Situated in Angate Street and run by Ken Craven for the last 37 years, the fish and chip shop will close and be made into Ken’s adjoining home.
He is retiring and at the age of 85, with a lifetime of work behind him, he deserves to have some time to do what he pleases! Along with Ken will go June Peart who has worked in the shop even longer than her present boss – for an astounding 49 years!
Ken and his late wife, Anne, a school-teacher, came to Wolsingham from Scotland after buying the fish shop and adjoining house in June 1989. They brought their two children, Sally and Stuart and through all of that time, Ken has worked behind the counter.
“It’s not the work that the customers see which is difficult,” said Ken. “Working behind the counter, frying and serving the food is the easy bit. It’s the behind-the scenes work that not many other people see. And after a fall I had last year, it has become even harder.”
Ken, who was born in York but as a youngster lived in Crook with family, previously worked in the hotel trade and then at Curry’s, the electrical appliance store, for 20 years before left after a management take-over.
“When we bought the fish shop, I thought it would be like hotel work but no, it was a very different ball game,” commented Ken. “We were looking at taking over a Post Office or a pub but settled on the fish shop and been here ever since.”
Regulars – local and from far and wide – love his beef-dripping fried fish and chips, wrapped in real newspapers – and come from miles around to buy them. “It’s the customers I’ll miss the most,” he said. “Many have become more than customers and are friends.”
Over the years, it has become more difficult to run a business, especially one selling food with more and more legislation surrounding it. Then there is the price of fish, which has rocketed, even in recent times. It wasn’t that long ago, Ken would pay £130 for a case of fish and now the price is over £300. Successive Governments haven’t helped the situation and nor has the trend for card payments, which actually cost the retailer money. It may be a small amount but in business, every penny counts.
Of course, when a local business closes down, it isn’t just the staff in there who leave but it affects the wider business community too. The delivery driver that serves the Wolsingham Fish shop has been delivering to Ken for 26 years.
Meanwhile, June will be retiring along with Ken. She began working there for Bobby Turnbull in 1977 and has done so ever since.
“I’m way past retirement age,” she said. “And past my sell-by date so I think it’s time to go – although I would have liked to have made the 50 year mark.”
June and Ken clearly have a great working relationship, based on humour and their love of hard work. They laughed easily together, especially when June relayed stories of going shopping in Bishop Auckland with her husband and bumping into customers who thought they were having an affair!
“Some people have always assumed that Ken and I were a married couple!!”
And so, when the shop closes down on June 13th, June and Ken will have time to enjoy themselves, put their feet up although I doubt they are the kind of people to do nothing at all! Ken will continue his habit of going to Wolsingham Club, where he is the oldest member, for a chat and a drink with old friends. June, meanwhile, may be able to go shopping without having to hide behind a shelf!
The Gazette, on behalf of Wolsingham folk wish them both all the very best. Happy retirement to you both – you have earned it!
