AG Hall CC, Pietermaritzburg

The first Hall came to Pietermaritzburg, aged 16 years, from London in 1859. He learned to be a house painter. His second son, Ted (the second generation painter), followed in his footsteps. But it was not until 1902 that Ted opened a painting, glazing and wallpaper hanging business at 167 Longmarket Street, thus laying a future claim, in the year 2001 to being the second oldest family concern in Pietermaritzburg, that is still solely owned and controlled by the founding family.

From the start Hall's flourished, and for good reasons. As Eddie Hall (the fourth generation painter) explains, we got the basics right. And we have always believed in the old-fashioned value of hard work . By basics he means using the best materials, of the highest quality at all times. Painting is an unforgiving medium, adds John Hall (the fifth generation painter). A finished job will always be mute but powerful testimony to either your ability or incompetence for years to come. There is no hiding the mistakes behind the small print.

Alfie Hall (the third generation painter), who gave his initials to the firm, joined his father in 1920 and, for the next 56 years, was intimately concerned with the family fortunes, save for two absences. The first occurred when he travelled to Durban, for six months, as a young man, where he was taught the art of graining, whereby any surface can be painted to resemble the rich grains of various woods, or marble, by an elderly craftsman at the cut price of 5/- an hour. The second was when Alfie volunteered for military service during the Second World War. His wife Lily, with no business training whatsoever, but a tremendous will to fill the breach, was pitchforked into the driving seat. Nonetheless, family tradition insists she ran the firm so well that Alfie, on his return, found it difficult to get his old job back.