Mrs. J.C. Altham

1868-1952

A woman of substance. Left a widow in 1904 by John Carr Altham, with three children all under six years old. No banks in the area would lend a woman money. A good friend in Ireland lent her the money to get the business back on its feet.

With hard work and her acumen and tenacity, the business flourished. To make extra money, the children slept in the cellar and all of the bedrooms above the shop were used for Bed and Breakfast.

Hard work, she always said, never hurt anyone. Her spirit and determination were unquenchable. She did not tolerate slackers in her business. She often found that errand boys were too slow and was determined to find a fast one.

She organised a race on pedal bikes along the promenade. The first one back to the pier received a cup and a job in the butcher's shop! Her motto to her staff: "Pull hard my lads. We'll win the day"