Jane Caldow – A family business

Jane: Well, there was my mother, my grandmother and my mother’s brother and her sister.

Simon: I see.

Jane: So, it was a family business.

Simon: So, four family, ok. And had they … the other parts of the family had shops around beforehand as well?

Jane: No, it was always concentrated on that one, so my aunt would have been in business, went into the business in Totland with my grandmother when she was a teenager. When my mother was older, she went into the business. My uncle did different things but he was also a Director as well.

Simon: So, it was your grandmother that was the sort of originator of the idea of Retailing women’s clothes.

Jane: Yes, who came back to the Island and yes, had the Totland Bay business originally and then Yarmouth, yeah.

Simon: So, that move to that building in Ryde, huge risk actually, commitment …

Jane: Well, today looking … yes, yes.

Simon: … for sure.

Jane: I think it was already a Retailers because there used to be … you know when it was all done up when the business was finally sold and converted into flats where it is now and just the ground floor is the Retail and Charity shops and things, the first floor windows were these beautiful etched glass windows which had sort of ‘Ladies Outfitters’ and stuff so if you look at some old photos of the ‘80s of that you will see those beautiful windows. What happened to the windows I don’t know.