Rushden Research Group: Wheatcrofts Sold

Article by Paul Wright, June 2015

Wheatcrofts Sold


Veronica	Closing down due to retirement

After the passing in the year 2000 of her mother Mrs Mercedes Wheatcroft, the electrical business in Church Street Rushden was run single handed by her eldest daughter Veronica Rose Wheatcroft-McGain.

This involved travelling from the Rothwell area daily to run the shop, and then when her own husband sadly passed away, Veronica decided to put the business on the market. [2013]

Over the seventy years of trading in Rushden many customers would make their way to see the veritable Aladdin's cave of toasters, timers, switches, lamps, cables & bulbs, some of which would be of industrial proportions, the list goes on and on as you can imagine.


Winter display	Veronica and family friend Keith

Seen above is the window display in the winter period, and inside the shop we see family friend Keith Garley.

David Cole

Moving on to the start of 2015 and accountant Mr David Cole finds that he is about to be made redundant.

Veronica serving one of her last customers

Faced with the bleak prospect of what does a man in his early 60's do to occupy his time, David decides that he would like to purchase the business, as it seemed like an interesting opportunity.

So after about two years with various signs stating that the family business of seventy years was finally about to change hands, this was all concluded on Monday June 1st 2015.

Article by Paul Wright, 2018

Exactly three years to the day, after taking over the electrical shop at 3 Church Street, Mr David Cole has pulled down the window blinds for the final time on "Wheatcroft's". He had run the shop from June 2015 to June 2018.

Rushden won't quite be the same anymore, after what had previously been a pleasantly quaint institution trading in Church Street since the mid 1940's when Theodore Wheatcroft started up. If you went in to get your cable, and maybe some wall sockets etc., he would tot it all up on a bit of paper on the counter and tell you the price.

I remember he was reluctant to go metric with our currency after 1971, and would proudly ask you to pay 5 shillings and sixpence for an item etc. (27½ new pence in today’s money). After Mr Wheatcroft's death, his eldest daughter Veronica ran the business until David took over.

At least the family name of "Wheatcroft" lives on in the town, as "Wheatcroft Gardens" is a collection of houses named after Mrs Mercedes Wheatcroft, the widow of Theodore, who used to live nearby in Robinson Road.

Mr Wheatcroft passed away in 1983, followed by Mrs Wheatcroft in 2000.

Wheatcrofts Earlier

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