In 1940, Owen moved to London to work in the London Co-operative, followed four years later by a transfer to Bristol. The nationalisation of the mines in 1948 led him to a job in the Community Office of the National Coal Board from 1948.
In 1940, Owen shifted his employment to London with the London Co-operative, followed by a move to Bristol four years afterwards. The nationalisation of coal mines in 1948 prompted him to seek work with the Community Office of the National Coal Board.