Here is the whole firm at The Cadena Cafe, Regency Rooms, Cornmarket Street (**), Oxford, on Saturday 16th March, 1957, about 100 years from when James Archer (click on his name to go to his image) began his pony and trap carrier business to Abingdon, and (in 1957), I would say, in its second heyday, of petrol and diesel-engined vans (as compared with the horse-and-steam-drawn era of James Archer). And it’s actually 58 years this year (5th August 2015) after 1957 as I type up these notes on my computer. And, (added 7.3.17): as far as I know, there never was another such gathering of the whole family firm. This was an occasion without precedent. Twenty-four years after William Archer (WGRA) had bought out (in 1933) James Archer’s partners, Mack Cowley and Richard Rippington, at the ends of their very long careers with the firm. By 1957, WGRA was himself aged 57+22 = 79 years, and still ‘Governing Director’ and nominally and possibly actually in charge of it all, and continued thus for part if not all of the remaining 12 years until the sale of the business to Cantays. Hence, perhaps, the ultimate fate of the business.
(**) In those days, I remember, Cornmarket Street was surfaced with blue rubber bricks to absorb vibrations (though its modern-commercially-used buildings seemed to me to be less in need of such protection than much of the rest of Oxford. The Cadena was on the west side of Cornmarket Street (the same side as Carfax Tower, and about 100 to 200 yards north of Carfax).
So who can we see here, in particular? Well, firstly, isn’t it nice that the photographer (perhaps from the “Oxford Times”, as they have a reporter there, last-but-one in the nearest row to the camera) does not have the top table people shown more prominently than the rest? I will pick out the names I know, from those listed in the table plan (click here to go to the table plan):
First row, nearest the camera: (L to R):
A. Cudd;
(This is Alec Cudd, also seen in the Archer Cowley publicity postcard showing packing cases marked for export. He was the senior figure in the export packing function of the firm, and he was also, I believe, the father of Bernard Cudd, four places along in the same row. I believe Alec worked for AC & Co many years);
Mrs Roberts:
(Perhaps this lady is a friend/relation of Alec Cudd);
Mrs J.Bennett;
(This is the wife of Jack Bennett);
J. Bennett:
(This is Jack Bennett, a foreman and driver, with whom I occasionally worked during summer holiday periods, on the vans);`
A.Boscott;
(This is Arthur Boscott, a foreman and driver, with whom I also occasionally worked during summer holiday periods, on the vans. He was known amongst the men as “the rusher” for his tendency to underestimate the time left to complete a day’s work, and thus to drive himself (and his men I suspect) harder than was strictly necessary;)
B. Cudd:
(This is Bernard Cudd, another foreman and driver, with whom I occasionally worked during summer holiday periods, on the vans. The apocryphal story about Bernard was that he was always elsewhere when the lady of the house decided that she wanted the grand piano moved upstairs.)
R.J. Owen (Oxford Times);
(I trust I have a copy of his report in the Oxford Times of this august even, but I’m not sure that I have); (Added 16.3.17): Yes, there’s a copy in the Archer Cowley scrapbook and history album (click here to go to it);
Miss A. Archer;
(This is my cousin Anne, third daughter and sixth [youngest] child of Arthur and Rosie Archer, who are the last couple on the right on the top table). I gather from Anne’s son Peter (whose daughter Olivia was christened in 2011) that his mother was then unwell, and I have no further word on the subject. (Updated 16.3.17): Anne died 9th October 2016, aged 80 - funeral 20th October at Oxford crematorium;
Mrs A. Archer;
(This is ‘’Mrs Arthur Archer” ie Arthur Archer’s wife, Rosie, mother of Anne Archer,and in the photograph she is on the top table);
Second row, other side of the table from the row nearest the camera: (L to R):
R.Moore;
Mrs R. Moore;
P. Nye;
(This is Philip Nye, who worked on the vans, but I know nothing else about him);
Mrs Nye;
Mrs Verney;
S. Verney;
Mrs B. Archer;
(This is Molly, wife of my cousin Brian, who (Brian) was born quite a few years before me, and they were married not long before 1957. I have never met Molly, but her sister-in-law (Brian’s brother Roland’s wife, Rosemarie) always speaks admiringly of her);
B. Archer;
(This is my cousin Brian, twin of his brother John - two boys after two girls (Eileen and Pam). Brian and John worked for AC & Co on the vans for a while, as indeed I did in the 1950s, as a holiday job. I don’t know whether they ever intended to progress upwards within the firm, and now that I would like to ask, it is too late, because they both died many years ago. Brian and Molly lived in Newbury for many years); John and his (Italian) wife Grace Monteleone, lived in Australia, and John died long before his brother Brian;
Third row, near side of the second table from the camera: (L to R):
A. Kerry;
(This is Arthur Kerry, who worked on the vans, but I know nothing else about him);
L. Denton;
(I assume that L.Denton worked on the vans, but I do not recall the name);
A. Lindsey;
(I recollect that A. Lindsey worked on the vans)
Miss P. Bull;
Mrs Bull;
(Mrs Bull worked in the office. Perhaps she was a typist and/or general office assistant. She was a longish-standing name ‘on the strength’ at the Park End Street office); [In connection with Mrs Bull, my memory brings up the name Peter Reynolds (a singer?), and my mother, Gwen, knew all the relevant details, but these things have slipped. I need to ask my brother Michael about this (6.8.15).
Miss J. Tully;
(I assume that Miss Tully was an office assistant or typist. I do not remember seeing her name before, so perhaps she was relatively new in 1957 and perhaps also did not stay very long);
Mrs Cox;
(This is Ray Cox’s wife);
R. Cox;
(This is Ray Cox, who was in charge of wages. One summer I was employed to deal with the wages during Ray’s holiday.)