2. WORKING FOR FATHER
2. Working for Father
Clearly St Andrews gave Cecil the polish to fit him for a job at Dent & Co, which he joined (then on the 4th Floor, African Life Building, St Georges Street) at £1 per week!
Betty worked there as well, with the remaining staff being the Company Secretary (HC Armfield) and a typist/bookkeeper. The typist left within a short time and the “new boy” had to take over all typing, correspondence, statements etc plus hand delivery of local mail. The additional workload realized no change to his weekly – or weakly – wage!
Needing storage facilities, Norris bought 84 Church Street and 101 Loop Street plus a bottle store on the corner. It was decided to undertake their own shipping and customs clearing but no further personnel were conscripted – the workload fell on Cecil who took over the bonded and duty-paid stocks from Divine, Gates and Co.
He set the whole expanded business in motion, largely teaching himself along the way - he even undertook deliveries in the company’s van. Increase in wages? Reluctantly Norris agrees to 10 guineas a month.
(Ed. By my reckoning that’s about 7/- or 70c a day!!)
Cecil became involved with a young lady called Iza Gie, studying at the university, whose parents owned a large export grape farm at Hex River. They became inseparable and many trips to the farm ensued especially during the “pressing” season (Ed: Grapes, that is!) – Cecil recalls taking 10 days leave from Dent & Co. (Ed: According to Norris’ diaries this leave was taken annually in February.)
To continue working as an underpaid Clerk was impossible – however, left alone, one’s future is often decided for us!! Cecil was acquainted with Harry Beckett (ex St Andrews) whose father represented “Haig” whisky. Harry was courting Sylvia Capara (her father had a senior position in radio) who was to celebrate her 21st birthday at Bantry Court to which Cecil had been invited.
On the same day he was asked by one Holt du Toit, who sold second-hand cars for Holmes Motors, to assist in delivering three cars to Queens Road for a customer to choose from. Cecil drove one and after the customer had made a selection, a tram journey had to be made and eventually Cecil arrived at Sylvia’s party.
He confesses he has no idea of how he was struck, but the “blow” was delivered by a ‘”stunning blonde” – none other than Florence Kathleen May “Mamie” Barends! Reputedly, after all, she had previously been crowned “Miss Seapoint”.
This was the beginning of a partnership of over 50 years.
