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Haslemere Shops

When the railway came to Haslemere in 1859 the area began to earn a reputation for its unspoilt beauty. As tourists and new settlers arrived, so locals set up and expanded into new businesses, such as horse–drawn carriage hire and tea–rooms. Haslemere has sustained hundreds of independent shops and businesses. The national chain stores have largely been more recent arrivals. Woolworths came in 1951 and its Haslemere branch is said to have been the only store in Britain not to have the classic trademark red in its sign – a concession to the shop’s surroundings. The UK chain and the local store finished trading at the start of 2009. An independent, R. Miles ironmongers, holds the record for the longest continually running shop in Haslemere.

Track 1 Baker And Grocer Come To Door

Credit line: Andrew White remembers bread and groceries being delivered to his door.

Transcription:

Interviewee: The Baker called everyday, Mills from Camelsdale, and so the bread was always good and fresh. Our groceries at that time [were] bought from a Mr Rapson, who had a shop opposite the pub [the Royal Oak] in Critchmere. He was a lovely man, he had lovely bald pate with a nice bunch of hair round the outside and he wore steel rimmed glasses. He would come round on a Wednesday night, on his trade bike, with his apron on and his jacket and he would take the order in his book and away he’d go and then he’d come round on a Saturday with it in the bicycle [basket] to deliver it.

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