MEMORIES OF HOWELLS
IT has been an institution in Cardiff for more than 150 years.
Howells in St Mary Street is one of Wales’ best known department stores – but this week came the devastating news that it would close its doors for the final time early next year.
For some, however, the faces working within the store have become almost as iconic as the building itself – and none more so than the sight of twins Michael and Howard Jones.
Identical by sight and clad in matching uniforms, for the siblings what would become a lifetime’s love affair with the store started in the same manner it would finish four decades later – side by side.
Aged 17 the brothers were even interviewed together in the same room, fresh from finishing their learning at Cardiff High School.
Such is their status that now, 50 years later, they are spotted on a daily basis by old colleagues and customers and have been recognised as far away as Spain as the “Howells brothers”.
“We went to the same interview,” Michael, now 59, said.
“Mrs Jenkins was the personnel manager and she interviewed us at the same time, which was quite unusual.
“It was our first interview, they liked us and we liked them, and it worked out well.”
From that day in 1976 the twins began a journey which would see them take on managerial roles in nearly every department – with the exception of womenswear.
While Michael took on menswear, electrical, homeware and eventually the food court, Howard’s path saw him move from the TV department to lighting, soft furnishing, and back to television before commandeering the entire basement level of Howells.
“People wouldn’t believe I had a twin. Half the time they would think it was just me but in a different department,” said Michael, who retired six years ago.
Howard, who retired only last April, added: “People would say ‘How did you get up there or back there so quickly?’ Some people would believe us, some wouldn’t. We had a bit of fun with that.”
Despite their status, though, no hard feelings ever arose between the young men hun-
gry for success.
Testament to that is the fact that even after working 40 years together the brothers continue to live under the same roof in Llanishen and are enjoying their retirement together.
“We were competitive but not competitive with each other,” Michael said.
“We were never in the same department so we could take time off together and go on holiday.”
Back in the heyday of the twins’ careers, Howells, dubbed by some as the “Harrods of Cardiff”, was a very different place.
Opening hours were limited to nine to five, reaching 7pm on a Thursday, with an in-house canteen serving hot food to employees.
In his 20 years as food court manager Howard was in charge of no fewer than 45 staff in a department which encompassed the area where Waterstones, Caffe Nero, and the luggage section of House of Fraser lies now.
He said: “I didn’t actually know much about food but was asked to go there to look after the staff and become involved in buying all the stuff in the food hall.
“We would have everything and I mean it – we would grind our own coffee, own our own chocolate, we had 130 different whiskies.
“We had a counter for cooked meats, a counter for diabetic food – the only thing we didn’t stock was dog food or washing powder.”
The winter sales would also take on a life of their own.
Howard said: “When I was in menswear we would start preparing for two weeks before to get everything done. Before we would bring things in specially like one-off TVs at low prices and new shirts. We would sell hundreds. I don’t think they do so much now.”
Meanwhile for Michael the runup to Christmas was also a feat to remember – culminating, like every other department, in a Christmas party organised by the manager.
He said: “For me it was the Christmas grotto. People would queue for an hour or more to get in – that’s how popular it was.
“Christmas can still make or break a store or even a company.”
With technology progressing over the years, for the twins other fads and crazes came and went – and none more so than the rush for the first video recorder.
Michael, who headed the television department at the time, said: “When video recorders came out they were very rare.
“When they first came out we could only get three in store. They became massive. I remember the first guy I sold one to was a restaurant owner.”
At that time such was the glamour of Howells that celebrities of the day became a norm to those working behind its doors.
According to the pair Sir Tom Jones and his wife Linda, rugby player Gareth Edwards, and the cast of Gavin and Stacey were some of the regular faces to name a few.
Despite the prestige of some customers, service remained the same for everyone and formed a core part of the staff mentality, they said.
“I served Tom Jones and his wife a couple of times and the likes of Gareth Edwards but we just served them as normal,” Michael said.
“Just because they were celebrities there doesn’t mean you could change tune from one to another. It didn’t make a difference.
“When a customer came in you would give them 110% attention and take as much money as possible based on what people could afford.”
Howard added: “Howells was always the sort of place that would help people out. It was just such a friendly place.
“People have been there a long time – other people have been there 20 years, 30 years, but not many people were there for 40 years.”
For those who joined Michael and Howard over the years one theme runs through all their memories – the glamour and joy the work brought.
Former employee Michelle Aspey said: “I had a Saturday job working in the cafe upstairs many years ago. Some of the older customers used to leave us tips but you had to be quick collecting them because they’d sometimes get taken by other customers!”
Meanwhile, Tracy Lintern’s first job was working in the department store when she was 16 and she can remember some celebrity customers.
“I had applied for a couple of different positions but was offered an interview in the Wallis department of the store where I met Louise the manager who offered me my first ever job as a Saturday sales assistant,” she said.
“I loved it – the store was vibrant and exciting, it was buzzing with people.”