Interview with Marcus Gatenby (89) of Ovingham. Recorded in March 2015
Whilst Marcus had an active war, this interview drew for its focus the circumstances that brought him to the North East.
Marcus was born in Portsmouth in 1925 where he attended a local elementary school until he was 14. His mother had passed away when he was 7; he had a sister nine years older. When he reached his 14th birthday his father purchased him a suit with long trousers so he could go out into the world of work.
His first job was with an estate agent in Portsmouth, where he also joined the Sea Scouts. He worked for the estate agents for three years until he joined the Royal Navy in January 1942. His first posting was to HMS Royal Arthur, based in what was Butlins Camp in Skegness, where he spent six months in training, learning about wireless communications and visual signals. He served in a trawler, converted to a minesweeper, and also found himself involved in the ‘D’ Day activities, eventually being de-mobbed in Devonport.
Back in ‘civvy street’ Marcus turned to work as a salesman, selling clothing for two months before joining WH Smiths in Portsmouth, where he worked for seven years. During this time he spent a lot of time travelling, and was given a car, carrying out stock taking and relieving local managers, finding himself in different digs every two weeks.
Then he received a job offer from Maxwells, on the Shields Road in Byker, Newcastle, who sold bespoke clothing. There he met his wife, Sarah, who came from Byker. Maxwells eventually closed their Shields Road branch and Marcus had to work from their Stockton branch. This he decided was not what he wanted to do and he found work with Blaylocks Department Store on East Bridge Street in Newcastle where he managed the tailoring department. He was then approached by Mr Parrish who had a shop on the Shields Road. Marcus had a one-hour meeting with Jeffrey Parrish with Marcus telling him why he deserved a pay rise, and Mr Parrish telling him why he didn’t!
A Robert Turner who lived in Prudhoe took over the Co-op in Riding Mill and Marcus met with him and discovered that a Mr D J Rowcastle, owner of Appleby in Prudhoe (which had been there for 100 years), needed a manager. Marcus had an interview and was offered the job at twice his current salary, a car and membership of the pension scheme and he began work for Appleby’s in 1969 at age 44. He stayed with Appleby until 1987 when the shop was sold. Marcus tells of the history around the sale of the shop – how a price was agreed but the new purchaser had seven years to decide. The agreed price was £7000 and the new owner eventually sold the premises and business for £67,000.
Marcus tells how he enjoyed working at Applebys where they sold clothing for the whole family, school uniforms and other household goods. He tells us about the different departments, some of his colleagues and a little about the accounts. He used to represent Appleby at various trade shows across the Country, especially those in London and Harrogate. Those were also the heydays of the travelling salesmen and Marcus dealt with all who visited the shop.
The original Appleby shop was destroyed by fire with the local council paying for the rebuild. However, they retained ownership of the first 3ft of the shop front from the street into the shop and the 1st floor. It was retained by them for any future road widening. Customers would go to Newcastle to look at the clothing they wanted but more often than not returned to purchase at Appleby. However, with the opening of the Metro Centre local trade in clothing was killed off and Applebys eventually closed. Marcus talks a little about other shops that existed during those years in Prudhoe, telling us that the now Co-op was the bowling green, and of Café Quazi, located where the Windsor Bakery was.
When Marcus retired, he and Sarah followed their passion of dogs and found themselves showing their dogs, winning a rosette for one of them at Crufts. Today Marcus is still an active member of the community, including membership secretary of the History Society.
Interview With Marcus Gatenby
Marcus sadly passed away on 12 February 2021.