Marlene Tolley’s early career was at H Pack & Co, where she worked from 1952 to 1955. Marlene joined the store at the age of 15 after her father arranged the job through a golf acquaintance.

Her experience at Packs revolved around rigorous customer service, maintaining high standards of presentation, and adhering to strict professionalism, from wearing specific seasonal uniforms to ensuring store displays and stock were immaculate.

She started as a junior staff member and gradually gained more responsibility, such as serving customers and participating in fashion shows organised by the store. Marlene’s memories emphasise the store’s attention to detail, including covering displays with dust sheets, rotating stock and ensuring impeccable presentation for every item. She recalled how prestigious it was to work there, how senior staff would guide juniors and how staff were expected to address each other formally by surnames.

Marlene also modelled in the store’s fashion shows, an exciting opportunity for her at a young age. After her time at Packs, she went on to work in her father’s pub, applying the high standards and customer service skills she learned at Packs.

Throughout her career, Marlene carried forward the lessons she learned in maintaining professionalism, customer care and attention to detail, which shaped her work ethic.