My experiences with Kosher

It all happened when I qualified as a Meat Inspector through the Royal Society of Health. I did my training after work at Stanley Meat Market - Liverpool when I worked for the CWS.
It was hard but worthwhile in the end, long hours away from home - Rock Ferry - Birkenhead.

I would have to get up at 6 am every morning to the undergound train and to get home at 10 pm.

Having gained my Liverpool Certificate in Hygeine set me well on the way to applying for the course at Liverpool University - part time - and was granted permission to sit the examination by the Royal Society of Health. I still have those certificates after all these years.

Out of 28 in 1962 only two qualified, Myself and another guy who's name alludes me at the moment - must be going senile.

Anyway, as I had passed and was away from work with an abscess in my throat I was told that the Birkenhead Corporation, as it was then, was after a qualified Inspector with this new ticket.
That was a stroke of luck, I gave my notice in with the CWS, who I might say that the manager was not pleased, and took up the post in May 1962.

I was assigned to Woodside lairiage where Canadian cattle used to be off loaded, longhorn types I believe. During my stay there I experienced the sight of ritual killing by the Jewish method, the method I will not mention but suffice to say I did not approve of at the time and was scared to death at the way the cattle were despatched, but I soon got used to it.

The Jewish slaughterman had to be qualified in the ritual slaughter.

After death supervened the Jewish slaughterman would feel for lesions on the inside of the chest wall and if it was clear then it was passed to ordinary slaughtermen to finish the job. Of course when the animal was was dead it was left to the Christians to finish the job.

I was not impressed with the Mohammedan way either, the seamen would carry a sheep from the docks on thier shoulders to the slaughterhouse as this was the way they were at the time, not so much now the shipping has stopped in Liverpool.

Their knives were so blunt you could ride from Liverpool to Switzerland without cutting your backside. The slaughtermen at Stanley were very human in persuit of thier job, they would lend a Mohammedan a sharp knife to do the job.

Back to the Jewish method. After the dressing was complete the Jewish slaughterman, if satisfied that all was well would discard the hind quarter as unclean to be sold to the Gentiles he would then put a lead seal on the fore-quarter to show it was ok for the Jewish shops to accept it.

Now here is where the fun starts, the shop would take out all of the viens of the fore-quarter to eliminate any blood that may be there and sell it to the Jewish community in Liverpool and surrounding districts.

I could go on and on but I don't want to bore you with details. Let us say that my career was interesting to say the least.
Happy hunting to all those that enter these massive portals.

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