Hi Chris. You always look dapper in your suits. Do you always wear them?
I was born in London and my family was evacuated from London to a little village called Harpole. All we had with us were little gas masks and a small case with pajamas. That was it, that’s all we had.
When we arrived there were 47 other children who had evacuated London. People would come and look at the children and say, “she’s pretty, she’ll be good in the kitchen, he looks strong, I’ll take him.”
By 1 am we were still there and someone came over and asked why we hadn’t left. I was always quite outspoken and I replied, “we’re not pretty enough or strong enough so no one wants us”.
I was given a suit by a rich family, before that everything I owned had holes in them.
I was granted a scholarship to a grammar school and to Wellingborough Boarding School and we wore suits there too. I had wanted to become a doctor but ended up going directly into the army. Again a suit.
After leaving the army I worked as a cinema manager, where once again I was required to wear a suit. My job was to paint the windows to promote the shows, which I was quite good at. I ended up working at the Savoy, which was a much bigger cinema (six and a half thousand seats). I was approached by the Vauxhall Motor Motor Company to work as an entertainment manager so I gave notice at the The Rank Organisation. When I arrived at Vauxhall Motors, there were pickets. They had just laid off 10,000 men and I had to limp home. It was 1957, everyone had lost their jobs.
I ended up talking my way into a job at a local shop by offering to work for free for two weeks and in return, I would double the takings, which I did. We ended up moving to bigger premises with multiple levels. I remember one day there was a lady with a baby and a basket struggling to get to the register and I thought, ‘we need something like a double pram where you can put the baby and the shopping. I had a friend help me to design it. It’s the same design they use today.
When did you move to Australia?
I was headhunted by Woolworths to manage Big W and came to Australia with my wife and children in 1969. Nothing came of the management role so I worked at Nancarrows in Burwood and eventually went into real estate, selling blocks of land to people in Australia and overseas.
What an interesting and varied career. Did you have time to pursue any other interests?
Singing, painting, and photography. I started my singing career while I was an evacuee. I joined the Baptist Church choir. They put a dress on me, I looked like Lady Diana, I couldn’t read, couldn’t read music, I learned from listening to the others.
My partner Viv and I also started Hoppers Gallery in Maldon which we open on Wednesdays and weekends. We’re both artists and wanted a place to share local artists’ works.
What are you reading at the moment?
Art books and Biggles Flies to Work.
What genre of music do you enjoy?
Anything from rock and roll to grand opera, but I can appreciate all music (except heavy metal).
What philosophy do you live life by?
As an evacuee, I was taught to stand on my own two feet. I’m a giver, not a taker, always out to help other people. Today is the first day of the rest of your life. There’s no such thing as can’t.
What do you love most about the place you call home?
This place was a highly guarded secret until we moved here in 2004. We were living in Melbourne and saw a nice little dirt road with a little house for sale with a beautiful view.