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DICKER, John Stuart (1913-1942) died on 17 September 1942, aged 29, while serving with the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in Malta. He was the son of Harry and Ethel May Dicker and the husband of Joan Margaret Sheila Dicker, of Ealing, west London. John Dicker (known as Jack) attended the Penarth County School when his father (Harry Dicker) was District Manager of the Tea and Coffee Department at Cardiff. Subsequently Harry Dicker was appointed manager of the Manchester Tea and Coffee Office and John Dicker attended the Heaton Moor College there. He joined the Lyons Tea Department as a salesman and was responsible for setting up a door-to-door delivery system to compete with Ringtons Ltd who were taking market share away from Lyons in the Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Luton and Northampton areas. Not wanting this operation to be associated with the 'good' name of Lyons it operated as Barons Tea Ltd, a subsidiary of Horniman's who operated from Shepherdess Walk, London. On the outbreak of war John Dicker joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve and became a Pilot Officer with 227 Squadron. This squadron of Beaufighter aircraft was based in Malta with the objective of attacking enemy shipping in the Mediterranean but its losses were severe. John was lost on one of these sorties. He had one son, named John, who went into banking, and a brother Laurence (also a Lyons man) who survived him. A brief obituary of his death was recorded in the Lyons Mail journal of 13 April 1944 and he is commemorated both on Lyons' Second World War Memorial and Malta's Memorial.
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DEE, George Silver (1868-1938) was born in north London on 24 June 1868 and died on 23 February 1938, aged 69. As a young man he travelled to Canada and worked on the Canadian Railways. Wanting to improve himself he returned to England and took a correspondence course in accountancy. He married but shortly after giving birth to a daughter, Lassel, his wife died. In 1894 George Dee joined Lyons and became Chief Accountant and an Employee Director in 1919, a position he held until his retirement in March 1936, when he retired because of ill-health. He lived at Bagshot, Surrey, and was a neighbour of Harold Boon (ice cream Department) who lived next door. He remarried (Edith) and had four further children; George Dee Jnr., Marjorie, Winifred and Philip. Both George Dee Jnr. And Philip worked for the company and Philip was killed in the Second World War while serving with the Royal Engineers in the Lebanon. George Silver Dee was one of the founding members of the Cadby Hall Athletic Club and became Honorary Treasurer of the club and Chairman of the Rifle Section. He was very interested in cricket and billiards and was a prominent Freemason. He left a widow (Edith) and family. His grandsons, George Silver Dee and Robin Nigel Dee both gave long service to the company, George with Lyons Bakery and Robin with Lyons Maid.
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DELALOYE
Fernand, (1887-1979). Fernand Delaloye was born in Ardon - Canton Valais (French sector) on 26 April 1887 of a Swiss catering family. There are no details of his education but his first employment was a page boy at the Hotel L'Orient, Mentone, on the French Riviera. Little is known of his parents but it is thought his father owned some vineyards and died when Fernand was 10 years old. He had a sister, Marthe, who married Mario Prosperi, brother of Amilcare Prosperi, who became manager of the Cumberland Hotel. He came to England, with his friend Ernest Oggier, in 1905 to learn the language having already mastered French, German and Italian. English made just one more. It is thought that he lived off Charlotte Street, Tottenham Court Road. Fernand married Emily Laura Aeschlimann - of Swiss parentage from Canton Appenzel - in the Church of St Charles Borromeo in 1912. Emily was born in Westministeron on 14 December 1887. She left school at the age of twelve and worked in a large London department store as an embroiderer. She probably met Fernand in one of the Swiss Clubs in London, Helvetia or Switzerbund. Fernand and Emily had two sons; Marcel and Dennis. Marcel was born on 7 July 1913 and died 17 August 1980. Dennis was born on 11 June 1920.
Fernand Delaloye was a keen footballer and soon adopted Chelsea FC as his club. His other interest were the Swiss Club, large decorative Dahlias and snooker as well as other sports such as swimming, cricket and tug-of-war. His started work in the florist shop at the Trocadero Restaurant which was only nine years old at that time. He progressed to the kitchens of the restaurant and over a period of time became a vegetable cook, commis waiter, head waiter and chef superintendent. With his training and experience behind him he went to the Coventry Street Corner House where he became Assistant Chief Supervisor. All this achieved before he was 25 years old. His English was perfect and knowledge of catering very extensive. In 1915 Fernand Delaloye became the Assistant Manager of the newly built Regent Palace Hotel and in 1916 was promoted manager. In 1926 he returned to the Trocadero Restaurant as its manager. The Trocadero was then at the height of its fame. For the next twenty-five years Delaloye guided it through the twenties into the thirties and through the war. 1926 was the Trocadero's Jubilee Year and Delaloye's twentieth year as manager. By 1955 Delaloye requested a less demanding role in the business and was given the task of managing of the Throgmorton Restaurant where he remained until 1958 when he retired. His two sons (Marcel and Dennis) were employed at the Cumberland Hotel. Later his grandson, Peter (son of Marcel), joined the firm and also served his apprenticeship at the Cumberland Hotel. Fernand Delaloye retired in 1958 after 53 years service. Sam Harbour (Managing Director of the London Coliseum) who started as a page boy at the Trocadero Restaurant in 1909 was at his retirement party. Also attending the retirement party were Arthur Christian (nephew of Sir Joseph Lyons), Mrs Proserpi, Miss Saville (Delaloye's secretary for many years) and Mr Roux. Fernand Delaloye was naturalised on 23 June 1938 and died on 7 March 1979.
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