Early Team Memories


The Key members of our magic team:

BARRY CLEMENTS – in my opinion, the best ever Operations Man in the country and a real people’s person. He never asked a person to do something that he wouldn’t have done himself. Sadly, he passed away a few years ago quite tragically, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.



In Barry Clements' honour, this plaque now stands inside the entrance to the Gateway branch of Game, just on the left as you enter.

To view this photo in a larger size, point your cursor anywhere on the picture and click.


TREVOR FALKSON- a dedicated person who understood retail and merchandising to the “N”th degree and would ensure that all ideas and directives from Alan and Jack were carried out properly.

CHRIS BURLOCK. I can’t say enough good things about her and if it were possible to open a dictionary and look up the saying, “THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX” there’d be a note simply saying, “Refer Chris Burlock”. Everything to do with marketing and advertising was Chris Burlock and she was the very best and way ahead of the rest of the market. Chris had come up with the name Game, the logo design, the slogan as well as all the departments’ names and logos.

ERNA VAUSE was the best ever admin person in SA and with Jack’s guidance always readily available ensured that game always ran a good, efficient set of books which was the envy of the trade. Erna is still working successfully for Pick ‘n Pay and will be retiring soon.

We had a really good core group of a Merchandisers which included Mike Woodley (Clothing – Men & Boys), EB Lockhat (Kitchenware & Housewares), Julian Ellman (Toys and Outdoor and later Majors and TV Game), Peter Blair (Candy) and myself (Auto, Tools, Personal Care, Hardware, Paint, Car Sounds, Photographic, Records)
Trevor also did the Small and Large Appliances buying.

Jack also did the Linen and Candy dept in the early days.

Alan and Jack used to instil in us all many little things that meant so much.

“Don't EXPECT, INSPECT!”

Many people from all over South Africa and many parts of the world also added their memories about those special people, Alan and Jack, and those special days. The only reason I left Game when I did was because I just got married and had only had 7 days’ holiday leave in 5 years which clearly wasn’t good. Alan had by then left to immigrate to the USA and I thought it was a good time to make the break. I left with a heavy heart and unfortunately after that Game was never the same.

I had the dubious pleasure of re-joining Game 9 years later in 1984 when they were making HUGE losses, reducing from 14 to 11 branches. In 1988 Jonathan Beare bought the Beares company, which included Game, and put in 3 key people to run the company – Terry Rosenburg (MD), Ian Deetliff (FD) and Peter Granat (Merchandise Director) and it is my opinion that the people who should take credit for Game being what we see today are all deceased and they are:

Alan Hellmann, Jack Schaffer and Peter Granat. 

Sadly, all three died before they grew old.

I couldn’t have done this all on my own so I’ve contacted as many people as possible for their own contribution and thoughts. They have written their own personal memories and you can read it all on the various pages.

2 comments:

  1. Congratulations Bernard for this quality narrative and your heart warming recollection of an amazing chapter in my life whilst working with an extraordinarily talented, high energy team at Game Smith Street! For me it taught me about people, a gift I still cherish today. Thank you for sharing this happy piece of history. Martin Deale (Team member in 1971)

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