Silhouette of G W Shirley

Jeffs was a sincere admirer of Shirley, head librarian at the Ewart Library, Dumfries.  They first worked together when Shirley devised the town's Riding of the Marches Festival in 1932.  Shirley became curator of Dumfries Burgh Museum in 1934 and asked Jeffs to be his assistant.  As his health was failing, most of the real work fell to Jeffs who undertook the colossal task of putting a moribund museum back on its feet, transforming it in the process into one bright, modern and regional in character.