staf 5

4.The Shop: staffing

Beatrix called in her selected staff to assign their duties beginning with the two assistant accountants.

‘First, we will set up a system to register sales and purchases in two ledgers; we will have to create a customer list and corresponding, customer number. Eventually the ledgers will be moved to the main office,

You will change to deal with the accounts side, upstairs in what will be the board room.’ 

 

Carol was next. For the beginning she was to have two workplaces; one on the shop floor alongside the carpet sales, the other in the office/ workshop with her sewing machine, cutting table and a rack for materials, a desk and storage for customer details, the fitting of the finished curtains would be done in consultation with the caretakers, who would do any wall drilling and working from a step ladder.

The caretakers. For the present you will be working together on day shifts moving and setting up equipment, as it arrives. Once the shop is open you will have six cleaning ladies' morning and evening, possibly the same ones. Henry you will have responsibility for the employment of the ladies and their deployment, the ladies will not work above shoulder height, or do heavy lifting.

Mary Dewhurst. You are to be responsible for the window and other displays, such as Christmas and Easter and possible more local sports achievements. Keep them up to date.

Henry and the caretakers went round to the Mechanics Institute, to see George Goodman

‘George; please meet my fellow caretakers Robert and Gilbert; We are looking for six or twelve ladies to work as cleaners. There will be two shifts, morning and evenings. If they want to do both shifts, we will just need six. Oh, and two for day work.’

‘I do have a list of ladies who are looking for cleaning jobs, there is also “Colin Jones Contract Cleaners”, they would supply a team daily even cover for holidays.’

‘Yes, I know, but he didn’t bother to turn up, when we first opened, So, I am not sure that he has any interest in what goes on.

So, I will approach him, if we are unsuccessful in managing to recruit our own; let us see how we get on.’

‘Can I arrange interviews for Saturday morning? To give me time to make contacts.’

‘Saturday, it will be; Mrs Stubley has given us a free hand to organise the cleaning team, in fact we are free to run things in our own way, if we keep everything running smoothly and stay, sort of invisible.’

 

Saturday morning

The three caretakers turned up to see thirty-four ladies waiting.

‘It’s going to take us all day to go through them all.’

‘Yes. Let us tell them the hours of work and see what happens.’

Henry called them to attention.

‘Ladies let me tell you what we are looking for.’

‘We want six ladies to work on two shifts a day from seven o’clock in the morning until nine o’clock. And again, from five o’clock in the afternoon until seven in the evening.

The shop is open six days a week, there were some murmurings,

We could have two shifts say Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. And Thursday, Friday. Saturday.

Murmurings of approval

‘We also want cover on the same shift pattern from eight o'clock until six o’clock for two ladies.

You will be working under the supervision of us; the caretakers.

There are three floors, you will work, two to a floor; there will be at least one caretaker working on each shift

We will let you get a work pattern organised; the look to move one person from two floor on a familiarisation exchange; so that we can cover if one person is absent.

That means twenty-eight people. That means we will have six disappointed people; we will keep your details and call you in if we require any extra.’

‘Can you all come in on Monday? Say nine o’clock.

Then we can sort you into your shifts and get you all some work smocks, or whatever.’

One of the ladies called out.

‘I am called Anita; I can make some work top that I found in an American, home maker book, they call them ‘clothes protectors for the housewife', I will bring mine in for you to see.’

‘Just a moment. Are you a machinist by any chance?’

‘Yes, I make curtains and cushions, stuff like that for friends.’

‘Robert. Go and bring Carol. I think we are going to find you a full-time job in our made to measure department, Carol could do to have another person with her.’

Robert returned with Carol.

Carol agreed that she would require another person.

‘We can take turns at selling and on the machines, we will need another machine, and hand tools.’

Anita, described the ‘clothes protecters ‘

‘We have a bundle of water damaged bed sheets, we could cut them up and then dye them all the same colour to mask the watermarks, Me and Anita can have everyone kitted out by this weekend.’ said Carol.

‘Robert! you go now to the next person on the list and ask her to come in, now if she can, explain that one person has been taken of the cleaners list.’

 

‘Let us begin the tour of the premises, here.’

Ground floor there are three entrance doors; they will be a problem in wet or snowy days; but it is very important to keep this floor looking good, clean and bright, it is the first impression that counts. It is also the lasting impression as people leave with their purchases. Carol and Anita will be here alongside the floor coverings.’

‘First floor is mainly clothing. With lots of carpeting to clean, possibly you will be asked to give the glass topped display counters a wipe.

Second floor Offices and workshops you can clean the floors in hee but leave anything on the desk and worktops, don't empty the waste bins

‘We are looking to open the doors to the public next Monday. This week we should be receiving lots of goods for sale also a few display cabinets and things; so, there will be paper; cardboard and wood from the transport packaging to dispose of; keep the wood to one side flat boards can be stored for future used short bits of thin wood can be chopped for fire lighting; paper I will have to call in the council waste collectors.’

‘Sort yourselves in to work teams of two, as we go along, I will try to sort you into a shift pattern.’

Carol and Anita were busy making the new; clothes protecters, and dyeing them in batches of six, that is a good number to manage at a time also if we get any variation in shade, it will be the same for the whole shift.’

The furniture sales were dusting off, and giving a light polish to their stock as they arranged it,

Mary Dewhurst was also dusting and adding a light polish to items left in the window displays as the caretakers brought them in to the various window spaces.

On the first floor there were mannequins to dress, jewellery items to display.

 

5 Opening Day

Beatrix had some banners printed

Now Open for Business

To stick in all the windows. She was there as the morning cleaning shift came on.

‘Leave the upstairs for now and fix these at the top of all the windows.

Then check everywhere in this floor, before you check upstairs; leave the offices and workshops, for today; in fact, you could put up a table in there, for staff to use for their tea break out of the way.

I have left some flyers at the Mechanics Institute, they said they would circulate them for us.

At eight o’clock Mary Dewhurst came in ‘Who has been putting stickers in my windows; they are all mine, and I don’t like people meddling with them.’

Beatrix was standing behind her

‘I appreciate your wanting to put on a good show in the windows Mary. But this is my store, and it was I who gave the order to put up the banners; the banners do not distract from your display and none of the displays were disturbed; Right ladies and gentlemen, let us get everything in order, for our customers’

People arrived in dribs and drabs, some just to wander around looking at everything but not buying.

 

There was lots of interest in Carol and Anitas made to measure curtains, especially when Anita told them they could have matching pelmets and tiebacks for a small charge. Also, matching cushions.

There were questions about coordinating curtains with carpets and could they get cotton material for kitchen windows.

 

 

 

 A smartly dressed elderly lady introduced herself as Mrs Ebere, the Chair Lady for the ‘Association of Business Ladies’; only open to ladies who are running a business, could she meet with the proprietor?  

‘I am sorry Mrs Ebere, today being our opening day; she could be anywhere in the premises; would you care to come up to our workshop on the second floor; we are using that as our rest area for staff, I can get you a cup of tea and a plate of biscuits, while I go to search for Mrs Stubley, and bring her to you.’

Beatrix was up in her room; she came down to greet Mrs Ebere, 

‘Mrs Ebere; I was having a few moments in my rooftop office, I enjoy t view over the rooftops; it reminds me of the view from the windmolem balcony; sorry I meant windmill.’

‘Ha, yes, you are from Holland; a Dutch lady. How do you find things in England? As opposed to your country?’

‘As far as language, I just have a few moments when I use the wrong language. The money side, it is just a change of names Pounds instead of Guilders. The numbers have the same value, so my accountancy skills, still apply. I have been accepted by the British accountants, so there I have Dual membership, oh and the hills around here, they make my legs ache, but I will get used to them.’

‘This office? Is everything run from here? I mean they said the place downstairs was the workshops.’We call it the work floor; we are still sorting that area out. This room is where I do all my desk work. Though here I have two accountant trainees, at present they are recording the purchases and sales. We call this the board room the tables can be pulled together to make one large table. Then through here is my, stay over suite, really for winter used when I must stay late.’

‘I must say you have don’t quite well in taking over the lease and opening the doors to the public; what I really came for was to invite you to join our Business Ladies Association; we run courses for business affairs, training for staff and new developments.’ 

‘Let me take you for a quick tour, it is about time that I showed my face on the shop floor. This floor is a place for all the ‘behind the scenes stuff. Window dressers workshop; typing pool; daily accounts, and upstairs will be personal records.

 

 

New staff

Mrs Dewhurst made a case for an assistant window dresser. Henry took her to the Mechanics meeting.

Georgina Short had just come in.

She had just moved to the area and was looking for a job and had been directed to the Mechanics.

George Goodman had found her some accommodation and paid her first weeks rent.

Geogina’s parents had both died when she was young,

She had been placed in the care of her mothers’ unmarried sisters. With a considerable inheritance, which could only be used for her education; they placed her in an orphanage, for female children run by a group of nuns; she was now eleven years old with most of her inheritance spent.

Mrs Dewhurst, said that if the mechanics could also pay for her work outfit, consisting of; an ankle length black dress; black shoes with two-inch heels; and a white apron she would take her on as an assistant window dresser, she would dust the furniture in the windows each morning., then dust the furniture on the shop floor area, polishing out any finger marks with a light touch of polish.

 

Josephine Cross

Josephines’ father worked for a bank; he had been transferred from another part of the county to take over as assistant manager; she was now twelve years old.; she was originally put to work on the first floor to dust around the jewellery counter and ceramic ornaments stands to remove every item dust the shelves and return the display exactly as Mrs Dewhurst had originally set them out; then to check items on the clothing displays for finger marks, made by customers as they tried the garments before purchase.

Soiled ones were removed and taken for cleaning using chemicals; leaving them to air in the workroom for the chemical odour to evaporate before returning then to the display.

 

Gradually the girls exchanged duties, without Mrs Dewhurst’s permission.

Leonard Wilson; also managed to get two girls Gwen and Josey to fill in the sales and purchase ledgers.

 

 

Elsie Batty

Elsies father died in pit accident when she was just three years old; her mother Tracey received a small pension from the mining company; she also found employment as an office cleaner.

Elsie wanted to help her.

At ten years old she went around the local Saturday market enquiring at various stalls for work, with no success until she came to Agnes.

Agnes ran a mixed stall; a sort of A to Z of small items.

‘Why do you want a job ‘Ducky?’

‘My dad died when I was three and Mum has to work long hours for her money. I want to be able to help her.’

‘Tell you what. If your mum can call in here next Saturday, I will have a talk with her.’

‘Mum, I have been looking for a job so that I can help you.’

You don’t need to do that love we can manage, as we are.’

‘But; mum I want to help and the lady on the market wants to have a word with you before I can work for her.’

‘Alright then I will come and have a word with her.’

‘I am Elsies’ mum, she says that she wants to work for you.’

‘Yes, I saw her going round the market; she says that she wants to help you. The lass is keen to earn some money for you, why not let her work and use the money for her, sort of give her a tin to keep her earnings in, so she can buy herself bits and bobs, out of it, you know let her learn to save, for treats. I will keep an eye on her and so will Ethel next door.’

‘I don’t want to restrict her; yes, I will give her a tin to keep her earnings in and see how she goes.’

Agnes called Elsie

‘Your mum agrees to let you help me and Ethel, you can run messages, bring us tea from the tea van and keep our stalls looking tidy. You don’t go wandering off without telling us. Do you agree to that?

‘Yes; I will do what you say.’

‘Ok here are three mugs and a carrier. Take them to the tea van and tell they are for Agnes and Ethel; say that you are working for me and your name, I will straighten up later; can you do that?’ ‘Yes’

At the tea van Elsie put the carrier on the counter.

‘I am Elsie, I am working for Agnes and Ethel, can I have three mugs of tea please, Agnes will straighten up with you later.’

She carried the tea back, carefully making sure not to spill one drop.

‘Here we are three mugs of tea’

‘Did she have anything to say?’

‘No, I just said who I was and that I wanted three mugs of tea for you, and you would straighten up with her later.’

Elsie worked for Agnes for two years, running errands, keeping the stall tidy and filling in any empty spaces.

J&B’s were looking for some ‘Saturday girls’ She was selected; her duties were very much like her job with Agnes, keeping the cosmetic and similar stalls tidy and filling the empty spaces.