Ann Shaw – a perfect fit for the Uniform Shop A fter nearly 30 years at Christ’s College, Uniform Shop Manager Ann Shaw has hung up her last school blazer and kitted out her final student. Ann arrived at College in 1994, working part-time in the Dining Hall and eventually managing the busy Tuck Shop while continuing to do deliveries by truck for Bush Road Salads and bringing up three children. However, in 2007, she was asked to consider a new role that oversaw an important element of school life. “I was asked whether I would consider a very different College role in the Uniform Shop, so I decided to give it a go,” she recalls. In those days, the shop in Gloucester Street was only open from 12.30–2pm, Monday to Friday, and on Saturday mornings. However, in 2010, Ann found herself taking on a much bigger retail position after Ballantynes ceased to sell school uniforms. “We took over from Ballantynes, selling the complete school uniform. Prior to that, we only supplied the sports uniforms from Canterbury. So, my role changed again, and I took on the extra responsibility of also ordering every item. The switch to being a major uniform supplier also necessitated a move to longer retail hours.”
The following year brought more change for the site, with the earthquakes damaging the entrance stairway and the Uniform Shop being accessed via Condell’s House for some time. “However, it was business as usual to ensure that we could provide uniforms,” Ann says. In tandem, she has also continued to be a member of the Uniform Committee, which approves any new items or special leavers’ clothing items. During her many years of managing the Uniform Shop, Ann has met – and helped – “many wonderful boys and parents”. “In Year 9, when you first meet the boys, they are very quiet, but by the end of Year 10, they have found their feet and are occasionally a bit more challenging to deal with. However, by the end of Year 11 going into
Year 12, they are very nice, polite young men. “We also have had to deal with some extremely tall boys who play basketball, and many different shapes, as we find the right fit for each boy. We also must occasionally remind the boys that it is a school uniform and not a fashion item as they try to squeeze into a size that is a bit tight or simply too small.” Now it is time to shut the Uniform Shop door one final time and spend more time with her family and friends – along with caring for grandchildren – while “finding something to do just for me, and potentially travelling overseas”. “I have enjoyed my time and working with colleague Ange Bosworth. We have had a good work relationship, and a unique way about us, and I will miss that. I have had a wonderful time at College and really have loved my job.”
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