To the whole Spiteri family, my sincerest condolences for the loss of your dear husband to Rieki, Father to Jennifer, Deb, Margaret, Caroline and Michael. May Charlie rest in peace. I met Charlie in June 1985, I was fresh out of high school and I needed a job. I found a job advertised to work in a photo lab in Coburg, Victoria at a company then named Camera Action. I was to help work in their photo lab under the guidance and direction of this jet black haired handsome Maltese man named Charlie. This was my very first adult job, so I was very nervous and new to the work force. Charlie taught me all there was to know about old B&W film processing. I learnt various darkroom skills and film loading. Charlie taught me how to copy old photographs, and also the proceßing of slide film. Then about 6 months after my working with Charlie at Coburg, Camera Action moved into the city. During the time working with Charlie occasionally he would bring in to work his little boy Michael when on school holidays. Michael and I became good friends albeit the age difference.
One day I came in to work on a weekend to help Charlie move the lab to the city store, Michael came along to help also. We did something that you wouldn't be caught doing now. Michael, Charlie, and my self stood in the back of the delivery truck holding on for dear life being tossed about all the way into the city. It was quet an adventure. Not long after, Charlie decided to break away from Camera Action, and start his own business. He named it P.E.I.S, short for Photographic, and Electronic, Imaging, Service. We were situated at the top end of Bourke Street above a Peter Jackson clothing store. The place was once an old bank because the darkroom Charlie set up for me was an old disused vault with a six inch thick concrete and iron door. Charlie was a very creative man, and a good builder too. He made that building into a nice lab in one whole weekend. He was always making and inventing devices and gadgets that worked so well. Charlie was creating things ahead of their time. It was during my time with Charlie at P.E.I.S, that I got to meet his daughter Debbie who also worked there, his wife Rieki and at times Jennifer would pop in. On school holidays as I mentioned, Charlie would bring in Michael to work. I suppose I can say this now, Michael and I would get into all sorts of mischief whilst Charlie was working away in one of the other darkrooms. We would sword fight with umbrellas and joke around.
Sorry if I've waffled on but in conclusion I would like to say that Charlie was my first employer and the best employer I've ever had, at times I almost felt like he treated me like a son. My biggest regret is that I left P.E.I.S to move on to other employment, I wish I had remained with Charlie, he would have taught me so much about the photography and video industry, he was an excellent and patient teacher. He will forever have my deepest respect and I am proud to have worked for Charlie for those few years that I did. Charlie my friend may you rest in peace.❤️🌹 Love Max.