Young Cecil Hiddlestone, or ‘Cec’ as his name, like his brother Bert’s, would also be shortened to, didn’t care too much for school and spent all his weekends and spare time helping his older brothers out in the shop and on job sites. He was keen to join Howard and Bert and would, in years to come, play a major role in shaping the future of the family business.
Even back then, the idea of a ‘mixed business’ outlet was taking root – with Howard running his growing electrical business from premises that would later also house an automobile tyre and battery service. One half of the shopfront was for the range of car batteries, tyres and a retreading and repair services and the other side was for their electrical wiring and contracting business, with Bert overseeing the smooth running of both businesses.
In an interview Vern Hiddlestone, Cec’s son, gave to the Subiaco Historical Society in the late 1980s, Vern recalled memories of the business related to him by his father:
“Howard, Dad’s oldest brother, was interested in radio and was quite the pioneer, building some of those early valve radio sets. The brothers all loved their sport and always used to listen to the cricket broadcast from England. Howard built these major towers, at least 50 metres high, with all these insulators and wires hanging off them that he would feed into the shop so they could listen to the cricket.
“His interest in, and knowledge of radio, led him to serve as a motorcycle dispatch rider in the Army during WWI. He was a Sapper who was attached as a signaller in the famous 10th Light Horse, while his father and my grandfather, Albert was a Corporal who served in Egypt.
“When he returned from the war, he used the radio repair skills learned in the Army to add a radio repair service as part of the electrical business he opened in 1920.
“Dad said that, as the company grew, they added more ‘luxurious’ transport to their work fleet – a Model T Ford and an old Chrysler. Apparently, the place was always pretty busy. In response to growing demand from automobile drivers, they also set up a battery business that proved very popular.”
Pictured: Young Cec with sister Isabel holding radio aerials built by brother Howard, listening to early radio
Excerpt from our book: ‘100 Not Out’ by Ross Addison
