JSJOURIMAL November/67 House magazine of J Sainsbury Ltd

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Photograph BTR Industries

His Royal Highness, the Duke of Edinburgh, President of the Royal Society of Arts, presenting to Mr. John D. Sainsbury, Vice-Chairman of the firm, the Presidential Medal for Design Management. This award made from time to time by the Royal Society of Arts to those firms they consider to have maintained a consistently high standard in all aspects of design management, takes the form of a Wedgwood plague. It is reproduced on our front and back cover. Three other firms were also awarded the medal. They are BTR Industries Limited, Clydesdale Bank and A. G. Thornton Limited.

DESIGN MANAGEMENT

The presentation of the Royal Society of Arts ' Presidential Medal for

Design Management was made by the Duke of Edinburgh on October 30.

The citation for this award is as fol lows.

It is no mean feat in this age of multiple competition for a family grocer starting with a single shop to have grown in four generations into a chain of over 250 stores and still to remain a family grocer, but that is the story of the Sainsburys, a story brought about in a very real sense through their consistent adherence to a family handwriting, to a planned housestyle that has missed no detail while relating every part to the whole. This instantly recognisable public face has been the outcome of good design management from buildings to packaging, from shop-front lettering to counter ticketing and from store lay-out to advertising. Such attention to every detail of design has greatly contributed to the Sainsbury reputation for cleanliness and quality.

W e print below the speech on the f i rm's design policy which was made by our

Vice-Chairman, Mr . John Sainsbury, before the presentation of the medal.

Sainsbury's design policy is founded on the very simple proposition that it should reflect in visual terms the trading and business policy of the Company. We are a chain of food retailers with approximately 250 branches (spread through the southern half of England), over 90 of which are self-service stores, mostly built in the last ten years. These larger modern stores carry a wide range of products, covering not only a complete range of food but a large section of household and toilet requirements. In addition, where we can obtain the necessary off-licence, we also have a wine and spirit department. Our business, therefore, is not only diverse geographically, but also in the products that are sold, whether under our label or manufacturers' brands. In design terms, of course, this makes the need for a strong and consistent design policy all the greater. It also presents unusual problems to achieve consistency in design of the label and presentation of such an extraordinarily wide range of products—obviously very much wider than any single manufacturing company would ever encounter. For, whilst all food products from well-known manufacturers are sold in our branches, we have, especially in the last few years, developed a very considerable number of products packed under our label. Commonly

known as 'own brands', these lines are made for us by leading manufacturers to our strict specification and are subject to our own laboratory quality control. Carrying no advertising, marketing or wholesaling costs, these lines are normally sold well below proprietary brands and have become a very important part of our trade. What, therefore, is the trading policy of our company that we try to see reflected, not only in the design of our shops, but in our point of sale advertising, on our transport fleet and on the labels of over 600 products, ranging from packets of bacon to bottles of claret, cans of soup to packets of soap, chickens to cheese and biscuits to baby foods? The principle that has been followed since the foundation of the business nearly 100 years ago, and three generations back, has been that the finest quality of food served in the cleanest and most hygienic manner can also be priced at the keenest and most competitive level; that those who look for and need low prices, also value and appreciate quality. That one has to look cheap to be cheap is the very opposite to our belief and a theory that we never have and never would accept. We believe that it is not only good ethics, but also good business to be completely fair and straightforward with the customer. In order always to show her what she is buying.

weight, price and description must be seen, and seen clearly. If you believe in the good value and quality you are offering, there is no need to hide the weight on the back of the packet, no point in displaying the goods in a disordered jumble, and no need to hide the piece of makeweight between the slices of ham. From these principles, and having the belief that design can and should reflect them, it follows naturally that we expect our design to be clean and clear and straightforward and most important to contribute a mark of quality to all products bearing our label, however low they may be priced. From this it also follows that we design our stores so that our goods may be displayed in an ordered, logical and tidy way, making it as easy as possible for the customer to see what she is getting and to compare the alternatives before making her choice. Display fittings are designed with this objective first, but they must also be durable and hygienic. There is, therefore, no place in our stores for a maze of posters, banners and balloons, with so-called dumps of goods and canned music. All of this, we think, tends to confuse, rather than to help the customer. On the other hand, avoiding the confusion of the fun fair does not mean that we want a cold or austere atmosphere. What we look for in our store design is a sympathetic background to the goods we sell, where they can be seen to their best advantage and with the minimum of fuss and gimmickry. Point of sale advertising is, of course, very necessary to draw attention to price reductions, special offers, or new products. But this needs to be controlled and disciplined to achieve what we seek. As you multiply the number of posters, so the effectiveness of each one is reduced. We believe, therefore, that the impact of our in-store advertising is in part due to the restraint we exercise in its use. We also believe it is important to confine in-store advertising to our own posters and not to use advertising material offered to us by our suppliers. There are many reasons for this, but the most important one is that the use of a multiplicity of different manufacturers' material would take away from the individual and distinctive character of our stores. This distinctiveness is important and there is obvious value to us in our customers' recognition of it. We think our design will have failed if our customers have to read the name over our entrance to know the name of the shop they are entering. There are inevitably many restrictions upon the architect when designing elevations of a new store. In most instances, the store will either be part of an existing High Street, or part of an entirely new development. In one case, it is important that the appearance is not out of scale or sympathy with the surroundings; in the other, the external appearance of the store will be largly determined by the developer's architect. However, within these limitations, we

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always endeavour to design a store in a contemporary idiom. Attention to detail, in particular the careful design and siting of the illuminated name signs, gives, we hope, an exterior similar in mood and style to that of the interior. In the execution of our design policy on all our point of sale advertising and labelling, we allow as much independence as possible to our chief designer, Peter Dixon. Clearly, if the requirement is for design of the highest standard and originality, the designer cannot be fettered by too many limitations, or be in the position of receiving instructions from too many sources. This is especially crucial in a business of our size, where many different departments and buyers are involved in the great range of products for which labels and advertising must be designed. But this independence is only possible for two reasons. Firstly, because Peter Dixon understands and is in complete accord with the overall policy of the company which he is trying to follow and, secondly, and this is just as important, because he accepts that his design is functional and never an end in itself. Its success must in the last resort depend on how well it fulfils its role of communication to the customer. Whilst, therefore, Peter Dixon is responsible only to the speaker as the head of the trading operations of the company, nevertheless it is only by understanding the commercial needs and priorities as submitted by the Advertising Department and the different Buying Departments that he succeeds as well as we believe he does. Package design can be graphically superb, original, modern and impressive, but a total failure if it does not completely realise its first function of conveying information to the customer in the way it is needed. Getting the right emphasis in package design is a very considerable part of the problem solved. In our submission, good design, be it graphic design, product design, or interior or architectural design, must first depend on the understanding of the true purpose of the design and its success must first be measured by how completely it fulfils its purpose. The triumph of the good designer comes when this purpose is attained without compromising the highest design standards. Finally, we know that we prosper only to the extent of how closely and completely we can come to serving our customers with their needs. We believe that in what can broadly be described as the presentation of goods, our customers appreciate the highest standards of design, in the same way as they value quality in the goods themselves. Our company has been greatly honoured by being granted the Society's Presidential Award for Design Management and it is a tribute to the company and its designers that will always be valued

Peter Dixon, F.S.I.A., M.S.T.D., who has been in charge ofJS Design Studio since 1962 and who has won international recognition for the distinctive graphic style so familiar to Sainsbury shoppers. Below, the Sainsbury section of the exhibition mounted at the Council of Industrial Design for the occasion of the award which was shared by JS with three other firms, BTR Industries Limited, ClydesdaleBank Limited, and A. G. Thornton Limited.

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Thoughtful man on the left is Mr. K. D. Curtis, Manager of the firm's Buntingford depot, where the perishables side of distribution is now under way. Mr. Curtis, who joined JS in 1952, has been Manager at this depot since its early days when we had a relatively small depot on an old RAOC site there. It was the first big step the firm took to decentralise distribution and take some of the heavy pressure off our Blackfriars Warehouse. Its function at that time was to supply groceries to our branches in the Midlands, East Anglia and North London. The new depot will eventually cover a similar area with more emphasis on the Midlands where we now have several new branches, opened since re-building began at Buntingford in April 1965. By next spring the number of branches at present supplied by the perishables warehouse will have more than doubled. Across the page is the road along the north side of the depot where all incoming perishables pass on towards unloading bays on the southern end of the building. The bay seen in this picture is for receipt of non-perishables. Buntingford does not deal with non-foods which are being distributed from Hoddesdon.

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People at Buntingford on this page are, top right, Mr. R. A. Clark, Manager of the perishables warehouse. He joined JS early 1966 at Basingstoke. Right centre is Mr. A. G. C. Candlish who joined JS in 1961 in Work Study. He manages the non-perishables warehouse. Its 100 yard stretch of racking can be seen through his office windows. Below left Mr. H. L. Freeman, Depot Personnel Officer, formerly at Haverhill. The depot is attractive to local people though some of the staff come from places up to 20 miles away. Below right are Mr. D. R. Pettet, Mr. A. C. Wall and Mr. P. J. Armfield. Mr. Pettet is operations chief clerk and has been 17 years with JS. He came to Buntingford after 6 years in Retail Trading. A. C. Wall is administration assistant to Mr. Curtis. He joined the firm very recently. P. J. Armfield is operations planning manager, 7 years at Buntingford and 14 in all in the firm. His work is to plan the despatch programmes and maintain liaison with the branches.

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On the right is the heart of the matter—the machinery that controls the low temperatures of the perishables warehouse. Depot Works Engineer, Mr. F. G. Fry is trying to explain in very simple words (he was talking to the editor), how it works. He succeeded but it took a good quarter of an hour. Below is Mr. A. B. Charles whom we found supervising the installation of his laboratory. Bottom of this column, Mr. W. Davies, Work Study Manager at Buntingford Depot in the assembly area of the loading bay. Below right, Mr. Peter Park, Depot Motor Engineer who was formerly with the East Anglia egg collection fleet. Fitter Jim King with him has been with JS since 1936.

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The temperature in the perishables warehouse is pretty chilly. You have to keep on the move or wrap up well. Outside the chambers it's just very cold as in the corridor top left, which divides preparation areas from storage areas. The reach trucks scamper across with their loads, drivers pull the switch cords, the heavy sliding doors open swiftly and close just as fast. If you're on foot it's better to step in

or out a bit sharpish. The guide posts which stand before each doorway are a harsh yellow and black. Inside the chambers, below left, depending on what's in store, tem­perature can be down at a bone aching -5°F. These chambers are operating at the moment well below capacity but will build up throughput in the next few months. Getting out into the assembly area

where each separate consignment is got ready for its branch, you feel as if spring has broken out. Further out on the roads a cold, damp autumn night felt temporarily like summer. Vans back into the doorways which slide upwards and the roll pallets are pushed in. The vans will bring back yesterday's pallets.

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Far left top is Night Manager Peter Cox who joined JS in 1954, came to Buntingford in 1960, likes working nights and whose main duty is to see the cars go out on time. Below him are Mr. Curtis and H. G. MacGregor one of the three supervisors in the perishables warehouse. He used to be manager of our poultry department at Union Street. The row of what look like sentry boxes are wheeled insulated containers for frozen foods. Centre is Mrs. Reeves the Canteen Supervisor who joined JS in 1960 when the old canteen was opened. Driver Taylor on the right drives an articulated vehicle now. He came to Buntingford in the days when there were only a dozen drivers there. Today there are about 65. Below centre is Fred Gatward who has been at Buntingford since before our time. He was caretaker at the old W/D building. When we bought it Fred went onto our pay roll. He is slowly getting used to us newcomers. Driver Hance is an old hand in the firm. He joined JS in 1930 and was at Blackfriars till 1960. He's just retired. Below is Les Sell who decided to work for JS after 28 years in market gardening, when the first depot opened in 1960. He breeds Border Canaries (they're the plump ones) and wins prizes with them at local shows. On the right one of our cars goes through the washing machine before taking the road to one of the JS branches.

Southampton Last month the Queen Mary left Southampton on her final trip to California. The Royal Marines played Auld Lang Syne and 14 helicopters in a formation said to symbolise an anchor hovered above the dockside and then acted as funnel-high escorts till naval ships took over, to accompany the great liner towards the open Channel.

We have had a self-service branch in this town since 1954. This year we extended the sales area, added two more check-outs, re-sited the office and made some alterations to the shop front. You can see it below opposite, and also below right, through the arch of Bargate, a section of the 14th century wall. The rather odd statue above the point of the arch is George III in the gear of a

Roman Emperor. Below left is one of our new designs for refrigerated cabinets which have a good deal more display content than the former designs. Mr. G. Goody, below, has been manager at Southampton since 1959. He joined the firm in 1931 and became a manager six years later at Catford. He managed several branches in the south before taking over at Southampton.

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HALF A TON UP by W . J . Bridgeman It's spring 1926 and speedman WJB takes the road on a four horse Triumph. Another short story from one of our former managers whose work is well known to many readers

St. Albans is a fascinating city, with its imposing cathedral overlooking the lovely Ver valley to the south, and behind it, to the north, a bustling market and industrial town. Choose a day in mid-week and walk down from the cathedral to the ancient Fighting Cocks inn, along the quiet river to St. Michael's, spending as long as you can in the Verulamium museum, then cross the road to spend a little time at the Roman amphitheatre, that for centuries lay hidden, until some of its stones were uncovered by a ploughman's shear. Truly a day of serenity and relaxation. For contrast, visit the city on a Saturday and mix with the cosmopolitan crowd pushing and jostling round the stalls that pack the service road in St. Peter's street. Fight your way in and out of the JS branch. A day of bustle and excitement. St. Albans in the 1920's was just another quiet cathedral city, the Saturday stalls were confined to the market square and a Foden waggon could draw up outside the branch to unload a dozen 300 lb. bales of Danish bacon without inconvenience to anybody, except the porter having to hump them over the pavement. To the junior staff, St. Albans on a summer Sunday was a nice place to get away from, and a bicycle being the only means of getting away, every fine Sunday a small cavalcade of cyclists from the branch could be seen heading for the countryside. Some say that the introduction of mass-produced cars brought chaos to our cities, but in the case of St. Albans this is not so; chaos came to the city in the spring of 1926, when the junior staff of the JS branch exchanged their pedal cycles for ex-army motorcycles. On a lovely Sunday morning soon after Easter of that year, when the trees in St. Peter's Street had donned their spring mantles, the girls were on their way to church in their new outfits, and the lads, having nothing better to do, were leaning out of the house windows, admiring the girls, I was pushing my ex-W.D., 4 h.p., belt-drive Triumph on to the service road, and preparing to start it up. The girls immediately became of secondary interest to the spectators up above. "It's an easy bike to start," the man had assured me. "Just get it up on the stand, close the air and open the throttle, a few turns of the pedals, and away she goes."

At the third heave I had the brute on its stand, got astride, opened the throttle lever and pedalled. Obviously those horses disliked working on Sundays. I said a little prayer, pushed the throttle a little farther over and pedalled again. Not a whisper from the motor. The crowd above became vocal. "Tickle the carburettor." "Give it more air." "Give it to the dustman." I tickled the carburettor and pedalled again; the air reeked of petrol. The girls stood about in groups, forgetting church; I pretended not to notice them and kept on pedalling, but the motor refused to give. A chant from the house windows sounded suspiciously like "Any old iron." My least favourite policeman was coming up the street, hand on his notebook pocket. Bold action was needed. Heaving the mass of machinery off its stand, I manoeuvred it into the main road, opened the throttle wide and pushed. Half-way up the street for the third time, I was about to call it a day when one of the horses inside gave a little spluttering cough, woke the other three, and, accompanied by a loud explosion, I was airborne, strung out over the petrol tank like a pennant in a gale. St. Peter's church at the far end of the street had whizzed by before I was safely in the saddle, and found I was in top gear. The vicar was about to cross the street as I hurtled past; I saw his hands go up and something white flutter in the breeze -perhaps he was tearing up his sermon I It had been Horsley, my room-mate, who actually broke up our little bicycle club, slipping off one Thursday after lunch, returning at tea-time astride an ex-W.D. Lea Francis, or some such make. He had heard of a garage over Bovingdon way that had a number of army surplus machines and would take pedal cycles in part exchange. On the following half-day I pedalled over, via Hemel Hempstead and Boxmoor, to see what they had to offer. The selection was thin, other bargain hunters had been there before me, and I was about to leave when the garage proprietor hailed me. "Looking for a good motor bike, lad ?" "Well " "I've got the very bike for you," he said, indicating a massive machine in a corner; it was a long machine, with a cylinder the size of a chimney pot. "Dispatch rider's job, four horse, 1914 Triumph. Real man's bike that, no need to

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strain your guts starting either - just close the air lever, open the throttle a little, a few turns of the pedals, and away she goes." Suiting action to words, he sat astride the machine, still on its stand, turned the pedals a few times and the motor roared into life. A marvellous sound. Looking back, I think he must have kept that bike warmed up, waiting for me. He pushed it into the road. "Hop on the back, I'll give you a run up the road." I was barely astride the naked carrier, hanging on to his overalls, before we were away. "Easy as riding your pushbike. Hub gears, just the same. Watch this: pull out the clutch, slip into second, drop the clutch, rev up. Same again, into top; nothing to it." A cackle of hens, necks and wings outstretched, ran for cover as we roared up the road. Above the noise of the engine and whistling wind I could just about hear what the man was shouting.

"Like a bird, isn't she ? - You alright ? - Sorry there's no cushion on the back - Sit tight, we'll turn round here, daren't leave the garage more than a few minutes - Use the back brake, the pedal is just by my right foot - Front brake is on the handle-bar, but it's not much use." He turned in the road and brought the machine to a stop. "Would you like to take her back? - No. O.K. I'll run through the drill again, you'll soon get the hang of it." Back at the garage the formalities were soon completed and within 10 minutes I was the proud owner of a 1914 ex-W.D. three-speed hub gear Triumph, with pedal start, belt drive; and 20 miles from the branch. The garage proprietor was giving me last minute instructions. "O.K. now lad ? Don't forget the oil pump, or the engine will seize up; three pumps every five miles. - Sure you wouldn't like me to give you one more turn up the road ?" One more turn up the road on that bare carrier and I would never have been able to ride again I "No thanks. I'll " I had the engine running too fast, dropped the clutch in too quickly and rocketed up the road in top gear. On the long downhill run to the A5 my heartbeat settled down to its normal rhythm and I tried to recall all the advice the garage man had given me. One thing he had repeated, and if he had given a reason for it, I had forgotten. "Watch it when you turn off the A5." Watch what ? I had been that way before; it was a sharp turn connecting the A5 with the St. Albans road at Hemel Hempstead, narrow too, but I was looking forward to shooting over the little hump bridge over the river. I came to the almost deserted A5, reached the last bend before the St. Albans turn, travelling too fast, and discovered the reason behind the garage chap's advice. It was knocking-off time at the Apsley paper mill, and the road ahead was black with people I All the instructions tumbled through my brain, my hands and feet

tried to do everything at once, but all I could do was squeeze the hooter bulb. Men, women and boys scuttled for safety into the hedges as I took the corner, their shouts drowning the hooter. Roaring up to the narrow humpback bridge, I saw a dozen girls clambering on to the low parapet. Over the bridge the bike was airborne, and I was too concerned with making a safe landing to look at what happened to those young women, but some of their remarks reached my ears, and they burn now as I remember. When landing, my hand somehow closed the throttle lever slightly and I turned the next corner at a sedate 15 miles an hour, left the uproar behind me and passed uneventfully through the sleepy village of Leverstock Green on the last lap of my homeward journey. The cool evening air filled my lungs as the hazel woods, pale green fronds on a carpet of bluebells, slipped quietly behind me, the motor beneath me pounding rhythmically away. Ah I this was the way to travel, no more getting up at daybreak every Sunday, pounding the pedals all over the countryside in the hot sun. At the top of Blue House Hill, the cathedral showed ahead momentarily, a homing beacon on the horizon, before the bike and I were swallowed up by the high banks and hedges in the lane. Halfway down the hill in front of me a bus was pulling up. "Funny place to put down passengers," I thought, pulling on the front brake lever without checking speed at all. With brakes screeching, the bus stopped dead, I could see another one coming up the hill. The back of the bus I was following loomed ahead like the side of a house.

"They can't possibly pass in this narrow road," I told myself. "Neither will 11 Use the foot brake, you idiot I" Standing on the foot brake only slightly checked the bike's momentum. The bus ahead was a mountain in my path. Opening the throttle wide, I hung on as the bike swerved round the back of it and slithered through the rapidly narrowing gap. For a few moments the calm evening was rendered hideous by two bus drivers yelling and blasting on their hooters, but for the life of me I could not see what THEY had to get excited about I Reaching the branch without further incident, I found Horsley outside astride his motor-bike, talking to a police constable. The constable was looking pleased with himself, Horsley definitely was not. "Hullo I" I said, more from a wish to attract his attention than from curiosity. "What's the trouble ?"

The constable licked his pencil, running his eyes over my ex-dispatch rider's speedster with a look that reduced it to a load of scrap. "No effective front brake, that's the trouble, my lad," he said, giving his pencil an extra suck. "Now let me see what yours is like." I knew the answer only too well.

CHRISTMAS CAKES FOR JS

Ingredients are carefully weighed according to recipe and poured by hand into the mixer (the factory equivalent of the housewife's bowl). Inside it rotating blades do the mixing, just over 6 minutes for this particular cake.

Mixing 400 lb of cake ingredients in one go sounds a frightening proposition until one has seen the factory that produces most of JS fruit cakes. We arrived as they started on our rich fruit cake for Christmas. At first sight the factory floor seems to have little to do with baking. Long pipes travel across the ceiling, huge machines stand silently in symmetrical rows; closer examination reveals lines of cakes marching slowly on conveyor belts, resting in trays or being pushed around in trolleys. Only the Swiss Roll machine shows animation as two wide

chocolate strips move swiftly on a conveyor belt into an oven and a rolling machine. The baking process in a factory is identical to the one in the kitchen; it's just the quantities that are larger. First comes the mixing. This takes place on a balcony built above the ovens. The mixer holds 400 lb of cake mix at a time. It's a lot. though the bowl does not look very large. The ingredients standing nearby have been carefully measured, and are poured in by hand. First, half the flour and all the fat; second, after two-and-a-half minutes' mixing, the rest of

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the flour, brown sugar, eggs, water, caramel, salt and colouring; finally, the sultanas, currants, cherries and peel. Mixing has taken six minutes ten seconds. The bowl is now mechanically tipped, the creamy mixture drops via a stainless steel chute direct into a depositor on the floor below. This is the machine that fills the baking tins (measuring each amount carefully to give the right weight). Each tin is lined with a paper container, is then moved by conveyor belt under the depositor, is filled and then smartly turns a corner and lines up in front of the oven, waiting for fourteen other tins to make up a row. The line completed, it is pushed forward into the oven. It reminds one of the changing of the guards. This particular oven holds 12,000 cakes at a time. They travel through slowly on a belt, the speed of which is regulated according to the necessary baking time. Our rich fruit cake needs approximately two-and-a-half hours, a lighter cake would need less. Temperatures vary in different parts of the oven, low at first, higher towards the end. All along are glass windows with lights so that although you can't prod a fork in to see how the cake is doing, you can have a hygienic look. We stood expectantly waiting for the first row of JS cakes to emerge. A cook's delight, they had risen in the middle without cracking, were brown but not burnt and smelted delicious. They are taken out of their tins at once, and put on trolleys, to cool for 24 hours. The empty tins are returned to the conveyor ready to travel back to square one and start again. Wrapping, packing and dispatching is done by girls. The baking bit has been done by men. Quality and taste control is a considerable part of the cake-making operation. About one out of every eight cakes is tested for weight, and in every shift (the factory keeps going twenty-four hours a day) laboratory personnel taste and make tests. The managers have a quality control meeting every morning, and every morning they taste the cakes they have been baking. Astonishingly, for the cake we tasted was delicious, the managers, then are not fat men.

This factory also makes our madeira cakes. The process is similar except that the ingredients are mixed in a special cake mixer, and pumped into an aerator to be aerated according to recipe. Some cakes, mainly party ones, are covered with chocolate and decorated. This is done by a depositor after the cake has cooled.

Empty tins are placed on a conveyor belt, lined with paper containers and travel on under the depositor (picture next page).

When the mixture is ready, the mixer is tipped by hand (top left), its contents gravity fed through a chute into the depositor (bottom left) situated immediately below. A very carefully measured amount of cake mix is then 'deposited' into the empty, lined tins. Next comes the baking. The oven holds 12,000 cakes at a time, baked at different temperatures as they travel through on a wide conveyor. Our picture at the top of the next page shows the cakes coming out of the oven after about two-and-a-half hours' baking. They are immediately taken out of their tins and placed on trolleys (bottom left) to stand and cool for twenty-four hours. Last picture shows a cake being cut for the stringent quality and taste control rigorously maintained at this factory.

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A new venture by some 200 SSA members who went for the first time to a Pontins' hotel at Weymouth, Dorset, from Friday October 6th to Sunday October 8th. It was also a new experience for the hoteliers who had never before organised a week-end party. It turned out a successful occasion which the SSA hope to repeat. Wonderful weather added enjoyment to excellent catering, comfortable accommodation and a jamboree of dancing, drinking and bingo.

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Buntingford The first dance ever held at the new Buntingford Depot took place, on October 21st. 500 JS people and their friends made merry, listened to a cabaret performance of Spanish and South American songs and enjoyed the excellent buffet provided by the canteen staff. The organisers, determined that everybody should enjoy themselves without Mrs Castle breathing down their necks, laid on transport, as can be seen in the picture we took of the blackboard on the right.

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SE at the Orchid 800 SSA members and friends turned out for the Orchid Ballroom dance on September 19. There were plenty of prizes and dancing to Johnny Howard's popular band. (They star in 'Easybeat' on Sunday mornings.) Everyone will be pleased to know that another S.E. Area dance will be held on December 13 (it's a Wednesday this time). Book now. Tickets are in demand.

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Mr R. J . Harris Retires When Mr. R. J. Harris retired as District Supervisor at the end of September he had completed forty-five years of service with JS. Engaged at 3 London Road, Brighton in 1933, he later worked at 24 Brighton, St. Albans and Luton. His first management was Cricklewood in 1933. Next year he was at St. Albans. His appointment as District Supervisor was made in 1944 and from then on he played his part in the work of day to day supervision of the branches of his district. A fine tradesman with a keen eye for detail, he has won the respect of his colleagues who will wish him well in a long and enjoyable retirement. To mark their appreciation managers of the district gave him a party on October 4 at the Red House in Uford. On the right is Mr. A. B. Davies, Area Superintendent presenting on their behalf a camera and an early morning tea maker. From the First Clerks there was a separate gift of sherry glasses.

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Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Medcalf who celebrated their Golden Wedding this year.

A rainy morning followed by a sunny afternoon made an enjoyable outing to Great Yarmouth for the thirty-nine SSA members and friends from Fordham Egg Packing Station seen in the picture on the top left of the page. Middle left is Mr. Bettger, now manager of Weybridge, at a farewell party given for him by Winchester staff on August 7th. Left to right are Mr. Morgan the present manager, Mr. Buddin, Mr. Cox, Mr. Brown, District Supervisor who presented a gift, Mr. Kaye, Mr. Bettger, Mr. Warwick. Standing in the back row are Mr. Lay and Mr. Gregory. Bottom left is a picture sent to us by Mr. Younger taken while he was on holiday in Italy. It shows a whole pig roasted and for sale in one of the main streets of Pesaro which lies on the Adriatic coast.

Congratulations to Mr. R. Austin and Miss W. Curtis of Maidstone Branch who were married on September 2 at St. Peter's Church, Ditton. They spent their honeymoon at Torquay.

27

STAFF NEWS

Appointment to District Supervisor Mr. J. V. Spragg, who was appointed a District Supervisor from 16th October 1967, started his career with JS a t 128 Kilburn on 31st August 1931, staying in this area until July 1940 when he left for National Service. He returned in June 1946 and in June 1949 was appointed to the management of 8 Temple Fortune. He managed various service branches and was appointed Manager of our S/S store a t 1/4 Ealing in June 1961. He took over the management of Beading in December 1964 where he remained until July 1967.

mm J. V. Spragg

Managerial Appointments c. SUMMERTON from Spare a t Chelsea to the

management of 68 Croydon from September 18

fTS m\ H JB -

I B t^k mm C. Summerton

Managerial Transfers

D. BUTOLPH

C CHARTERIS

from 57B Kingston to Spare on Mr. Leach's area from October 23 from Kings Heath to Aston from October 9 for the opening period from 68 Croydon to Victoria from October 2

M. FOWLER from Spare a t Solihull to Spare a t Worcester from October 30

o. KEEN from Victoria to Kingston Self-Service from October 2

G. MCQIKNIS from Spare a t Muswell Hill to Spare a t Coventry from September 4

A. RANGER from 97 Kingston to Spare on Mr. Leach's area from October 30

B. RANGER from Weybridge to self-service training from September 11

v. RAWCLIFPE from West Wickham to Stockwell from November 6

w. REYNOLDS from Spare on Mr. Wrench's area to Worcester from October 30

A. STAPLEY from Stockwell to West Wickham from October 9

N. WILSON from Spare on Mr. Wrench's area to temporary management of Kings Heath from October 9

w. YEATES from Special duties a t Coventry to Halesowen from October 23

Assistant Manager Transfers K. BURGESS from Kings Heath to Aston from

October 9 A. BUSHELL from West Wickham to Selsdon

from October 9 D. COLLIS from Swiss Cottage to Bristol

from September 11 j . CULVERHOUSE from Muswell Hill to Worcester

from October 30 A. DAWSON from Crouch End to Wood Green

from October 2 T. DELVES from Solihull to Aston from

October 9 c. GALWAY from Drury Lane to Muswell Hill

from September 26 R. GLEESON from Richmond to Kingston Self-

Service from October 2 c. HART from Pinner to Self-Service

training a t Wealdstone from October 2

c. HARVEY from Northampton to Halesowen from October 23

A. HAvART from 96 Kilburn to Hatch End from October 2

K. HERSEY from Tunbridge Wells to West Wickham from October 9

D. HOLLEY from Feltham to Kingston Self-Service from October 2

28

D. I10LLI0AY

W. HOLLOW AY

J. IRESTONE

M. MCHALE

K. NEWTON

W. PAINTER

A PUGII

R. RAWSON

R. SIMPSON

R. SOWERBY

J. SPICER

M. TORRANCE

D. WEBB

from Bedford to Aston from October 9 from Willesden Green to Pinner from October 2 from Wimbledon to Kingston Self-Service from October 2 from Hatch End to Pinner from October 2 from Wood Green to Crouch End from October 2 from Northampton to Worcester from October 30 from Coventry to Solihull from September 25 from Redhlll to 31 Eastbourne from October 9 from Nuneaton to Halesowen from October 23 from Kettering to Halesowen from October 23 from Pinner to Self-Service Training at Wembley from October 2 from 31 Eastbourne to Redhlll from October 9 from Dorking to Kingston Self-Service from October 2

Promoted to Assistant Manager E. AUTY Goodmayes from September 11 M. BISHOP 168 Streatham from October 9 p. BREARY 339 Palmers Green from September

25 c. CURCHER Chichester from October 9 c. GALWAY Drury Lane from September 18 D. HAYWARD Chichester from October 9 L. LONG Dagenham from September 11 K. PENFOLD Chichester from October 9 s. SYKES Hoe Street from October 2 R. WALKER Watney Street from September 11

Head Butcher Transfers

R. BROWN

M. COLLINS

C. DOWNEY

R, DRIVER

N. GARDINER

L. GIBBONS

from Kings Heath to Aston for opening period from October 9 from 97 Kingston on closure to Battersea from October 23 from Guildford to Kingston Self-Service from October 2 from Muswell Hill for Self-Service Training to Spare a t Halesowen from October 23 from Portsmouth to Guildford from October 16 from Spare a t Coventry to Solihull temporarily in charge of Fresh Meat Department from October 23 from Marble Arch to 1/4 Ealing from October 23 from Kings Heath for Self-Service Training to Spare a t Aston from October 9 from Eastcote to Pinner from October 3

H. RUTHERFORD from Solihull to Halesowen for opening period from October 23

D. THOMAS from Pinner to 128 Kilburn from October 3

R. WEBB from Spare a t Dunstable to Spare a t Worcester for opening period from October 30

c. WINDMILL from Spare a t Solihull to Worcester from October 30

Head Butcher Appointments J. BAIGENT from Spare a t Southgate to

Crouch End from June 20 F. WDLSON from Spare a t Portmouth to

Portsmouth from September 26

Long Service Congratulations to the following colleagues who have completed long service with the firm

Forty Years' Service R. A. BONNER Leading Salesman, Guildford w. F. BROWN Manager, Greenford L. R. CARRINGTON Manager, Luton J. w. FROUD

A. W. PALMER G. W. PERHAM C R. RANSOM

A. SMART

J. F. WAKELING

J. E. WALLIS

Commissionaire, Stamford House Manager, 357 Harrow Head Butcher, 168 Streatham Despatch Clerk, Canned Goods Department, Blackfriars Head Butcher. 3 Hove Porter, Kingsbury Assistant Head Butcher, Purley

Twenty-five Years' Service MISS M. POWER Daily Housekeeper, 176 Streatham MRS. A. M. HAXTON Special Grade Factory

Correction Our apologies to Mrs. Bulman, who was described incorrectly as Miss Bulman in the Long Service section of our last issue.

29

Contents/C130

2 Design Management 6 Buntingford

14 Southampton 16 Half-a-Ton Up 18 Making Christmas Cakes for JS 22 Weekend in Dorset

24 Dances 26 Round-up 28 Staff News

Printed by King and Jarrett Ltd London SE11