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I worked for the merchandising department on secondment for the opening of John Barnes. It meant leaving my home in Oxford at 5.30 and getting home at 8 or 10 at night. It was a great experience. The only person I remember from my time in merchandising was Gunter, the head of the department
Well…what a FANTASTIC trip down memory lane that was. Thank you Paul (aka Staggy, Aggie Aggie) for taking the time to bring that all together.
Sat here with my lifetime Bessie Neil Worthington on holiday at Darwin Lodges in Derbyshire. I worked with Neil in Waitrose in the Warehouse just a ‘mere’’ 😉 44 years ago at the wonderful Four Oaks branch.
Neil and I often reminisce of our time that we worked there and all the great times and incredible memories that we had.
It would be amazing to have a reunion for those of us that are left…so I’ll put it out there. For those reading please forward to anyone you are still in touch with.
Lots of love Steve Fletcher (aka Compo to Keith Warrington) & Neil Worthington Xxx
Most interesting reading. My father worked at the Morden warehouse – very early 60s I think – as the Customs & Excise Officer. I have a vague recollection of visiting him at work on one occasion and I think his office was by the loading bay. I also have a memory of having an illicit ride on a fork lift truck! Was it usual to have an Excise Officer with an office on the premises?
Dear Trevor, thank you taking the time to comment here. We’d love to hear more of your memories of Mr Waite!
Loved seeing these photos – happy memories..my brother use to play with Roy Lucas …so sad how the estate looks now –
Wallace Wyndham Waite was my great grandfather on my mothers side, my grandmother being Monica Freeman (nee Waite). I clearly remember my great grandfather (he was affectionately know as WW in the family), at his last residence in Maidenhead.
Hi Paul . Just been reading your comments about Waitrose Four Oaks. I’m Hilary Warrington (formerly Jones). I also started there when we opened Nov 74 as a young Weekender . Then went full time and stayed until we closed in 2020. It was a great place to work fantastic people. Do you remember us going camping to Weymouth at August bank holiday . I was with my now husband Keith Warrington we travelled down on his motorbike. Fun times . I also remember Pam and Dave very well . So many memories .
Very Interesting. I moved the the UK in 1988 and I have been a “Waitroser”, ever since. Waitrose has the well deserved reputation of having the best food and service and I find that it is also very competitive with the prices of other food stores. I am 71 years old, a “bargain Betty” by nature and I am always to able to get the best foods at Waitrose for a very good price. And Waitrose is an extremely happy place to shop!! The staff are not only very helpful, but always kind and happy to see me. Thank you Waitrose!
Mr Jordan was still the manager at 161 Winton throughyout the period I worked there part time between 1998 and 2001 – whilst studying at the University. I was employed specifically as a Sunday assistant on double time (the branch was just about to start opening Sundays). I was the last person to leave (of those taken on to cover Sundays) in 2001, having completed my studies (a degree in retail management). I have good memories of Mr Jordan and the then team at Winton, but had never realised just how long he had managed to store.
I worked for Findlaters from August 1966 until October 1968. It was my first full time job after leaving school. I worked in the Muswell Hill branch for a year and in 1967 was transferred to the Winchmore Hill branch. I also did some relief stints in the Highgate Village and Grange Park branches. The range of Findlaters’ own brand Spanish and South African sherries was immense, the most famous of these being “Dry Fly” which was marketed in a mallet shaped bottle as were all the Spanish sherries. Also the brand names all had fishing related names which gave one an idea of the style of sherry. The South African sherries had equally well thought out branding relating to both Afrikaans and native language terminology. FMT also had some own brand brandies but through the mists of time I cannot recall the names of these. And, of course we sold all the well known standard and de luxe spirits, liqueurs, wines from all over the world, beers stouts ciders and soft drinks and mixers to compliment the “hard stuff”! My job was to manage the stock and to ensure we always had an appropriate amount and range to offer our customers. In the mid to late 60’s FMT’s demise was as a result of the main supermarkets being allowed to apply for liquor licenses and with thei superior purchasing power sell wines and spirits at vastly reduced prices. It was a sad end to a quality retailer.
And now, a Facebook appreciation page for Dunstable, so you may be able to find colleagues, some of which have contact or still work at a Waitrose! Now that is very telling, how good an employer is JLP! Please join us, there will be another reunion next year! https://www.facebook.com/groups/663533709293304 Jean Bruce xxx
My Grandfather, Eric James Sharp (Lofty Sharp) worked as a sommelier for Findlater Mackie Todd, mostly at Findlater House in Tooley Street and occasionally in head office at Wigmore Street. Sadly, on rum rations in the Royal Navy during WWII through two very bad winters, he lost his palette. He became a close friend of Bruce Todd (Jnr) and their friendship continued even after he emigrated to Australia in 1973. He often recounted the urgency of moving the entire stock down into the cellars during the general strike of 1926 anticipating public disorder and looting – which never actually happened – and then brining it all back up again to restock the shelves.
McGoldrick was Philip Joseph McGoldrick, 1921-1981.
Very interesting, I have a bottle of wine from this company dated 1973, would this be rare now?
Many happy memories of the High Bay warehouse , I was there from 1974 . The system was regarded as the best available and I particularly remember the groups of visitors that regularly came round what we called the catwalk , a walk around above the selection floor , especially the Asian visitors who enjoyed taking many photos. Moved on to Detail Store and then 32 years in Operations/ Goods Receiving office .
I can remember it so well. I was a young mother on a limited housekeeping budget. My friend and I would push our pushchairs down to this Branch on a Friday as we had our housekeeping that day. We would carefully select items for the weekend as Dinner parties were the entertainment for weekends in those days! We could only afford a few elite items but we just loved the staff, quality and gentility then (and still do)! We were delighted if someone asked where we had obtained a certain product and we could say “Waitrose”! How life has changed. But Waitrose has not! Quality, selection and lovely staff! They still have edge long may it continue. My one wish? Please open up in Northern Ireland as I live here now. I have to bring the car twice a year to shop! Not only for myself but friends and neighbours.
I’m happy to hear that our Partners in Cheltenham looked after you. I have forwarded your feedback to the branch. Store feedback can be submitted here: https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/help-information/customer-service/forms/store-feedback
Thank you – fixed!
Hi Interesting article. I know that I’m a numerical pedant, so I must point out that a very minor correction needs to be made to the line reading Yearly dividend of 7½% on 20 Shares30/- (i.e. 5% or one-twentieth of £20).
It should read “Yearly dividend of 7½% on 20 Shares30/- (i.e. 5% or one-twentieth of £30).”
Does any one remember Mr clarridge branch manager and Mr coppen his deputy branch from around about 1973 to 1976 I was 16 when I joined the partnership working in groceries then provisions
I shopped with you this afternoon. I was impressed by the service especially in your cafe. I wanted to say how helpful and attentive my waitress was but I can’t use your complicated system. I suggest you change it to something simpler! Thank you.
Thank you for your comment Dave – really interesting!
In the late 1970s when still at school, in the 6th form, I had an evening job cleaning the in Waitrose warehouse in Bracknell. The whole place was automated with stock stored vertically in the enormous and scarily dark stock hall.
Picking cranes would move to the a column then go up the right level to get items.
It was all controlled via a big noisy room of mechanical relays and an adjacent quiet computer room. Huge hard disk drives and computer punch tape made the whole room feel like a set from a James Bond film.
I had a floor buffer and I would whizz it around the floors.
One evening I was in the computer room and having buffed one half of the floor I needed to get around to the other side. A trolley with a printer was in the way of the heavy mains cable, so instead of taking a few steps to lift the cable over the trolley I gave it a quick skipping rope type flick over it.
The action made the cable jump nicely over the trolley as planned, but as always when creating waves along a rope, the oscillation continued to the end to which was attached a plug that was in turn plugged into a wall socket.
This all happened in a second. There was a short sharp bang and everything went bang!
Then there was silence.
No whirring or humming in the computer room. No noisy clicking of relays next door.
I’d shut down the whole warehouse. 🤦♂️
I didn’t do that again.
But I did save up and bought my first acoustic 12-string from the music shop at Amen Corner, (yes, it was a place).
Derrick Baughan can you recall the names of the warehouse guys ? Keith or Dave Goodman long blonde hair often wondered what happened to some of these people