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[Page 91]
One of our best customers was John Beresford. so I went down to tell him and he said to me "Edith we have been very happy with you but Ruby no. Now I shall tell you something I have bought a building in Kent Street, it will be a while before I will need you but I would like you to come and look after us down there". I said "gosh John that will be good and we have someone looking at the buffet and I think she is interested", so he said "no matter what happens I will be in touch". Harold had spent a lot of time on his own at 'Mont Clare' and was getting tired of being there, he said "it felt like a jail to him". So we started to look for something else and we found a very lovely unit at McMahons Point. It was small but lovely, easy to keep clean etc. Well we settle in their very well, it had a balcony which looked over the harbour and bridge and Opera House. Also by now I am working with John Beresford in Beresford House, Kent Street, City. I really enjoyed working for John, and I had my own little kitchen where I used to prepare morning teas, lunches, afternoon teas and I used to keep John's office clean, also if drinks were needed in the office with clients I used to get that all ready for him. Then there was a winter showing and spring showing. I prepared the food for the suppers, that used to be a long day and night, but Harold used to come to the showings. John always saw that he had plenty to drink and eat. Harold used to be fascinated with how quickly the models changed from one lot of clothes to another. John always gave me a new frock for which ever season the showing was for. I truly loved it and all the salesman too.
It is now 1970 and my Yvonne and Alan were married, a lovely little service. I made the Wedding Cake and the Wedding Breakfast we had at our place in McMahons Point. All the older members came in the family, there was no room for the younger generation so they all went to Margaret's flat where she was living in North Sydney. There was Merle and Ron, Beryl and Stan, Betty and Barrie, John and Coralie, Margaret and her friend, Alan's sister and her husband, his mother couldn't come, she hurt her hip that was a shame. I did all the preparation I think it was all very good and Yvonne looked great a lovely street frock. She has no family and Margaret is still single (that's my Margaret).
Well I told John Beresford best starting to look for another lady to take my place. "Why"? says he, "well Harold will be retiring". Anyway I went in to see John a week later and told him that Harold had been kept on for another 12 months, "good" says he. Well the next year went very quickly but it was a wonderful day for me. John had organised a party in one of the showrooms for me and a lady to wait on the table plus he closed the front doors for 2 hours and phones all shut off. John called me into the showroom and I saw the table and the gorgeous bunch of gladiolies standing with a card on it, and he took my arm and led me to the head of the table. What a wonderful surprise, and me, well the tears fell and believe me they would not stop. So John said. "lets eat and we shall talk after". I said "I am too excited to eat, you must eat Edith we want to and we can't without you, and you know you have fed us over the years, now I am going to feed you only this once", which caused a lot of laughter. If you knew John like we all knew him, a truly lovely party. Then John presented me with these flowers and a parcel, I am crying again. I unwrapped the parcel and it was a beautiful Navy Blue Handbag, it must have been $70-$80 dollars (leather). I opened it and inside was another card and a $100.00 cheque, I kissed him and hugged him and said how wonderful he