Beauty Calling

Story contd.

Much as I loved having children I was beginning to lose my identity. I felt I was little more than an adjunct - a mother to the boys, a wife to William (not a very good one at that) and a chatelaine to the house. Domesticity was deadly dull. Time to kick against the pricks.

I answered an advertisement for Beauty Counsellors – in the local rag - and a charismatic, large lady called Pamela descended on me. The idea was to sell make-up to individuals in their own home – probably similar to the Avon ladies. The would - be counsellor was first of all given a make up by her trainer who would either be a Zone which meant she had counsellors in her zone or a District which meant she had her own zones. Pamela was a District and I was to join lots of other women who had been trained by her.

I enjoyed the make up and appreciated the fact that the ingredients were pure. There was an icy- cold pink cream called Dinner Party Pick up which I was assured the Duke of Windsor absolutely loved on his feet. I had to pay for the smart grey make up box. And after a few more sessions with Pamela I was ready for business. It was right up my street- I loved helping people to make the best of themselves and could get quite messianic about skin care. What I didn’t like was the hard sell to people who were hard up. One of my client’s husbands used to greet me at the door shouting

‘Alice it’s Beauty!’

After a while Pamela made me a zone so I could start recruiting my own counsellors.

I was good at recruiting – I recognised the bored housewife syndrome and we all became inspired and enthused. Above Pamela was Zed- a regular power-house married to an ex Spitfire Pilot and we had regular official get- togethers with lunch and wine and targets and rewards. All those lonely housewives suddenly had a scintillating social life and even earned a few pence.

One of the women I recruited – Mary – became a close friend. She was a decade older with just one daughter and as we enjoyed each other’s company we would often do demonstrations together. One afternoon we were working in a Kent village hall and almost all of the women wanted a free make –up. By the end of the session we were exhausted, the women were looking distinctly more presentable and we sold about half a dozen lip-sticks. Over a cup of tea we commiserated with each other.

Pat ‘Wouldn’t it be great to have a shop where people came to you to buy?’

Mary ‘Funny you should say that, I’ve got a friend down in Worthing I’d like you to meet.’

William told me about Alan – an army officer he was working with. Alan was married to a divorcee and they had a small child together. William thought it would be good to have them for dinner. He was a sweetie and Bette was a lively Australian actress who was ‘resting’ whilst her daughter was a toddler. She was very interested in my modelling past and persuaded me to join a theatre club. Although we weren’t kindred spirits; I looked after her daughter so she could have a week-end in Paris with Alan and a week later she was telling my mother what a wonderful time they had had. Mum asked if they had taken the little girl with them.

Bette: No a very dear friend looked after her. Now who was it?

No kidding! Shades of Marta!

However I shall always be grateful to her as she made me join the theatre club where I made many great friends, learned a hell of a lot and had some fantastic experiences – with both laughter and tears.

I was put to work at once. Bette was starring in ‘The Summer of the Seventeenth Doll’ - an Australian play so she was well suited. I was to assist Pete the producer, (who worked in television) and do props which included the seventeen dolls, one of which was destroyed each evening

Being thrown in at the deep end you might say.

Meanwhile Mary had made a date for us to visit her friend in Worthing. What was that all about?