History

My Grandmother, Mrs. K. Fitzpatrick, worked in your Furriers department many years ago.  I can remember this was situated in a rooftop floor, with an external lift going straight up, without any exits to any other floors.  I can remember meeting two of her work-mates, Mrs. Ada Judge, and a French lady called Charmaine, when they were all sitting around a huge table, which was used for blocking out the skins.  Her immediate boss was a Mr. Bob Jordan, whom we saw many years later, working in the Fur Coat department of Peter Jones in Sloane Square.

My Grandmother worked on into her 70s, and lived to be 101.  On her 100th birthday, she received the usual telegram from the Queen, plus another one, and a birthday present of a cheque, from John Lewis.  We were all very impressed with that gesture, which we feel was made because she was a long serving employee.  It was also very good of the company to keep up her entitlement to use the staff discount, and a few other facilities, even after she had retired.

She was working during the 1940 into the 1960s, and I was wondering if you had any records of previous staff members going back that far.  I am sorry I do not have any appropriate photos of my grandmother.  I would have dearly loved to see some on this site.