Page 55 - Willi Distel Diary

Proofread for easier reading. Willi wrote this page in English himself.

[...] and that was done through Miss Kroger. He also seemed not much interested in the business. He had a girlfriend in Miss Ramsay, and that made things very unpleasant for the staff more than once. Speaking of her, I must say she suits him nicely: one day she can be sweet as pie, and the next day - or the next moment - you absolutely could not do anything right. It took me a long time to understand her character; though I must say her sweetheart was often the cause of the trouble. Nancy Moulder, her friend, was simply unbearable, and I was more than glad when she got the sack. Miss Kroger, a nervous little girl (the cashier), could be nice, then nasty, then nice again before an hour had passed. Mrs Russell, the woman who thought she was manageress, is a very active person - not only in her work, but also with her tongue. It was she, too, who spoke kindly to me but meant just the opposite; it took me a long time to see her for what she really was.

People: Willi Distel, Mr Villard, Miss Ramsay, Nancy Moulder, Miss Kroger, Mrs Russell

Interesting facts

The hairdressing boom. The 1920s craze for bobbed hair and the new permanent wave turned ladies' hairdressing into a booming trade, employing crowds of young women. That fashion is the world behind this busy, gossipy salon and its mostly female staff.
Jobs on a knife-edge. In the Depression years a job could vanish overnight, and "getting the sack" was a constant fear. That insecurity helps explain the sharp tempers and shifting alliances Willi found among the staff.