021 05:40

My mum worked in a chocolate factory for a while and could get huge bags of "seconds" for next to nothing (which was good, because they paid next to nothing).

Ozgirl75 · 25/08/2021 05:52

Not me but my sister in law worked at a big magazine for a short, glorious time, and she would give me so many make up samples and things.
My husband worked in a business bank for a while and his potential customers would send us things now and then, so one Xmas we got a massive load of tuna, lobster, mussels etc and one year we got a huge box of loads of pickles and jams and things. Shame he didn’t like the job as the perks were brilliant.

Saracen · 25/08/2021 05:53

Access to computers at a time when very few people had one at home (1970s).

My dad managed an electronics shop and I would sit in the shop using the computer. It helped sales, because people thought if a young child could program the computer so could they. (Thinking has changed on that one, LOL!)

My mum, who taught special needs maths at high school, saw the potential and persuaded her school to get some computers in for the kids. Then I could go in to her computer lab and use those computers too!

ReallyRatherBlonde · 25/08/2021 05:57

My Dad's a farmer so we were able to have ponies - am still benefitting from this so very very fortunate. Never could have afforded it if we had had to pay livery!

Cazzovuoi · 25/08/2021 05:58

My uncle worked for Kellogg’s.

We had an unending supply of variety packs as kids. He would show up with huge cardboard boxes of variety packs for us! I don’t think my parents ever bought breakfast cereal.

HocusPocuss · 25/08/2021 06:08

My parents ran their own business so we travelled a lot when we were young, to many different countries. Also had unlimited supplies of cuddly toys, greeting cards and stickers, which were huge at the time.

IARTNS · 25/08/2021 06:17

My mum used to work in a pub - on a Sunday she would bring home left over yorkshire puds, we'd put jam or golden syrup on them Smile

110APiccadilly · 25/08/2021 06:21

My dad's work paid for us all to go to the USA for three weeks. Dad had to travel a lot for work, and had promised us he'd done his last trip that year. When they asked him to go again, he said no, and told them why, at which point they offered to pay for us to go with him!

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