Radio 4
Home Truths
Listen Again
About John Peel
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Daughter & Co Sally Halon inherited the family textile firm in Manchester when her father died. Her sole employee is her mother, Estelle Hakim. Sally and Estelle explain the pros and cons of working with a member of your own family... The company was started at the turn of the last century, by Estelle's husband's grandfather who came over from Syria to do business in Manchester. At that time, women weren't involved in the workplace, so it comes as a surprise to Estelle that after her husband's death, she's now working in the family business. "My husband was a one man band and not very tolerant of ladies - I gave up in the end." When Sally returned to Manchester with her husband and children, the story was different. She decided to get involved in the business, and after her father died, she became found herself in charge, "I'm the boss - technically," she says. "But she is my mother - so there's a conflict of interest here! We don't fall out like you might do with an office colleague. As mother and daughter we don't bear any grudges, and we just move on." Sally admits that at times it can be claustrophobic, and Estelle is more than a little perplexed by the computer, but they both rate their mother and daughter working relationship a success. Estelle puts it down to their need for each other, "For me it's been a life-saver since my husband died. I always say it kept me off the shrink's couch!" Looking back to Sally's great grandfather, the founder of the company, Estelle reckons he'd be horrified that women were running the business, "They were very firm about women's place was - and it certainly wasn't in the office - except to clean it!"  | |
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