journal December/66

House magazine of J Sainsbury Ltd

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Obituary

Mr. E. A. Farrell

Mr. R. J. Sainsbury writes

IT is difficult to be objective about someone whom one has known closely both as a col-league and a friend for well over thirty years. On the other hand, having had to accept with much sorrow the fact that Edward Farrell is no longer amongst us, I welcome the oppor-tunity to pay tribute to one who served JS , and me personally, so well for so long.

Like each of us, Edward Farrell had his weaknesses, but, unlike so many of us, he had a character and a personality which were outstanding. These manifested themselves in an extraordinary capacity to endear himself to his fellows, whether in business or private life, whether young or old. His deep affection for children and his practical work for the young in his home district were both equally typical of the man.

With much kindness of heart and an acute sense of fair play, the respect in which he was held was, I suggest, partly due to his own respect and sympathy for the other man's natural feelings and rights and, partly, to a fundamental honesty and great moral courage. He never hesitated to tell me or anybody else when he considered we were wrong, particular-

ly if he felt that we were being unfair to an employee or, conversely, not paying sufficient attention to the interests of the Firm. It was, I am sure, Edward Farrell's character and personality which, more than anything else, enabled him during a long career in JS to perform a very valuable and a very personal function.

Edward Farrell was born on 6th December, 1908 and joined J S in 1925 in what was then known as the General Office. Like so many of his generation he "did the post". He first made his mark in what was then the very small Estate department, from which he was trans-ferred to become my personal assistant in 1933. (This was in spite of strong objections in certain quarters on the grounds that I was causing unnecessary inconvenience, since surely there would be little for "Farrell" to do in my office!)

As the older generation and many Veterans will recollect, he worked very closely with me in my early days and subsequently during the years of war and recovery. I would like to go on record as saying that I consider that Edward Farrell for many years played a vital role in enabling me to carry out my duties as Joint General Manager. I t was natural tha t when, in fairness to him and the Firm, I relinquished his personal services, his career should be in personnel work, for he had worked with me during the period when the Personnel depart-ment had been established and with i t the staff policy of the "third generation". And so, in 1951 he became Joint Personnel Mana-ger, assuming the position of Personnel Manager in 1959. It was in personnel work that Edward Farrell's character and personality came to the fore, for they enabled him both to comprehend our purpose and rightly to interpret our policy.

In recent years, and particularly since his health began to fail, Edward Farrell devoted most of his time to managerial appointments, transfers, etc., a sphere in which his excep-tional knowledge and wise counsel were of very considerable value to me and the Firm, as well as to all those concerned.

In the history of JS there have been nu-merous great individualists - men and women who, by their capacity and personality, in effect created the jobs which they alone could fill and which cease with them. J S should always remember such employees with deep gratitude and, not least amongst them, Edward Farrell.

2

iWS SDEVfllHdfflrS Kingsland High Road where a new JS shop opened on December 6th; our only branch built as a Grocery Self Service branch - others have been extensions of existing premises. On the right is 73 Kingsland opened in 1906 and now closed. It provided only a limited service to our customers and even in the new shop 82-84 (below) we will have room only for a restricted layout and will still be unable to sell fresh meat. Conditions for both customers and staff will however be greatly improved. We will continue to trade at 12/16 as we have since 1899.

Pinner branch was converted to Grocery Self Service operation from October 4th and our top picture shows the interior of the original premises just before work was completed. The office, which can be seen at the back of the shop, was a temporary one, and permanent office accommodation has now been provided. The displays of non-perishables on the rear shelves were being run down, as these goods are now sold only in the Self Service half of the shop. The lower picture shows the new shop front with the Self Service section on the left, in the new premises which enabled the extension to take place. Warehouse facilities have been greatly improved and a much wider range of goods is now stocked, including some non-foods.

Below, Mr. E. C. Tyrrell, Manager of this branch since 1965. He joined the firm in 1952 and was first appointed a Manager in 1962.

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West Ealing was converted on September 20th and, here again, we extended into the next door premises. In this case, however, the counter service section is in the new part of the shop whilst the wider original premises were converted to Self Service. New office accommodation was provided on the first floor so that the sales area could be further increased. As at our other Grocery Self Service branches, a "Self Service" range of goods is sold and there are full-size checkouts at the exits from the Self Service section from which is sold a range of dairy goods and frozen foods as well as non-perishables.

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Manager, below, is Mr. R. J. Richens who joined the firm in 1954, became a Manager in 1962 and took over West Ealing in October this year.

Whetstone Self Selection conversion has been operating since November 8th. This type of conversion is suitable for branches at which no additional space is available and our top picture shows the boundary between the remaining counters and the Self Service type shelving which has replaced them at the rear of the shop. The new arrangement has made it possible to offer customers a wider range of goods, including frozen foods. With this layout, too, non-perishables are removed from behind the counters, enabling fuller displays of provisions to be shown. The lower picture shows our shop and its neighbours brightly lit on a winter evening.

Below, Manager of Whetstone since 1958 is Mr. E. Garrod. He joined JS in 1931, was first appointed a Manager in 1955.

Battersea's conversion, also to Self Selection, took place on September 20th. The branch had previously been extended in 1959, when free-standing display units were installed. This made

Below, Mr. R, J. Garrett who has managed Battersea since 1963. He joined JS in 1937 and first became a Manager in 1958.

re-arrangement relatively easy, although the dairy display cabinets had to be re-sited. We now have counter service in half of the triple-fronted shop, and the display units,

unusual in a JS shop, can be seen in our view of the perishable section. On the right the Self Selec-tion section, with a cashier sitting at an abbreviated form of checkout.

JS have been in the wine business since 1920 when we bought a grocer's shop in Weybridge with a current wine licence. Weybridge branch has been selling wines ever since. No further extension of this trade was made until the summer of 1962 when JS made a successful application for a full off-licence for the Bristol branch. This was followed by another off-licence in Cowley, May 1963, Leicester January 1965 and Reading December 1965. This last presented some difficulty

as we had to apply three times on account of heavy opposition from local traders. The picture on the right shows the wines and spirits gondola at Reading as it is today. Bath followed in June this year and our latest addition is in Lewisham where we have bought a small off-licence counter service shop in Lee High Road, not far from the Lewisham branch. At the moment the shop has been converted to Self Selection and sells the same range as that in our other off-licences.

In the picture below are four of the British wines bottled under the JS label. JS lines, all of which are bottled in England, include four types of Spanish sherry, ranging from Fino to Cream, Spanish Sauternes, a Bordeaux Rouge and a Bordeaux White. The wine list represents practically every wine making country in Europe - France, Spain, Germany, Yugoslavia, Italy; with sherries from Spain, Cyprus and South Africa. It is hoped to extend this trade.

SSA News No. 1000 was issued on December 12th. This weekly newsheet first appeared on May 1st 1947. In that year the Sainsbury Staff Association had just been formed to provide facilities for sports, musical, literary, social and other activities for employees of the firm. Its membership on June 10th 1947 was 2,357. Today it is about 12,500. The Staff Association was made up in sections based on geographical areas, or particular departments of the Blackfriars Depot, or formed, like the Rifle Group, by members who shared a common interest. Many had been in existence for years as sections of the Griffin Athletic Club. With the formation of the SSA the club became open to all members of the Association and when the SSA News began it incorporated Griffin News, started July 1937. It had provided sports and social news until the war began. It started up again in 1946. For several issues the SSA News appeared with the old bannerhead. The word 'Griffin' was crossed out and the word 'Association' replaced i t . This was not merely to emphasise continuity; it was to use up existing stocks of paper at a time when paper rationing was still strict.

We talked to Len Starling who was working on the

'News' then as now. He said: "We were never sure what size the 'News' would be or even if we would get the next issue out. Getting hold of enough foolscap paper to print 800 copies was difficult. We had to take what came, sometimes it was coloured, sometimes white. It was particularly hard as we had such a lot of material. People who had been writing for Griffin News sent in articles and reports. People like Mr. Justice, Mr. Woods and Mr. Cima; and there were, besides, new reporters from the sections who were just getting under way after the war was over. There wasn't any TV and there was much more enthusiasm for the social life people organised for themselves."

In spite of difficulties the News came out regularly and provided a link in the social life of the firm. And since Mr. Kettley became SSA Secretary one of his chief interests has been to keep it lively and informative. Today the 'News' is printed at Blackfriars in the firm's printing department but is edited and made up in the SSA office at Streatham by the Association Staff. They have some help now from the Sainsbury Design Studio, but for years Len Starling used to turn out drawings and decorations to liven up its pages. In the picture above the staff are working on the 'News'. From I. to r., Mr. Ian Dargie Mr. Alan Kettley, Mr. Len Starling and Mrs. Jean Carter.

10

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The German Shorthaired Pointer, above, belongs to Mrs. R. Field of our Oxford branch who has been with the firm for ten years. He is two years old and has been brought up and fed solely on JS tinned dog food at the rate of 14 tins a week. As a pedigree show dog he has been awarded 18 prizes in seven months. All judges were warm in their praise of his wonderful bone structure

and body condition. He was particularly admired by the German dog expert, Herr Doktor Grosse Hartlage who came to England specially to judge the German Shorthaired Pointer Championship Show. Mrs. Field's dog was awarded a cup, a rosette and four prizes and pictures of him have been sent to Germany. We understand that he is also a fine gun dog.

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11

The Modern Sixth article in the J S Journal series about the revolution in produce growing and marketing is about the orange. This seasonable fruit is now grown everywhere in the warm climates of the world and has gone through a remarkable transformation in quality.

Like kites, printing, gunpowder and a good many other things, oranges are thought to have been invented by the Chinese many centuries ago. In some languages this tradition shows up in the name used for the fruit. In German for instance oranges are called Apfelsine - literally, Chinese apples. The original stock must, of course, have been a wild bush with sour or bitter fruit rather similar to the oranges used today for making marmalade. The Chinese (who from ancient times have been dedicated cultivators of flowers and trees) developed a stable stock with a sweet, palatable fruit, over years of careful breeding. The first oranges we hear about in Britain were certainly imported from Spain where the climate is sofavourableto their cultivation. In the 14th and 15th centuries we called them by the Spanish name naranja which has gradually turned into the English word, orange.

In the reign of Elizabeth I, several of our great country houses had an orangery in which grew quite good fruit which must have helped prevent scurvy among the few extremely wealthy people who could afford to eat it. By the 17th century oranges were being sold in the streets and theatres of London and one of the saleswomen, Nell Gwyn, made herself a fortune, though possibly more through diversifying her lines than by specialising in the fruit. By the mid 18th century an orangery was an essential part of a well-designed country house. Wren had designed a handsome one for Kensington Palace and later, one of the most internationally famous was designed by William Chambers for the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. Its orange

12

One of the characteristics of citrus fruit is its way of producing fruit and blossom at the same time. The first crop of oranges is ripening while the blossom is in flower for the next crop. Opposite page: Picking oranges in an Israeli citrus plantation.

trees, in tubs used to make a beautiful show standing in rows in the courtyard.

Modern Sources In all parts of the world where the climate is suitable, orange growing has been undertaken by fruit growers. Cultivation is carried on in the warm parts of North America, in many countries of South America, in most parts of Africa, in all the Mediterranean countries, in the Far East and in all the Australian States, except Tasmania where the climate is too cold. The quality of the fruit shows a great deal of variation and when production and

transport costs are taken into account the number of places from which we in Britain can import oranges is comparatively limited. Buta wide choice of sources remains.

A Transformation in Quality Improvement in the quality of the oranges we eat today may, because it has been gradual, seem unspectacular but if one could be given an orange from a shipment of the late 1930's the quite extraordinary difference would astonish us. The thick-skinned orange of the past, poor in flavour and of generally low quality would make a sad showing against imports of the 1960's,

13

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Top left: A South African scientist testing oranges in the laboratory for juice content and the ratio of sugar and acid. Top right is an American sizer grading the oranges. This one is being used in an Israeli packing plant. Bottom left shows a new variety being grafted onto existing root stock in the Transvaal. Bottom picture on the right shows what it is like during the harvesting season on the famous Zebedelia Estates in South Africa. As the pickers fill their sacks they empty them into a Bulk Harvester.

14

The Bulk Harvester carefully unloads the oranges into tepid water which then carries them into the packhouse for further treatment before packing.

To bring about this change there has been a profound scientific study of every aspect of production from the cultivation of the tree to the final retailing of its fruit. In the first place the industry has replaced or improved the varieties of oranges being grown in the best orchards. In the course of growth, spraying and other treatments protect trees and fruit from pests and diseases. The moment for picking the fruit is delayed until the orchard laboratory has made tests of its comparative sugar and acid contents. These two flavours, sweet and sour, are what gives an orange its

pleasantly full and distinctive taste—what the grower calls its "bite". Better handling methods over short distances from trees to packhouse reduce bruising or crushing to a minimum. The old haphazard grading by eye has been replaced by modern grading techniques and by drastic quality inspection. Hygienic treatment of the fruit in baths, waxing to protect the orange skin from bacterial attack, and modern packing, storage and transport methods all have contributed to the improvement of the oranges which go on sale in a Sainsbury branch today.

15

A 'sea' of oranges, above in Spain, below in South Africa on the Zebedelia Estate.

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Left: Most of our Spanish oranges come from this packhouse near Valencia. The railway wagons you can see at the top of the picture are waiting to deliver the fruit. It will arrive in England only five days after it was packed. Above are four boxes of Australian "Riverland" Valencia Lates. These are grown from Californian stock, are an extremely good quality fruit with a high juice content, and come in between the end of the South African harvest and the beginning of the Spanish and Israeli one. They are one of the newer varieties to be imported into the U.K.

17

Leningrad. Looking across the River Neva, the city's main waterway. Leningrad is built on a group of flat marshy islands. The building on the left is the old Stock Exchange. On the far right is the St. Peter-Paul fortress on another island.

A Peepth rough the Window Miss Coulson of Head Office went this summer on

a School Cruise ship to the Baltic. She visited

Leningrad and paid a flying visit to Moscow. In this

account of these two historic Russian cities she gives

us her personal impressions.

WE alighted from the jet a t the very edge of the airfield alongside a copse of silver birch, and the bus had only to turn out of the gate before we were on the last lap of our journey to Moscow.

The journey, for me, started when I boarded the School Cruise ship Nevasa six days earlier in Southampton. As well as a large number of Northern and Southern Irish children, there were parties from Canada, Prance, Japan, Switzerland and many parts of England, and these together with 300 ordinary cabin passen-gers, like me, made up a passenger list of 1,400 for Cruise No. 22,1966.

The North Sea crossing was cold and our stay in Gothenburg matched the weather. The austerity of the buildings, and the frequent

outcropping of granite, even within the city, gave an impression of life close to the severe realities of a northern climate.

The dockside a t Leningrad was grey too, but not for long, for while some were still at breakfast a Red Army band arrived to play a greeting, followed by speeches of welcome from Leningrad students, in English, replied to in Russian by two students from the ship. All this, and flowers too, left us in no doubt of our welcome but also in shamefaced recollec-tion of what we had assumed our arrival in Russia might be. For guidance, notes had been handed out to us pointing out that the use of cameras was forbidden within the approaches to Leningrad and in the dock area; that we should avoid whistling, as this

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was considered an insult, and any form of patronising.

I was one of those who had chosen to pay a flying visit to Moscow. I t had never occurred to me that the Russians might be charming in the matter of airports. Leningrad airport is rather like a country house approached by a long avenue of trees. You walk along a path in the back garden, through a gate in the hedge and there you are on the airfield. And then to arrive to silver birches in Moscow!

Our Intourist Guide, Anna, was a delightful girl who plied us with more statistics than we cared to, or could, cope with. She also seemed to know a good few western sayings and, like the one about the way to a man's heart, started the proceedings on our arrival in Moscow by

having us fed. Here I must say that although we sat down among great splendour at tables beautifully laid with fine linen, china and cut glass, in a salon with a beautifully decorated ceiling and impressive gilt and crystal chandeliers (even the window frames were gilded), our food was not a gastronomic experience to match its setting.

We were then launched on our official Intourist tour of Moscow and first on their list was a visit to the exhibition of Economic Achievements, starting with a film show (it was our first really hot sunny day too!). Once again our prejudice was shot to pieces. The projection was panoramic - like Cinerama but completely in the round. We saw a breath-taking travelogue with wonderful mountain,

19

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Leningrad. The Triumphal Arch which leads onto the square in front of the Winter Palace. It was here that some of the earliest fighting took place during the insurrection which began the October Revolution in 1917.

ski-ing and holiday resort sequences. Knowing the shortness of our visit, I felt I must enquire when we might be visiting the Armoury, the treasure house of jewels and precious objects of the Czars and one of the most attractive reasons for making a visit to Moscow. We would not be visiting the Armoury; it was not on the list of places to be. visited.

So there was an iron hand within the velvet glove; I didn't find i t possible to suppress a protest - but we didn't get to the Armoury.

We toured the exhibition, a series of pavilions (71 in all) in an assortment of classi-cal architectural styles, dedicated to research in agriculture, industry, science and culture, in a sort of toytown train - 1 remember seeing pictures of Queen Mary and King George sitting in the same sort of thing a t the Wem-bley exhibition. The spaciousness of the layout - over 500 acres - is typical of Moscow. The capital of the USSR which covers one-sixth of the earth's surface does not suffer from the shortage of land with which we are con-stantly grappling. The main roads were eight lanes wide. A central wooded and lawned promenade separated the traffic streams and was often repeated between the road and pavement. The use of the word "Prospekt" for "road" is very apt.

After the exhibition we visited the Kremlin. This fortified hilltop with its chain of towers and, in my mind, associations with the horrors of mass executions seemed, like our own Tower of London, to have lost its old grim-ness. We approached through a dell, walked through the gateway, passed some Parliamen-tary buildings and, at the top of the hill, were surprised and enchanted to find grouped around a small square, three cathedrals, all in white stone with many towers topped by golden cupolas. The splendour of their internal decoration can be read about - but was not on the official list for visiting.

There are beautiful gardens too in the Kremlin and we were shown the Hall of Con-gresses, an up-to-date building with concert hall, theatre, etc., very handsome in the glass and concrete idiom of the 1960's. We left the Kremlin by the Spasskaia gate which gives on to Red Square (it's oblong really). This is the parade ground you see in pictures of the May-day procession. Anna took the trouble to explain that in Russian the equiva-lent of "Red" means beautiful and is not, as i t is for us, a colour description.

A Lloyd-Wright style building just below the Kremlin walls houses the tomb of Lenin and, standing at the south end of the square,

20

Moscow. These towers are part of the Kremlin walls. The Kremlin is really a fortified hilltop whose walls enclose, besides government offices and buildings, churches, parks and museums.

real, in spite of its fairy-tale multi-coloured steeples that look like swishing turbans, is St. Basil's Cathedral. Its exotic colours and fantastic shapes add some credibility to the legend that Ivan had the architect blinded so that he shouldn't design another to rival its magnificence. Just to see this and the cathe-drals in the Kremlin was enough justification for the journey, despite the disappointment of not visiting the Armoury.

But, enough of this adoration of the deca-dant past of ruthless rulers; progress is based on education and across the Moskva River on the Lenin Hills we visited the Lomonosov University - one of several buildings in Moscow looking just like American sky-scrapers. Prom this point we were able to look across over the city and see the three sports stadia in the loop of the river (Wembley in triplicate). We also saw the open air swim-ming pool which is in use all the year round. The impossibility of this was a worrying thought until it was explained that swimmers get into the water in a covered section and then swim out into the open air so i t is only their heads that are exposed. A short trip on the Metro came next. Comment on the ex-penditure involved in i ts construction has been widespread and loud, even I believe

within the Soviet Union, so I will only say that its stations are truly magnificent "marble halls".

Supper at the sumptuous hotel and then the plane journey back to Leningrad ended my first day in Russia - i t had started a t 5 a.m. and ended at 1.30 a.m.

One unpretentious, pleasant thing I had seen in Moscow was the way some people arranged plants on their balconies. In England we usually have plants around the perimeter - the Danes put theirs just inside the window and cut out almost all the light, but these people had planted climbing plants around the balconies and trained them over to a point on the wall, creating a green-curtained sort of bower.

And now something quite different -Leningrad hasn't any hills. I t is made up of a number of islands lying at the mouth of the River Neva. It is a flattened out version of Venice (without smells), or Amsterdam, but instead of narrow merchants' houses lining the canals, there are grand palaces, wide boulevards and even wider waterways.

The city was built "all of a piece" when Peter the Great decided to move the court from the Kremlin to this "window to the west", St. Petersburg. To ensure the

21

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Moscow. Inside the Kremlin and at the top of the hill there is a small square, here stand three cathedrals. This one is the Cathedral of the Annunciation.

grandness of his design, lie decreed that the Czars of the court should all build a palace in St. Petersburg too. We had boggled at the spaciousness of the layout in the new Moscow the previous day, but were now faced with an even larger square in front of the Winter Palace. And yet the design of the city, the height of the buildings in relation to the width of the spaces is so well proportioned, that the overall picture is completely har-monious - there is nothing out of place to spoil the picture of a splendid city. And I found a very strong feeling of graciousness which was hard to reconcile with the fact that here, fifty years earlier, began the revolution and although the occupiers of these magni-ficent buildings had fled, the new regime had not changed, much less pillaged, the city. We found visitors to the palace walked in their hundreds over the inlaid floors and rested comfortably on the palace furniture. Only the most precious pieces weren't avail-able for sitting on.

Another attraction of Leningrad is the museums - there are over 40 and the best known is The Hermitage which has more than two million works of art. We made an abridged tour - just 1 | hours - which meant keeping up

a fair trot and merely nodding at the most outstanding exhibits in passing. A week wouldn't be long enough to spend in this museum.

Just to top all this, we drove away from the city to Peter's summer palace, now called Petrodvorets where, from the terrace, he had made a waterway with fountains, cascades and many gilded figures down to the sea where he could watch the ships go by on their way from Russia to the outside world, —he called it his "window on the world". We had been allowed a peep through the win-dow and had been agreeably surprised by the wealth of cultural attractions. There had been a glimpse of the reality of everyday life too -no sign of soft living, but women nawying, sweeping the streets, carrying enormous sacks of waste and even refuelling aircraft. Yet, too, there had been crowds of people enjoying the grounds at Petrodvorets and looking no less well dressed than our own people at home or any less well fed. So we had many things to ponder as the ship left the quayside. The Army band played us away and teenagers from the youth club danced and sang and, another wonder, it was still light at 10.15 p.m!

22

the journal crossword/No. 10

ACROSS 1. May be sliced and made of stone-ground

flour. (5, 5) 7. A monkey needs ten for the top. (4) 8. Took it easy for one short day ? (3) 9. The second course which was in perfect

order? (5,3) 10. Australian bird I return to you ? (3) 14. Not fiction. (4) 16. A repast between one down and dinner. (5) 17. Escargot which is edible, this is

considered as a delicacy in China and France. (5)

19. Condiment used for highly-seasoned food. (5)

20. The fashionable part of a town in Illinois. (4)

21. The age of horseradish. (3) 23. A boy in the ground is dressing! (5-3) 24. Soak up the extremities of mock turtle

soup. (3) 25. It forms the chief food of the inhabitants

of the Eastern Archipelago and other warm regions. (4)

26. Keen claims provide the mixture for it. (6,4)

DOWN 1. The first meal of the day. (9) 2. Purse the reversed law allowed ? (6) 3. Jolt relatives from the country! (7) 4. Centre part of the tea-set. (4) 5. Time for fruit? (4) 6. Country of copper utensils. (4)

11. Chew it over! (5) 12. Not well in clue 20 across. (3) 13. Has been known as a favourite beverage

for more than 400 years. (9) 15. Official in tears ? (5) 17. What one expects jelly to do. (3) 18. Entreat one politician first! (7) 20. He is found in the medium-priced rice

department. (6) 21. Made up as cheese. (4) 22. Andy's pal. (4) 23. Sliced ham. (4)

Solution Page 11

Home for Christmas

A seasonable recollection from W. J. Bridgeman

IT was a quarter-past nine on Christmas Eve, 1925, the year Cambridge branch opened. There were three scruffy turkeys left hanging outside, and a couple of tired geese in the

window. If the manager was keeping open until they were cleared, my family would have to wait for the Christmas dinner, as I was bringing the turkey.

After four or five days, carving all day by the open window and the previous night sorting and parcelling turkeys, my hands were so swollen with cold and fatigue that I couldn't grip the knife properly. I felt tired out.

My Second Hand came up carrying a bucket of hot water.

"Why don't you ask the Old Man if you can catch your train? I can see to the rest of the work", he said.

I found the manager who looked at the clock. "I suppose i t could take you three hours to get to Liverpool Street" he said. "Yes, you cut along. Happy Christmas, and don't miss the train coming back."

It wasn't much past midnight when I reached Liverpool Street. The engine of the 12.40 night train was already hooked on, breathing a little warmth into the cold carriages. Finding an empty compartment, I heaved the turkey and my small case up to the luggage rack, dropped into a corner seat, and promptly fell fast asleep. A commotion woke me. The guard was blowing his whistle; the door was flung open, parcels and cases hurled in, and three youngish men scrambled into the compartment.

"Blimey! That was close. What a lovely Christmas that would have been, on Liverpool Street station with a bottle of port, two raw chickens and a lump of fruit cake."

"Ah well, we made it, for the last time perhaps."

"Why? You packing i t in?" "The blinking firm'll pack me in when they

get the sales figures." "Me too. It would do some of them good, to

come down and see our customers queuing for a 'bus down to Sainsbury's."

"How did you get on with the cake this year?"

The round of mutual sympathy was amusing a t first, but after an almost non-stop week, shop talk was the last thing I wanted. I pulled my coat collar over my ears and their voices soon faded. All three left the train somewhere before i t reached Ipswich; a jolt as the train was split for the rest of its journey woke me and I was alone in the compartment. To make sure I wouldn't fall asleep again, I sat up and opened the window.

A familiar, sweet smell as I passed the maltings, and another smell from the cattle market, guided my footsteps up the unlit Station Road. The town church clock struck four, and only my weariness induced me to take the short cut through Church Passage. Walking through the churchyard, yew bushes reached over the twisted railings, brushing

my face. Passing through the narrow alley I walked on the soles of my feet, trying to lessen the noise of my footsteps echoing from the old houses. The darkened cottages merged overhead, shutting out the sky, and I imagined eyes peering out from every win-dow to see who was disturbing the Christmas morning sleep.

Once out from the passage, I walked steadily down the High Street, our turkey growing in weight with every step, so that by the time I reached the bridge over the mill stream I was glad of any place to rest for a while. Up the road I could just make out the village church outlined against the dark sky.

I think it was a half-felt need for atonement that drew me to the church. My grandfather and I had always been close, but when he died, a few weeks previously, I had not attended his funeral. It was still on my conscience. I could see him again, in memory, trying to guide my wooden fingers on to the correct keys of the organ manual, then, losing patience, pushing me aside to show me how easy it was to fill the big church with living sound.

I could see him, too, slowly making his way through the churchyard, hands inside the cuffs of his snuff-stained grey coat, clasping and unclasping his fingers to keep the stiff-ness out. There, too, was the white-haired old rector in his vestments, standing in the porch until my grandfather came into sight, al-though nobody in the village remembered him missing a service in the fifty years he had been organist. There, too, was old Jacob, verger and grave-digger, trotting around with three times as many books as would ever be needed -except at Harvest Thanksgiving.

I knew, however, exactly where to find my grandfather's grave, and I stood beside it a few moments, grateful that fresh flowers had been placed on it for Christmas. My mother's last letter had told me that the rector had followed my grandfather to his last resting place, so, seeing another new grave nearer the church door, piled high with flowers, I had no need to go on my hands and knees to read the inscriptions; only the rector would have drawn so many tributes.

Nearby were two neat piles of shining clay, and between them a clean cut rectangular hole gaped at the sky. I wondered for whom that grave had been dug; being so near the church entrance, it must be for someone of consequence in the village.

I pushed open the heavy oak door, entered the porch and feeling for the bench, sat down, leaving the door half open until my eyes were adjusted to the darkness. A light appeared in a cottage half way up the hill. Perhaps in half an hour I would make my way up there, creep into our house and make a cup of tea. Leaning back against the stone wall I closed my eyes, opening them again after a time

with a feeling I was not alone. Sitting opposite me in the dark was old Jacob.

Although his dark clothing merged into the gloom of the porch, Jacob's features were clear enough. His pale, round face, surrounded by wispy grey hair and mutton chop whiskers, had been part of the village scene for as long as I could remember. Nor could anyone have mistaken that sing-song voice. My father had a soft spot for the old boy, and we never saw him without passing the time of day.

"I reckon you've a house full for Christmas, William."

He obviously mistook me for my father. I made no reply, and indeed, he did not seem to expect one.

"I have my boys home, too. Did you know? Nancy's that pleased, you've no idea. Just like old times, William, just like old times."

I did not know what to say, but the old man went rambling on. Eyes closed, I was only half listening, thinking what a terrible thing it was to be old and alone at Christmas, wondering too, if I could persuade my parents to ask Jacob to have Christmas dinner with us. The droning voice stopped and I opened my eyes; I was alone again.

Walking home up the hill, one particular sentence of Jacob's came clearly back to mind - it was strange that it had not registered at the time, but it has often come back to me since.

"Make the most of this Christmas, Wil-liam, it may be the last one you'll have with all your boys and girls around you." It was, in fact, the last time the whole family was together at Christmas.

There was a fire crackling in the living room grate when I entered, and my mother had the kettle on. Her welcoming smile gave way to a look of concern.

"You look a bit peeky, son, are you all right? We expected you an hour ago."

"There's nothing wrong with me that a cup of tea and a few hours' sleep won't put right, mother" I replied. "You know what the night train is like. Besides, I rested in the church porch for a while."

My mother looked up from making the tea, as though wondering if I really was all right. "Well, that 's a cheerful way to start Christ-mas, I must say."

"There was no need to disturb you so early, mother." I was on the point of asking her about Jacob, but decided I'd wait until after breakfast; instead, I said, "I'm glad somebody remembered to put fresh flowers on grandfather's grave for Christmas. By the way, there's a new grave ready for somebody: is it anyone I know?"

"Oh, that one. That must be for Jacob. You remember the old sexton? A happy release, poor old chap. They're burying him the day after Boxing Day."

JS Veterans' Committee Appoints New Officers

Mr. F. W. Salisbury is to be President of the JS Veterans' Group. Mr. W. J. Hedges takes over the Chairmanship from Mr.JW. C. Gurr who becomes Vice-President.

At Christchurch, Blackfriars, the JS Veterans' Group met to appoint its new President Mr. F. W. Salisbury (top left with Mr. W. C. Gurr who is now the Group's Vice-President) and to elect Mr. W. J. Hedges (far left) as Chairman. Talking to him is Mr. G. Lovegrove, secretary of the Veterans' Visiting Panel. Above is Miss Celia Sainsbury, daughter of Mr. R. J. Sainsbury, who is assisting Miss Munro ofJS Personnel Department in her work with the Veterans. Opposite page, a general shot of the committee at which Mr. Gurr took the chair for the last time as Group Chairman and, far right, Mr. A. J. Walder who is the new Outings Secretary.

26

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AFTER many years as Chairman of the Griffin Athletic Club it was only natural that, on his retirement, Mr. W. C. Gurr should take an active part on the committee of the Veterans' Group. On April 23rd 1956 he became com-mittee Chairman, a post in which his excep-tional talent for organisation and detail found plenty of scope. He brought added life to an already nourishing group.

I t was Mr. Gurr's deep interest in the welfare of his fellow pensioners that prompted him to approach the firm about the formation of a Veterans' Visiting Panel which was set up a t a meeting a t Blackfriars in January 1960.

The Veterans News Letter, first published in January 1962, was another of his ideas. It is welcomed by all our pensioners as a means of keeping them informed about their friends and colleagues.

Mr. Gurr now feels that the time has come when he must reluctantly hand over to some-one else. Typically he had remained at his post until the Veterans' Group and its working committees were thoroughly reorganised to carry on their work. We are delighted that he will continue to serve with the committee as the Group's Vice-President.

Mr. W. J. Hedges, who retired last year, has agreed to take over as Chairman of the Veterans' Group and those who know him will agree that it would be hard to find a more worthy successor.

27

CL ACTON 66

Over 1,500 people, mostly families, made a roaring success of their October week-end at Clacton, Dancing, quiet and uproarious - billiards - shooting -swimming - skating and Limbo dancing. Below left Miss Fernandes is bending backward to creep under the pole - it gets lower and lower each time through. Opposite page, far right Miss C. Ladd, a Veteran from St. Albans, is being presented with the Star Prize, a portable TV. The draw took place on Sunday morning and was made by Mr. T. Brewer of Bury St. Edmunds and Mr. J. Soper, District Supervisor.

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29

CL ACTON 66

Lots of imagination went into the Children's Fancy Dress Competition-sheiks, ballerinas and batmen took the floor. In a separate draw for junior guests thirty prises were handed out by Mr. and Mrs. Pillar of Haverhill.

30

DANCE At the Saracen's Head on October 22nd.

31

Watford On October 10th Watford held a very successful dance. Manager, Mr. K. J. Collins (below left) took a leading part in organising it. Members and friends came from many places in the North West of London.

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Congratulations to Clifford Miles, age 15, a trainee butcher at Boscombe branch, who recently won the Duke of Edinburgh Award bronze medal in the Outward Bound section.

Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. E. Goodall, who celebrated their wedding on August 6th in a stylish carriage. Mrs. Goodall was Miss Carol Everett, a clerk at 802 Ashford, Kent, and the wedding took place at Ashford Parish Church.

Managerial Transfers D. DYKE

R. GARDNER

C. INGLE

R. LAKE

W. MANSFIELD

C. TUCKER

E. WHELAN

from Spare on Mr. Booth's area to Addiscombe from October 31 from Feltham service to further service training from November 7 from 73 Kingsland to 82/84 Kingsland from November 28 from Nuneaton to Leicester from November 14 from Leicester to Nuneaton from November 21 from further self-service training to Feltham S/S from November 7 from Forest Hill to temporary Management of Lewisham Off-Licence from October 14

Managerial Appointments

D. BUTOLPH

J. COXHILL

A. OAKES

R. RICHENS

A. SEAWARD

from Spare at Welwyn Garden City to the Management of Kings Heath from October 31 from Spare a t 160 Cricklewood to the Management of Han well from October 31 from Spare at 48 Ipswich to the Management of 51 Ipswich from November 28 from Spare a t Cowley to the Management of 87 Ealing from October 31 from Assistant Manager of Purley to the Management of Selsdon from October 17

Assistant Manager Transfers

M. BROOMFIELD from Self-Service training to Feltham S/S from November 7

E. BULL

M. CROUCH

S. HALL

K. HARRIS

A. HAVART

D. HOPKINS

J. JONES

M. KALB

C. MEIER

P. PHILPOT

J. POINTER

J. TAYLOR

W. TUCKER

C. TURNER

R. WESTGATE

from 16 Enfield to Whetstone from October 24 from Northampton to Coventry from November 21 from 73 Kingsland to Stamford Hill from December 5 from 96 Kilburn to 160 Cricklewood

from October 31 from Belmont to 96 Kilburn from October 31 from Richmond to Feltham S/S from November 7 from Chelsea to P.A. to Mr. Leach from October 24 from Debden to 82/84 Kingsland from November 28 from Bedhill to Tunbridge Wells from October 31 from Whetstone to 16 Enfield from October 24 from self-service training to Feltham S/S from November 7 from P.A. to Mr. Leach to self-service training from Winton to Southbourne from October 10 from 21 Watford to Berkhamsted from November 14 from Goring Road to Worthing from October 17

Promoted to Assistant Manager

P. DANIELS

R. DART

R. HAFFENDEN A. RUSSELL

R. SPRIGGS

339 Palmers Green from October 31 Redhill from November 7 Crawley from November 7 9/11 Croydon from October 24 High Barnet from October 31

Head Butcher Transfers s. ASKEW from Spare a t Kings Heath

to Kings Heath from November 7 j . BULLOCK from Chelsea to Lewlsham

from October 18 N. BUNCE from Victoria to Chelsea

from October 18 T. CIMA from Stockwell to Head

Office Training Centre from September 19

D. COCKERTON from Forest Hill to Catford from September 14

E. EDWARDS from Spare a t Wood Green to 16 Enfield (temp.)

j . EQAN from Temporary Head Butcher's duties a t Kings Heath to Nottingham from November 15

j . FAWDRY from 16 Enfield to self-service training from October 24

D. GLOSTER from Spare a t Chelsea to Victoria from September 26

M. GREGORY from Reading to temporary Head Butcher duties a t Feltham from November 14

c. HEWITT from Spare a t Stevenage to Spare a t Kings Heath from October 24

R. HINCH from Spare a t 13/15 Blackfrlars to Battersea from November 15

w. ROFFEY from Lewisham to Forest Hill from September 13

s. THOMAS from Catford to Stockwell from September 19

R. WANNELL from Spare a t Victoria to Spare a t Feltham from November 7

Promotion to Head Butcher j . HOLMES of Lewlsham (supernumerary)

Congratulations to the following colleagues who have completed long service with the firm. Forty Years' Service s. F. ALLAND Selector Examiner Factory E. BOULTER Manager, 177 Haverstock Hill E. F. BUTTRESS Senior Bank Foreman, Blackfrlars E. G. DAVIS Head Butcher, Colchester G. w. HUDD Meat Examiner, Union Street E. JOHNSON Head Butcher, Dorking H. E. KEMP Driver, Blackfrlars H. LUTTMAN Traffic Supervisor, Blackfriars R. A. MILSOM Head Butcher, 96 Kilburn j , MORANT Spare Manager, Boscombe E. R. PRYKE Manager. North Harrow E. J. PARKS Driver, Blackfriars c. H. ROBINSON Head Butcher, Ballards Lane

Twenty-five years' service MRS. J. DESMOND Leading Saleswoman, Buislip MRS. E. FARMER Fart-time Saleswoman,

128 Kilburn MISS v. HAT.TJDAY First Clerk, 48 Ipswich MRS. M. E. HARDIE Leading Saleswoman,

Colindale MISS F. HARE Leading Saleswoman,

North Harrow MRS. A. M. LACEY First Clerk, Greenford MRS. L. c. SWEBY First Clerk, St. Albans

Retirements We send our best wishes to the following colleagues who have just retired.

W. C. Cudd

S. J. G. Fripp

F. C. Juby

W. C. Cudd joined the firm on 17th December 1923 a t 96 Kilburn, moving to Willesden Green in August 1926. He was appointed to the manage-ment of 51 Ealing In February 1936 remaining there until July 1941, when he left for National Service. On his return In May 1946 he again took over the management of 51 Ealing staying there until May 1957, when he went to Hanwell as the Manager from which branch he retired from on 29th October, 1966.

S. J. G. Fripp started on the 1st October 1923 a t 168 Streatham, remaining in this area until he was appointed Manager of Hayward's Heath when it opened in October 1934. On his return from National Service he went back to Hayward's Heath as Manager, before being transferred to Addiscombe in September 1950 which he managed until he retired on the 29th October, 1966

F. C. Juby commenced with the firm at 140 Finchley on 5th November 1923, staying there until March 1924 when he went to Mill Hill. In July 1925 he went to 41 Norwich when the branch was opened and was appointed to the management in July 1940. After the war he returned to the Management of 41 Norwich staying there until December 1953 when he took over the management of 51 Ipswich, where he remained until his retirement on the 26th November, 1966.

Mrs. G. I. Bowman was engaged as a daily housekeeper a t Cockfosters in 1960. After two years a t this branch, she was transferred to 339 Palmer's Green, where she remained until her retirement on 27th August 1966.

34

A. J. Reynolds E. Wright

Mrs. R. Cryne commenced as resident house-keeper at 87 Ealing in January 1957. Shortly afterwards she moved to North Harrow and after a period a t both 357 Harrow and Oxford she became housekeeper of 140 Finchley Road. She retired on 1st September 1966.

E. F. Jervis commenced with J.S. a t Gravel Lane in April 1920 as a stove lad. He subsequently became a bacon dryer and was later a bacon scalesman. In September 1956 he was appointed quality controller in the bacon department a t Union Street, and he retired from this post on 1st October, 1966.

C. W. Mant began with J.S. as a bacon stovesman at Union Street. He worked subsequently as a topman, ganger and scalesman. He retired for reasons of ill-health on 1st October 1966.

A. J . Reynolds commenced a t Saffron Walden as a warehouseman in 1940 and later moved to Blackfriars as a stock keeper. He was regraded to despatch clerk in the butter department a t Union Street, and retired on 1st October 1966.

Mrs. M. L. Smith was engaged as a shop cleaner a t 48 Islington in October 1960. She was regraded

to daily housekeeper a t Hoxton in 1962, from which branch she retired on the 10th September 1966.

W. G. Vanner worked as a porter a t Collier Bow from August 1961. He was regraded to basket issuer at Upminster in April 1966, and retired due to ill-health on 12th August 1966.

E. Wright commenced as a porter a t Luton in September 1958. He retired on 13th August 1966.

C. A. Smith was engaged as an office messenger in March 1925. He later worked in the stock office and was transferred to private office in 1931, later becoming manager. Subsequently he was regraded to junior official and worked in branch audit department on the transfer of this department to Streatham. He retired for reasons of ill-health on 16th September 1966.

W. J. Dady commenced as a works painter in April 1939. Ten years later he was regraded to foreman painter, and in 1958 he was appointed a junior official, working as a supervisor in the maintenance department. He retired due to ill-health on 1st April 1966. Apologies to Mr. Dady for the late notice of his retirement.

Obituaries We regret to record the death of the following colleagues, and send our sympathy to all relatives

Miss R. A. Brearley was engaged as a daily housekeeper at 76 Islington in May 1958. She died after a long illness on 11th October 1966.

Miss G. E. Durrant commenced with the company as a saleswoman at Colchester on 31st October 1916. In February 1937 she became assistant housekeeper a t Cambridge, and later in the same year, resident housekeeper a t 48 Ipswich. She remained a t this branch until her retirement in October 1952. She died on 17th October 1966.

J. Goldson began as a labourer in the factory in August 1954. He died on 3rd September 1966.

Mrs. C. White worked as a part-time second hand in the factory from October 1960. She died on 9th September 1966.

Miss K. W. Gillingwater, who was Branch Auditor, died recently after a long and serious illness. She had been with the firm for more than 30 years, having been engaged as a Junior Clerk a t Luton in March 1934. She was transferred to Bedford and eventually returned to Luton, where she became First Clerk. She became a Branch Auditor in October 1950.

J. Goldson

35

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