County Stores
Keith & Carla Pask
April 2014
Keith tells the history of the oldest shop in the Market Place
which closed in 2006 after 130 years of continuous use.
He records how he traced the tenants and owners
of the premises over that whole time.
Keith & Carla Pask
April 2014
Keith tells the history of the oldest shop in the Market Place
which closed in 2006 after 130 years of continuous use.
He records how he traced the tenants and owners
of the premises over that whole time.
When We First Came to Box
Carla and I came to Box in July 1987 and bought a shop in the Parade, the first part of the Market Place. It was then a Spar Shop but we didn't want to belong to any group, so we went independent and renamed the shop.
We put four different names in a hat and pulled out the name County Stores and so it became. We quickly got to know what our customers wanted and tried to get anything they asked for within reason.
Carla and I came to Box in July 1987 and bought a shop in the Parade, the first part of the Market Place. It was then a Spar Shop but we didn't want to belong to any group, so we went independent and renamed the shop.
We put four different names in a hat and pulled out the name County Stores and so it became. We quickly got to know what our customers wanted and tried to get anything they asked for within reason.
Our Customers
We ran the shop for almost twenty years and met some lovely people. Some moved away and we still keep in touch.
One unusual request was for two tins of confit of duck. No problem, I said, and rang one of our wholesalers that dealt with unusual items. No, sorry, was the reply, but Harrods in London stock them. I rang Harrods who duly dispatched two tins.
After a few days the lady came in and I told her, We have your duck. She was flabbergasted and said, The only place I could get them was Harrods and now also County Stores, Box.
Another lady phoned and asked if we sold whole smoked chicken. I said, We do sell chicken portions smoked, but no, it had to be whole chicken. I asked her to give me 24 hours and she rang back two days later. On this occasion I was not able to help and suggested she try Marks & Spencer as I was told they stocked them. They did, she said, but not any more. My husband is one of the directors of M&S and he recommended I try you. She came all the way from Birmingham for six portions of smoked chicken for a dinner party.
We ran the shop for almost twenty years and met some lovely people. Some moved away and we still keep in touch.
One unusual request was for two tins of confit of duck. No problem, I said, and rang one of our wholesalers that dealt with unusual items. No, sorry, was the reply, but Harrods in London stock them. I rang Harrods who duly dispatched two tins.
After a few days the lady came in and I told her, We have your duck. She was flabbergasted and said, The only place I could get them was Harrods and now also County Stores, Box.
Another lady phoned and asked if we sold whole smoked chicken. I said, We do sell chicken portions smoked, but no, it had to be whole chicken. I asked her to give me 24 hours and she rang back two days later. On this occasion I was not able to help and suggested she try Marks & Spencer as I was told they stocked them. They did, she said, but not any more. My husband is one of the directors of M&S and he recommended I try you. She came all the way from Birmingham for six portions of smoked chicken for a dinner party.
Good Times and Bad Times
More nice things have happened than sad. It's nice now to see the young men and ladies that used to come in the shop for their sweets after school. Some now have children of their own. Some are running their own businesses: garden landscaping, car repairs, a roofing company and one is a Michelin chef.
More nice things have happened than sad. It's nice now to see the young men and ladies that used to come in the shop for their sweets after school. Some now have children of their own. Some are running their own businesses: garden landscaping, car repairs, a roofing company and one is a Michelin chef.
We were very lucky to also have some wonderful staff, Thelma, Lorraine and Ann, and good neighbours. Over the years we had two break-ins and one attempted break in. Not a nice experience but on each occasion customers and neighbours rallied round to help clear up the mess.
It was sad the day we shut the door for the last time but also a blessing that I don't have to get up at 6am six days a week and work till 7pm then paperwork at weekends.
It also means that we can now have holidays together but we do miss the people and their stories.
It was sad the day we shut the door for the last time but also a blessing that I don't have to get up at 6am six days a week and work till 7pm then paperwork at weekends.
It also means that we can now have holidays together but we do miss the people and their stories.
History of the Shop
The shop was originally a house built in about 1670 as a farm cottage to the Manor Farm opposite. It was recorded first as a Haberdashery shop in 1897, then later in 1930 as a greengrocery and wet fish shop.
In the 1950s it had extensions to the front and back and a new upstairs and it became a full grocery and provisions shop. Wines and spirits were not added until the 1970s.
Our deeds record the owners of the shop, especially various members of the Ponting family who owned the premises from 1876 until 1932:
The shop was originally a house built in about 1670 as a farm cottage to the Manor Farm opposite. It was recorded first as a Haberdashery shop in 1897, then later in 1930 as a greengrocery and wet fish shop.
In the 1950s it had extensions to the front and back and a new upstairs and it became a full grocery and provisions shop. Wines and spirits were not added until the 1970s.
Our deeds record the owners of the shop, especially various members of the Ponting family who owned the premises from 1876 until 1932:
|
Year
1876 1876 - 1897 1897 1897 - 1924 - 1932 1932 - 1951 1951 - 1960 1960 - 1984 1984 - 1985 1985 - 1987 1987 - 2006 2006 - on |
Owner
Mr R Pictor Mr JE Ponting Ralph Skeate Ponting of Queens Head unknown Mr JE Ponting Mr HD Bodman Mr & Mrs Plowman Mr & Mrs Aston Mr & Mrs Brenda Evans Mr & Mrs Blackman Keith & Carla Pask Keith & Carla Pask |
Usage
Grocer / Draper Grocer / Draper Haberdashery Greengrocery & wet fish shop Grocers Grocers Grocers Spar Shop County Stores Private House |
You can read more about the shops in Box at Shops in 1950s.