D E SP I T E T H I S I N F L U X O F N E W B U SI N E SS TH RO U G H TH E D O O R,
“I had never seen her before and didn’t have a clue who she
learned the ropes pretty quickly from an experienced team
was but decided to give her a piece of my mind. So, I yelled
of seasoned professionals, working on a diverse range of
out, ‘Watch where you’re going, you silly old bitch!’ and went
different commercial and residential projects.
C EC R E SI ST E D TH E MAS S
back to what I was doing.
R EC R UI T M E N T O F Q UAL IF IE D
“I remember that it was a Friday, because we always had
I remember Colin, Bert’s son, he was a fitter and did some
EL E C T R I C I AN S TO ME E T
our usual drink and a natter after work. Over a beer, one of
work for us. Roy Snook was one of our senior electricians. I
the tradies, who had seen what had happened, said to me,
think he finished up going up to live and work in Paraburdoo,
‘You’re game mate. That woman you abused today, she’s the
or somewhere, after I was out of my time.
GR OW I N G NE E DS , P RE FE RRIN G T O C ON T R OL G RO W TH AN D MAI N TAI N T H E QUAL I T Y AN D RE L I AB I L I TY OF SE RVI C E . . .
boss’s wife.’
“Then there was Jeffrey Spencer-Legg, a little short guy
“I was mortified and spent the entire weekend thinking
from Applecross. He left and set up his own business that I’m
about where I was going to find a new job, because I thought
pretty sure was called Logic Alarms. And who could forget
for sure that, come Monday morning, I’d be gone.
Jan Pusinjac, I think he was Yugoslav. Funny name but nice
“Feeling pretty sheepish and fearing the worst, I turned up
guy. He was a really big bloke, built like a brick dunny.
... for which Hiddlestone had become known, by training and
for work bright and early Monday morning and was in the
“And then we had Tom Walker, an old fella who used to come
upskilling the young apprentices that they regularly took on,
workshop with Cec, keeping my head down, when Vera
in and pick up the kettles and toasters, repair them and then
and relying on a small dedicated team to deliver results. One
came in, around 10 o’clock. She walked over towards us and
bring them back. He ended up coming in to work the counter
of those young apprentices was George Shaw who joined
I thought, ‘here it comes’. I was sweating bricks. Vera turned
when Bert retired.
Hiddlestone as a very green 15-year old in November 1966
to me and said, ‘Oh by the way I’m Vera, the boss’s wife, the
and worked for the company for the next 20 years. George
silly old bitch!’
recalls that his employment could have been short-lived, if Cec’s wife Vera hadn’t been blessed with such a good sense of humour:
everything I know. He was an exceptional tradesman who sadly reached retirement age while I was still working at
make a cup of tea with some scones or cake for us. That
Hiddlestones.
of weeks and I was out the back of 83 Rokeby Road, doing
treated like part of the family.”
car park, almost collecting my toolbox.
He was a bit of an institution in the place and taught me
anytime we went to do work at the boss’s place, Vera would
“I’d been working at Hiddlestones for less than a couple
and all of a sudden this car, driven by a woman, sped into the
“Jack Pember was our foreman and supervised all our work.
“Our little encounter was never mentioned after that and
was what it was like working at Hiddlestones, everyone was
something in the car park. I had my toolbox open beside me
58
“They were all good guys and we got on really well together.
“I remember a funny story involving old Jack. We had this young fella that came to work for us. Vern knew his father
George remembers it being a very close-knit team back in
and their families lived close to each other in Brix Street.
the 1970s. The work was interesting and varied, which meant
Craig was his name. He lasted about six months with us, as I
that, as George progressed through his apprenticeship he
recall, but never signed on as an apprentice.