Over the past few years I have "Googled"  the name Mac Fisheries and have only  come across little or of no consequence items about the Company. I even telephoned Unilever House on the London Embankment at Blackfriars to see if they had a history /research dept with information about Mac Fisheries, they never got back to me.

 
This week and by chance and for no apparent reason I re googled the name and came up with your site, which I understand you only formulated last April. Although you never worked for the Company all credit to you for putting this organisation back in the history books. With over 400 shops at its peak Mac Fisheries was quite a large employer and should be recognised for that.

 
 
 About myself:

 
My name is Ian Moore and I will be 70 years old this year. I lived in Lower Clapton, London E5 and at the age of 14 and half I left school. In 1954 my first job was with Mac Fisheries (the shop was then named Charles Dean Stoke Newington London N16) it was re branded around 1955/6 and like many other shops during this period, into  a new modern style yellow and blue colour exterior and interior edifice . The interior was fully tiled crisp and clean looking. Indecently, My Father was a Fish Porter in Billingsgate and then went to manage another unbranded Mac Fisheries shop called I think ,John Hancock in Kingsland High Road Dalston  London  E8.

 
My first manager was Mr Ron Rumbold. My initial daily duties, being the newest member of staff was to clean. gut a prepare loads of either haddock and herring for curing, which I did at the rear of the shop. We had brine tubs and a smoke house. I then upgraded to the shop selling staff. In those days, well before calculators, checkouts, scanning machines.etc, we had mechanical scales and had to calculate the total price of accrued items in our heads, and at that time it was pounds, shillings and pence.

 
My other duties were that of delivery boy, no vans, but a delivery bicycle , which I was very proud of, it was liveried up in the Mac Fisheries colours. I delivered on a daily basis through sun, rain, snow, fog and sleet. That was service for you in those days.

 
I did attend the Reading Training School on a couple of occasions, the address which you were requesting was  Castle Hill, Reading I do not remember the number. I also have a similar group photo  like the two on your site, somewhere, with myself included, I will send copy when found.  Being only in my early teens, travel as it is known today, was basically unheard of except day trips to the nearest coast, mine was Southend. By going to Reading it gave me  a great opportunity and experience to meet up and become friends with guys of your own age and in the same jobs and from different backgrounds and from diverse parts of the UK, we were basically a band of brothers. Some of the faces in the photographs are familiar but I cannot remember their names, however I would like to meet up with some of them - if they are still around. I  do recall some of the instructors

 
Mac Fisheries had a large depot in Finsbury Park, London N7, I think they used to service all the lorries there, I know they repaired and re painted my bike from there. The two Austin cars in the photo could have belonged to area directors; I seem to recall that our area manager drove a Morris Minor and his boss an Austin like the ones in the picture.
 

Whilst I write this the memories of over 50 years ago start rushing back to me.

 
I only stayed with the company for about three years, after which I left to pursue another career; I will keep looking at this site and hope at sometime to make contact with some of my peers.
 

Unfortunately I do not have any memorabilia, but I will look on eBay from time to time, and if I see anything that is interesting will purchase and donate to your site.

 
Best wishes    

Ian Moore

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Some history of this building

The building is a grade 2*  listed site that is now split into 4 sections, it was originally built in 1734 and was the Kings Arms/Coaching Inn serving the Bath to London road. 

In 1796 the government requisitioned the Inn as a hostel for French clergy. It was transformed to accommodate more than 340 Norman priests.
On Sundays and Holy days there were Masses from five in the morning until noon. Benediction was celebrated every evening. The hotel's assembly room was used as the chapel and is said to have been capable of accommodating up to 400 worshippers.

 

A more upto date view of 154-160 Castle Hill, Reading.

 

 

The east wing section (which I suspect Macs occupied) is No 154 and the west section is 160 with even Nos in between.
The west section was Readings town Library during the 1920s and 30s.

 

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Two fun photos of Mac Fisheries staff in the classroom at this Reading training centre. c1950

 

The gent on the left is Peter Clark of the Chesterfield branch

 

 

 

Wow!!! is that a machete he's using as a blackboard pointer.

Link to Peter Clark.

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