REACHING OUT TO THE CITY LIGHTS....CHAPTER 10

Junction of St. Paul's Terrace & Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley, 1960/70s

 

Sir Raphael and Lady Phyllis Cilento

Diane Cilento

Randall lounging in is apartment in New York's Upper East Side during the 1970s.

Before continuing to the opening of Baxter Street and the new world that was ahead of us all in the Queensland branch of the Kolotex Group of Companies, I’ll trace back over the few months leading up to the commencement of that wonderfully inspiring, energetic time. Having ended up in Panama after leaving New York, Randall jumped aboard a German cargo ship headed for Australia, working his way back home. He’d temporarily left New York where he’d been employed for some time with the New Zealand Mission to the United Nations, and then later for a short period by the British Embassy, to travel to Mexico. Making his way through the Panama Canal, en route south, and then west across the Pacific Ocean to Australia, he scrubbed rust off the deck of the cargo ship to earn his passage home to the land “Down Under”. 

After my marriage break-up Randall and I had restored our contact via mail and phone. Through the years of Randall's worldly jaunt I had remained friendly with his parents. His mother and I, in particular, were very good friends. We had been from our very first meeting back in 1963. It didn't mean I wasn't good friends with his father, but Randall’s father, who was a gentleman of the first degree, at that stage in time travelled a lot within the position he held with Queensland Railways. Being manager of the railway dining rooms and dining cars throughout Queensland, he was often away from home. Later, before retirement, he became General Manager. 

After I moved to my New Farm riverfront flat I decided I wanted to earn extra money. I gained an extra part-time job in the evenings employed in a small restaurant called “The Pelican Tavern”, owned by a Russian gentleman, Kyriol Wypow. 

Mr. Wypow had escaped the Russian Revolution around 1920, and wended his way down to Australia, ending up in Adelaide at first, before settling in Brisbane. He was a most interesting man. Never having worked in a restaurant, or similar, before, it was quite a challenge for me, but one I was keen to tackle, and conquer if possible. 

Friday and Saturday evenings I waited on the tables. From those two nights my hours grew. I often worked a couple of extra nights, sometimes more, during the week, as well, by choice. I loved what I was doing, and I enjoyed the intelligence company of Mr. Wypow. To the amusement of the diners, Mr. Wypow would place his monocle to his eye to view what was going on out in the dining area.

Mr. Wypow was married to a well-known Brisbane hairdresser, whose salon, coincidentally was a couple of floors above our previous office in Heindorff House, in Queen Street. The Wypows also lived next door to Sir Raphael and Lady Phyllis Cilento, the parents of Diane Cilento. The latter I am sure most readers will remember was at one time married to Sean Connery, who played the character of “James Bond”, before others followed in his irreplaceable footsteps (in my humble opinion). Diane later married Playwright, screenwriter, novelist, barrister, advertising executive  Anthony Shaffer. 

Anthony's twin brother, Sir Peter Shaffer is best known for his plays, "Equus" and "Amadeus". As an extra tidbit of information, Peter won an Academy Award for his screenplay of the movie, Amadeus, which was directed by Milos Foreman

Kyriol Wypow and the Tavern opened my eyes to a whole new world. The Pelican Tavern was where my interest in the food industry began in earnest. I spent a lot of time with Mr. Wypow, watching him prepare meals for his diners. I learned much from him. We conversed a lot. He and I got on so well. He was a self-taught cook, and he enjoyed my keen interest in what was going on around me.. I was immediately addicted to the restaurant business. 

Socially, my life was pretty full, as well. By that time, I had a fairly wide circle of friends. When Randall arrived back home in Brisbane, in late 1969 we picked up where we'd left off before he'd begun his American and rest of the world odyssey. Randall’s spirit remained restless however. His urge to travel hadn’t diminished. His adventures were incomplete. He’d not left his heart in San Francisco, but in New York. After about four months back home, he returned to New York, the city he loved so very much, but I had a dream of my own to help me through the upset of his second departure from my life. I placed Randall back into the deep, hidden recess in my heart, a place I had reserved especially for him. 

The emerging plans of our Queensland office and the joint marketing enterprise were coming into fruition. Fortunately, I had little time to wallow in my own self-pity and heartache. As before, I kept my emotions and feelings private, deciding to put all my energies fervently into the gigantic task ahead of me. After all, during the preceding years, John, my boss, and I had spent many hours discussing our dream of joint marketing. Now it was within our reach. Much had to be achieved to get if off the ground, up and running successfully. It was not only that we had put our dream on the line, a lot was at stake. We now had an extra fourteen people who were our responsibility. They had joined us in our exciting endeavour. It was imperative that it be successful. 

Once again, I had bidden farewell to Randall as he boarded his return flight to the States. Turning swiftly on my heels, I strode determinedly towards my new world, leaving the past behind me. 

Gathering together our eager, new bunch of “troops”, we were ready to “open our doors” by the time the New Year had come and gone. All decorations, fittings and fixtures were completed. The warehouse was stocked to its limit and more. Paddy, the head store-man, was diligently instructing his “boys”, with me busy interviewing, hiring and training the clerical staff. The Glo International showroom beamed proudly. Its glistening glass shelves and brass fittings adorned with its metal showpieces. Men and women’s wear, displayed prominently and decoratively in the Rogtex showroom, were ready for the first buyers to step through its doors. The concertina doors were closed between the Rogtex and Kolotex showrooms enabling each showroom to stand alone when needed, displaying its wares. The building, its interior and the warehouse were ready. John and I, along with the rest of the staff, were crouched at the starting line, waiting for the starter’s pistol. We heeded its sound. We were off and running at break-neck speeds! A commanding lot of competitors we were! 

The excitement was contagious like a virus spreading throughout the staff, but quickly came the time to knuckle down. Our dream was now a reality. The heady days of “Clings, The Girl With the Poodle On the Pack”, Kolotex’s first major entrance as high-rollers in the hosiery trade, were in the past, but definitely not forgotten. “Clings” stockings had placed Kolotex Hosiery on the map. We had now expanded that map a thousand-fold with a vigorous resolve to keep the Kolotex name foremost in the minds of the retailers and their customers. Pantyhose were taking out first spot, shifting stockings down the ladder (no pun intended). 

Head honcho, Paul Kornmehl, visited from Sydney Head Office, which was based in the Sydney suburb of Leichhardt. (During his visit he didn’t get to meet his telephone buddy). Along with Paul Kormehl, his second in charge, Eric Baruch, the head of the handbag division also visited. So did some of the other “heavies” from Sydney. Each and everyone of them were rightly impressed at what we had put together in Brisbane. 

(Announced in Sydney's Daily Telegraph....June 16, 2014 - "Leichhardt’s Kolotex site bought by Greenland Group will become apartments, loft-style dwellings and retail spaces.   Leichhardt’s Kolotex site could soon become apartments, loft-style dwellings and retail spaces but not everyone is convinced by the plan."

To be continued.....