I joined Crawford Productions in 1971, working briefly as secretary to Marjorie Keen and Fred Gray in Personnel Department at 475 Collins Street before Hector's secretary Victoria Slorah returned to the U.K. and I was asked by Hector if I would take her place.
And so commenced nearly two decades of working alongside the visionary Hector Crawford and his talented team. I don't think a day went by in all those years when I did not look forward to going to the office. Pity it isn't like that today!
Where do I start? The 70's and 80's were great years for Australian television. Hector would be saddened at the demise of Australian television production today. I was witness to the birth of many great productions during my time and would listen in fascination as storylines were plotted, casting discussed or locations surveys planned. Where else would I get a job as interesting as this while bashing away on a typewriter (in those days) and taking shorthand! I absolutely loved it. They were indeed the best days of my life.
Hector had so many working for him I think it was sometimes difficult to remember names. One day he asked to see the actor Tom Richards in his office at Abbotsford. Tom was announced and went in. Some time after Hector came out of his office, shut the door behind him and asked me who the actor was sitting in his office. Revenge was taken some time later however when Hector went on one of his overseas visits. On the due date back at the office a huge banner was hung over the front entrance which read "Welcome Back...er, Fella". Anyone Hector could not remember by name would be called fella.
After Crawfords was sold in 1987 I worked with Ian Bradley who came in to run the company. However, shortly after, Ian returned to Grundy Television and asked me if I would join him in Sydney as his PA, which I did until 1996 when I returned to Melbourne. I haven't found my niche since those halcyon years of television. I have worked as PA to the principal of a private girl's school, then as an assistant to a forensic psychologist, followed by a stint as PA to principal of a head hunting firm and finally found myself trying to sell shoes at Peter Sheppard Footwear. I was totally wrong for THAT role but am now working in the office at Peter Sheppard Footwear doing a multitude of admin tasks.
I have maintained friendships over the years with many of those who I worked with during my time at Crawfords, and thanks to Garry Hardman and his superb website have since re-discovered work colleagues I have not seen in nearly 30 years. What a bonus!
Hector and Glenda Crawford were extremely generous with their friendship towards me. I will always remember them with love, affection and gratitude. It was a great privilege to know them and work for them.
I'm told I still look much the same as way back then, nice to hear! Can't boast about any marriages or divorces in my past!
Thank you to all those who have remained friends over the past 30 years and to those I have recently re-discovered.
Love from Anne
March 2006