Simpsons of Piccadilly

I worked at Simpsons in 1965 for four months my 'gap year' before going to college. Then I worked there during the summer holidays until 1969 when I left college. There were lots of other students there who did that and came back regularly to work in the holidays. I worked all over the shop including the famous lifts and said 'Going Up' just like in the sit.com. The Celebrity world came into my lift, including the tennis stars of yester year for whom Simpsons threw an annual party. I was told by a waiter, when I went back to visit Simpsons in 1981 that the tennis stars had stopped coming when their earnings increased dramatically.
I worked behind the scenes in Mens suits, doing clerical work for alterations. Once I was asked to pack a suit for a waiting customer and did not know how, so packed it in the box jumbled up anyhow. He must have been surprised when he got it home! There were lots of departments in Simpsons - an Ex Servicement's Club,a Travel Agency, a Stag Bar selling ornaments, a cigerette counter, where I showed Richard Wattis a cigarette case. I remember that it was a nightmare to open up in the morning with a massive bunch of keys all opening different cupboards.I used to panic! Most of the time I worked as a restaurent cashier,initially before the make over by David Hicks. There was the Clover Room and the Madison Bar and lots of Celebrities came there too eg Sid James, Dick Emery, David Jacobs. In the Barbers shop, where I was sometimes sent as relief cashier, I took money from James Callaghan, befor he became PM. In 1966 the Winter of Discontent was a decade away. Does any one else remember working at or shopping at Simpsons ? It would be nice to leave a comment below

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