Share Your Memories

I remember when I started work at M&S Durham Store in 1964 everyone had to address you by your full name... Mrs Smith or Miss Jones.. no first names were allowed to be used at all. It seems so silly now when I think about it, but it was like this for a great many years.

I was part of the Fashion Show Team in 1973 which travelled around the UK, doing catwalk shows that raised money for charity. It was a young girl's dream & great fun, although hard work & not always glamourous...especially when outdoor photos were shot in freezing Jan/Feb weather, wearing a bikini!

I remember often having to evacuate Kilburn store, during bomb alerts in the early 70s. One particular time, when a colleague became hysterical at the assembly point, as the boy she liked was in the store as a member of the 'fire party'. She forgot my fiance was also a member of it & in there too!

I remember being five years old and pulling the arm off of one of the store's manequins in the lingerie department. I then carried it over to the checkout and plonked it on top of the counter. My mother apologised profusely - although everyone else seemed to find it rather amusing...

My memory is of the time when my father was Manager of the Swindon store. He came home and expressed concern about what was to happen to his staff after Lord Marks had decided to reduce the amount of paperwork used in ordering. He said he should trust those he employed and not need all this paper!

I worked in Manchester aged 16. I remember Young Junior Teens, tights, towels, men's colored shirts and chilled food. It was so busy we couldn't re-stock quick enough; managers used to say "if it's too tidy its not busy"! In the miners' strike we used torches, and decimalization was a challenge.

My aunt worked at M&S Oxford Street branch in late 1940's/early 1950's and told me about services for staff including chiropody, hairdressing and being given proper hankies if they had a cold etc. They had much better conditions than many of the assistants in other stores and felt well cared for.

I worked full time at Marks & Spencer until I left to have a baby. I have some wonderful memories of my time there such as the wonderful staff parties we had when an employee retired or reached long service. I had a great 17 years at M&S and the training I received has helped me over the years.

I remember as a small girl, going into Sheffield city centre which had been badly bombed during the Second World War. The M&S store was in an old cinema with a sloping floor and the goods were laid out on open stalls, like table tops. The building later became a dance hall.

I wore blue nylon overalls when I first stared at M&S in 1964 - I was the first 15 year old to be taken on, as you had to be 18 before then. I retired last year, June 2012