UNIQUE POSITION.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 81, 4 March 1938, Page 11

UNIQUE POSITION.

RAILWAY SALESWOAIAN. In an office beside No. 1 platform at Paddington Station, London, there works a girl with a unique job. She is Miss Audrey Shirtliff, Britain’s first railway saleswoman. About 18 months ago tiie Great Western Railway decided that a woman’s advice and point of view would bo invaluable in arranging outings for women’s organisations and schools, and Miss Shirtliff, herself an experienced traveller, was given the job. “It is exceedingly interesting and full of variety,” she told an interviewer when he saw her in a little room high up above the station, with the noise of shunting and engine whistles as background music for the interview. She is dark and slim, with a friendly smile, which must be a great asset in her job. “One day I may have to visit a Duchess to arrange an outing for some women’s political organisation, and the next I will discuss a, mothers’ treat oyer a cup of strong tea and a bun in, a working man’s kitchen.” “What are ■ the most necessary qualifications lor your job?” she was asked. “Adaptability and tact,” she replied. “And, of'course, a clear grasp of detail. Sometimes people write and ask me to give them a choice of' several outings, with particulars of fares, times and catering arrangements, and it takes hours of research and inquiries before I can answer the letters.”