1954 - Greenwoods Stores
Mrs Greenwood and her family arrived in Spratton in 1948 and set up a general stores. Rationing was still in force after the Second World War for some goods such as sweets and chocolates, but supplies were slowly becoming more plentiful. Sugar and dried fruit arrived in large sacks and had to be weighed out into smaller quantities for sale, while butter, lard and margarine came in 28lb blocks.
Mrs Greenwood soon introduced new lines into the shop. Baking tins and mixing bowls went on sale and knitting wools and haberdashery were successful. Later on, fruit, vegetables, plants and flowers were added to the stock. Although there were other shops in the village at the same time, Greenwood's was the only newsagent. Mrs. Greenwood's son, Terry, remembers having to get up early when the newspapers arrived on the first bus at 6.05 and then doing a paper round before school. Despite petrol rationing the Greenwoods were able to offer a delivery service three days a week not only to Spratton, but also to East Haddon, Guilsborough and Brixworth. They used the back of their 1936 Ford Popular. Creaton Hospital asked for daily newspapers to be delivered to the patients and Cottesbrooke Hall patronised the store. As time went on they ground six different types of coffee beans to order and up to 40 hams at a time were being prepared and cooked by a member of the family.
After 40 years in business, the Greenwoods sold the shop in 1988 to Alex Crombie, who traded only from the extension, the old shop having become a private house. Crombie had the shop until 2000, when Simon Robinson acquired it, changed its name to Spratton Village Store, and introduced new lines.
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