Cherished memories of Shrewsbury shopkeeper Phil

It's been over 20 years now since Phil Jeffreys retired from his Shrewsbury store and his discovery of some old photos and mementoes have brought back some fond memories.

As he prepared to say his goodbyes on July 26, 1998, local children turned out to wish their local shopkeeper well as he embarked on a new chapter.

Mr Jeffreys, who lives these days at Mold, said: "I ran and owned an off licence and general stores known as the Springfield Stores at Mereside, Sutton Farm, from 1987 until 1998.

"Then I retired to Llangollen to run a guest house at the bottom of the Horseshoe Pass until our retirement in 2002. Regrettably my wife broke her hip in October last year and we have moved to a bungalow in Mold this June to be near our daughter Sian."

He came across some memorabilia of his time at Shrewsbury while unpacking.

"During that time there was the off licence, butchers and newsagent in the shopping parade at Mereside serving the housing estate that had an infant school and a technical college nearby, so children were regular customers in our shops.

"Douglas Lewis was the butcher and Steve Worrall was the newsagent.

"It was a very happy estate and like most neighbourhoods there were many colourful characters. It was a life experience to see how people lived and brought up their families who would pop in for a chat and sometimes to get goods on the 'tick.'

"Although the hours were long there was not one day that I wished that I didn't have to go in."

Among those he remembers was Harry Williams, a blind piano tuner.

"I used to make up his grocery order on Saturdays and peeled off the carrot tin label so he could differentiate it from the tins of peas. One day I asked him if he came back in another life, which would he prefer – being blind or deaf. Without hesitation he said blind, as 'my imagination gives me all the pictures I want to see.'

"The greatest joy I had was seeing the children mature and moving on, especially the helpers I had in the shop. They were initially lacking in confidence but soon matured to become efficient and obliging. There was also the general banter and friendship that was always there on the shop floor.

"It was with a heavy heart that I left Mereside, but the days of the small shops were numbered by 1998. The Sunday trading killed off a lot of the trade as well as a supermarket nearby opening 24 hours.

"Now I am retired and looking after Eira I enjoy gardening and composing poems and keep looking for gems of humour in my golden years.

"I look back to my years in 'open all hours' as the happiest period of my life. No regrets."

Mr Jeffreys names those with him on the July 1998 picture as: back row from left, Damon Jones, Catherine Williams, Mark Beeston, Matthew Preece, Daniel Jones, Adam Barrett, Jade Carnaffan, Sam Beeston, Rose Malecavick. Middle, Bradley Evans, Matthew Morris, Kirsty Myton, Michelle Humphries, Ashley Soames, Jodie Edwards, Kyllie Tilley, Charlotte Moore, Charlott Grove, Adrian Milman. Front, Emma Townsend, Sarah Morris, Scott Hughes, Russel Walker, Kieran Fogerty, Richard Evans, David Myton, Mickey Beeston, Sam Grove, Amy Grove, Becky Grove, Katie Grove, Michelle Hopkinson, and Mark Hopkinson.