In ... ........ Doris was appointed by the Directors to be the Manageress of the restaurant on the fourth floor. But before she took up her post she discovered she had a lump and explained this to Mr Sad the general manager & Mr Grant. They said ‘we stand by our offer.’
She went into the Norfolk & Norwich & Mr Nood operated. She stayed in hospital for 2/3 weeks, and wasn’t allowed to work for another 3 weeks. During this time Jarrolds paid her. About £7 a week. She was living at Costessey at the time.
She was born at 12 Williams Way Norwich and went to school at St Giles Girls School. Miss Ada Taylor was the Headmistress who had herself gone to the same school as Doris Mother. Her Mother’s Mother was a Garret Master in the shoe trade who owned 6 machines. Her mother was Gertrude Edith a machinist in the shoe trade.
Her father Archie Holman had been a prisoner of war in the first World War and ‘worked for the Germans’ building a railway over the mountains between Germany & Austria. He was billeted on a German family & had discussions with the husband . He decided that the working class were the same the world over. ‘ He went to war a conservative and came back a socialist & joined the ILP.’ He was a stonemason. His father was also a stonemason & apprenticed his 4 sons to the trade. After the War Archie worked on Banks etc in Norwich but it was a dying trade so he began to build houses . Later he became landlord of the Roundwell public house on Dereham Road in Costessey.
Doris had a brother also Archie, born in 1910, and a sister Hilda & two nieces Frances and Sally. Her fiancé (?) was killed in the second World War before D.Day She has a poem he wrote for her and left with her Father at the Roundwell.
Before she worked for Jarrold Doris worked for Purdys managing the shop. She was asked if she would like to work at the Assembly House as a hostess/cashier. ‘Didn’t think he paid me enough. Took advantage of Fathers position. Had a terrible cold one Christmas & Mr Long said I didn’t need to go in, then he cut my money off for two days because I was away. Jarrolds was advertising so I wrote & applied & went straight in as Manageress.’ She was paid about £7 a week with a raise every year; 7 thinks she was getting £222.0 a month when she retired.
Aunt Elsie’s daughter was already working there
Her main responsibility was the buying. After the war all restaurants were rationed. She ordered the meat every week by phone from Barrett’s Butcher in Valentine Street. The fish came from Laurie’s who were Italians. A lot of Italian families in Norwich
Vegetables came from the market. They would let her know what was available. She bought the bread from Ketts Hill Bakery, and the Chef made the fancy cakes
When she started in the Restaurant they were serving ‘Morning Buns’ with the coffee. She tried unsuccessfully to find the recipe. Management wanted something to draw people in so the buns had to be made with the best of everything including lots of eggs. They bought a mixing machine to make them. Each evening all the tins had to be scrubbed and greased ready for the baking next morning. On the menu it said ‘Jarrolds Morning Buns’. Later they used a ready made mix & they were no longer the same.
The waitresses were mostly good girls. They had awful uniforms after the War so she changed them to black & white. One of the managers said’ are we in mourning?’ The girls had to take them home to wash.
Later she bought turquoise uniforms from a London firm Herbert Liveries and had them made to measure.
She had 14 tables & used to be able to say who sat at every one. Then they opened up another part with basket chairs and called it the Blue Room. The tables had linen tablecloths made by Kippax which were embroidered with Jerrold’s name.
On one occasion she served Nancy Spain who was Gilbert Harding’s sister. She was in the store to promote her cookery book. She autographed one for Doris: ‘Thank you Miss Howland for a lovely day spent in Norwich’
The Jarrold’s family used to eat there and she watched the children grow up. Mr Richard didn’t want to be recognised. Mrs Richard was a lovely person.
Jarrolds was a good employer in Norwich & employed a lot of people. A favourite phrase was ‘meet you on Jarrolds corner’
Another customer made a waitress cry because he called her by her Christian name & wouldn’t wait his turn. Doris told him she wouldn’t have people making her girls cry & he left.
She always treated the kitchen staff well. Her Father said ‘You’re no better than anyone else and no one is better than you’
At Christmas and at sale time it was always very busy. The restaurant had a few decorations. One part of the floor was for Christmas cards & they had an exhibition of paintings done by staff once a year.
Doris has a picture of a vase of fuchsias on her wall which was painted by a Shop Walker. When she retired she asked Mr Lake if she could have it. On the back it says ‘On the occasion of your retirement’. She wants Mr & Mr Richard to have it eventually.
Most of her spare time was spent helping her father at the Roundwell where she met her boyfriend. Few Americans visited the pub ‘father didn’t encourage that sort of trade’
Occasionally she went dancing at the Samson & Hercules and to the pictures. Her favourite star was Gary Cooper & before that Lilian Gish.
Doris remembers Mr Hutson a Buyer and his daughter who worked in the kitchen during her holidays. She was friendly with a lot of people in the store & several visited her after she retired, and took her out. Mr Richard used to come & see her every year after she retired & bring her a Calendar.
Doris says of her time at Jarrolds ‘Everyone respected me’
