Albert William Dimes

  General Notes:

Taken from "Tea World", The Tea Association of the USA, inc ...Spring 1987 ?

When Bert Dimes was a young boy he worked on a milk round in Wimbledon, England. One of his customers, Mr. Austin, was with the Tea Brokers S.S. Smith and Company Ltd in Mincing Lane and recognized Bert as a hard working yound lad. Austin offered to find him a job in the tea trade when he finished school and at fourteen years of age Bert was introduced to Jospeh Tetley and Company, whose offices were located on Mansell Street just north of Tower Bridge.
Young Bert made a good impression, and in February 1921 he was hired and given a five year apprenticeship. Bert was filled with the joys of success because not only was he to draw a salary of ten shillings a week for the first three years but he was going to double to a pound a week for the next two to come.
After years of hard work and at the end of his apprenticeship in 1926 Bert accepted a position as an assistant tea blender with their American company, then, Tetley Tea Company located on Greenwich Street in Manhattan. Bert worked long hard hours in the operation area of the business and because of his hard work and initative he was given the title of Production Manager. At the end of WW2 in 1945, his enthusiasm and dedication earned him the title of Vice President of the Tetley Tea Company with the responsibilities of overseeing blending and operations. In 1950 he had the responsibility of opening a second plant in Savannah, Georgia and because of its great success he was allowed to develop yet a third plant in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Slowly and surely over the course of a three year period he phased out the operations at the Manhattan plant due to its inefficiency.
During the course of Bert's career there were truly many exicting moments that could be reflected upon. But, perhaps one of the most intriguing occurred in the late 1950's when the advertising agency Ogilvy and Mather selected him as the real life model for their advertising campaign. Advertising at that time was not as we know it today. Most consisted of radio commercials supplemented by full-page advertisements in the "New Yorker" and similar magazines.
Because of Bert's handsome face and dignified manner he was featured as "Mr. Tea" the Tetley Tea Taster who insisted on puchasing the best of the "tiny little tea leaves". There is no doubt that his performance helped propel Tetley's campaign into one of the most successful of the tea industry. The fact that the 'tiny little tea leaves" logo still exists on Tetley packaging today confirms Bert's enormous influence.
Bert Dimes' career spanned 42 years with the same company. Despite being retired for 24 years he still manages to visit Williamsport on occasion where he is a very welcome guest. There will always be a place in our hearts for Bert and he has and will continue to leave an everlasting impression on us all. Looking back on his career he definitely brings back many happy memories. Bert is happily enjoying retirement with his wife Betty, in St. Petersberg, Florida.

Taken from neice Wendy's notes
Albert William Dimes (4591) born 26 April 1906. 1st wife Lily died between 1957 and 1959. He marr Nettie Summers Bryant, widow, known as Betty,and sister of Lily, on 27 November 1959. Bert lived in New Jersey, during the war at Allenhurst, then at 85 Norwood Avenue in an adjoining township, both being near the resort of Asbury Park. Bert loved the beach, fishing, golf, playing cards and playing the stock market. On retiring, he moved to St Petersburg Beach, Florida, first to 1605 Pass a Grille Way and then to 2971 East Vina del Mar Boulevard. After Betty had a stroke, they moved to Suncoast Manor, 6909 9th St. South
Betty died on 17 October 1990 aged 88 and Bert died in 1993.

Albert and Lily visited England several times including
Departed from New York to Plymouth on the SS Manhattan, England arriving on 27 June, returning from Southampton to New York on the RMS Berengaria 4th August 1933.
Returning from Southampton to New York from 17-22nd October 1950 on the Queen Elizabeth,
Departed from New York on RMS Mauretania, arriving in Southampton on 1st May 1953 returning on the RMS Mauretania departing Southampton 12 June 1953 to New York.
Departed from New York on RMS Mauretania from New York to Southampton arriving 25 Aug 1956. Albert and Lily returned to the US arriving 12th October 1956 at New York.
Albert flew from London to New York on BOAC Boeing Stratocruiser Flight BA509 on 17th Dec 1958.
In June 1960, Albert again left Southampton heading for New york on the Caronia.

From a 1959 magazine:
The Tetley Tea Taster goes where tiny tea leaves grow!
Albert Dimes, the Tetley Tea Taster, is a man who not compromise. "Mr. Tea" prefers to taste tea right where it is grown. Here you see him at a wharf in Trincomalee, Ceylon. The chests of tea you see are Dimes' own pride and joy. They represent weeks of painstaking labor in the finest gardens in Ceylon. Each chest is brimful of tiny tea leaves.

Dimes has carefully tasted each tea because he will use only the tiny leaves that grow at the top of the tea plant in Tetley Tea bags.
That swift freighter will bring this tea to the United States. There Dimes will blend in with fine teas from other countries. Teas from more than twenty-two plantations are in every Tetley Tea bag.

The Sinhalese gentleman who is guarding Dimes from the noon-day sun is doing it with pride. Mr. Dimes is a man of great importance. He makes Tetley the most satisfying tea in the world.

Here you see Albert Dimes, the Tetley Tea Taster. He is knee-deep in a tea plantation high in the mountains of Ceylon.He is explaining to the Singhalese girl that he wants her to pluck only the tiny leaves from the top of the plant for his Tetley Tea bags.

It takes more than 3200 of these precious little shoots to make a single pound of Tetley Tea. What's more, teas from more than twenty two different plantations are blended in every Tetley Tea bag.

Mr. Dimes would save lots of money if he'd settle for the medium or coarse lower leaves, but Dimes is adamant. He knows that only the tiny leaves from the top of the plant will give Tetley Tea the satisfying flavor he demands. By kind providence these tiny tea leaves are ideal for tea bags.
Try one satisfying cup of tea made with a Tetley Tea bag.You'll be glad Mr. Dimes has made tiny tea leaves his labor of love.

Albert married Lily Esther Ellis, daughter of Walter Ellis and Emma S. (Lily Esther Ellis was born on 19 Feb 1904 in Port Jervis, New York, USA and died in Jul 1958 in New Jersey, USA.)

Albert next married Nettie Summers Ellis, daughter of Walter Ellis and Emma S., on 27 Nov 1959. (Nettie Summers Ellis was born on 12 Aug 1902 in Port Jervis, New York, USA and died on 17 Oct 1990 in St. Petersburg, Florida, USA.)