Jim Schofield (November 1961 character)

Jim Schofield was a packer at Amalgamated Steel who by October 1961 had been with the firm for five months, clocking up a sickness record of an average of one day a fortnight. He had received two warning from Personnel Manager Mr. Wentworth who then asked newly-recruited Assistant Personnel Manager Ken Barlow to formally interview him and suspend him if he saw fit, unless a really good excuse was forthcoming.

Ked did so and Jim claimed that he suffered chronic migraines which affected him at any time and if he was awake during the night with them, then he was in no fit state to come in the next day. Ken asked if he also suffered them during the day and, receiving a positive answer, recommended he see the staff nurse when this occurred. Schofield magnanimously said that would be unfair to his fellow workers if he left them in the lurch. Ken asked Schofield about his punctuality record and was told that the lads in packing all covered for each other and made up for lost time. Ken sent him on his way with no actions but Mr. Wentworth was unhappy when told the results of the interview and demanded that Schofield return to the office. Ken started to lose his temper at being undermined but Wentworth asked the packer why he never suffered his condition on a Friday – a pay day – but always on a Monday, and probably after a Sunday night’s drinking. Threatening to call his last firm and a doctor, Wentworth suspended him with a warning that he would be sacked if his appalling record continued. Ken felt humiliated and, soon afterwards, handed in his own notice.


 * Jim Schofield was one of the final guest characters to appear in the programme just before the Equity actors' strike began in November 1961 which precluded the employment of any actors in similar roles for some six months.


 * For the March 1961 and 1962 characters given the same name - an unusual move for the programme - see Jim Schofield (March 1961 character) and Jim Schofield (1962 character)