Co-operative News July 22nd 1961

SPECIALIST GREENGROCERY COMPLETELY RE-MODELLED
RUSHDEN Society's specialist greengrocery shop at High Street, has been completely re-modelled and re-decorated, making it the most up-to-date shop of its kind in the street.

Alterations include a new ceiling, floor and wall surfaces. The shop has also been completely re-fixtured.

An addition has also been made to the High Street grocery branch, in the form of a confectionery section. Dudley fittings have been used for this and Mr. R. R. Griffiths, managing secretary of the society, reports that trade has been "wonderful."

The shop is two doors away from a private supermarket, but grocery trade has not been affected at all.

The butchery section of the society's food hall at Rose Avenue is also to be extended and the refrigeration space doubled, to serve the increasing number of customers.

STORE AREA DOUBLED
THE size of Rushden Society's Purvis Road store has been doubled in recent alterations.

The rebuilt store which was opened on Friday, has an area of 900 sq. feet. Blue Dudley fittings were used to match the blue walls, which are covered in a new dust repellant paint that is sprayed on. Floor is covered in garnet linoleum tiles, and lighting is by fluorescent tubes.

Work was undertaken by the society's works department.

Another for The Co-op
Rushden Society has purchased a butchery business previously owned by Messrs. E. H. Strickland and Sons, situated on the border of Rushden and Higham Ferrers.

The shop which also sells a considerable amount of canned goods will in the near future be converted into a self-service grocery shop and butchers combined, with meat being sold from a refrigerated counter with a qualified butcher in attendance.

A two storey building, it is situated opposite a corporation housing estate, on which the society has no shop. Land behind the shop is being used for private house building.

'Divi' 1s. Again
FOR the 21st consecutive time, Rushden Co-operative Society Ltd. is to pay a dividend of 1s. in the pound for the next half-year. There will also be a bonus dividend of 3d. in the pound for the seventh year running.

This was announced in the committee's half-yearly report presented at the mernbers' meeting last night.

For the first time in the history of the society sales for the six months ending March 10 exceeded £500.000. This was an increase of £18,801 on the same period last year.

Annual sales were over £974,500 compared with £500,000 in 1950 and £750,000 in 1956.

Several of the society's shops had been modernised and plans were being made for further improvements. The grocery store in Purvis Road had been, enlarged and it was hoped to modernise the grocery store in Newton Road and the building department in George Street, said the report.

Mr. W. Brown and Mr. R. H. Marriott were re-elected to the committee, and Mrs. R. R. Green, Mr. J. Allan and Mr. A. Edge to the education committee.

Ten year scheme for branches completed
The modernisation of Rushden Society's Northampton Road and Newton Road branches, completes a ten year scheme of equipping every branch with modern staff facilities and refrigerated food storage equipment.

The shop at Northampton Road, which was purchased from a private butcher twelve months ago, has been completely refitted inside, renovated outside and now provides groceries and provisions. The use of mosaics and a matching colour scheme, with Wedgwood blue being the predominant colour, has resulted in an attractive hygienic shop with a selling area of 500 sq. ft.

The latest frozen food equipment and Dudley self-service fittings have been installed for groceries and provision, which are paid for at the meat section. The butchery section is still the predominant unit in the shop.

Area doubled
The selling area of Newton Road grocery branch has been doubled and is now 1,000 sq. ft. New toilet accommodation and a staff room have been provided.

A new anodised aluminium facia has been fitted and 6ft. of frozen food cabinets and 8ft. of refrigerated counters installed. Decor is in pastel shades with a warm russet-coloured vinyl floor covering. Tungsten spotlights have been fitted above all meat displays. These premises are licensed.

The society is also increasing the size of its Shirley Road fuel depot to take care of winter requirements of coal. Two new pieces of coal lifting equipment have been purchased.

The drapery and footwear departments are to be internally decorated in a light pastel coloured scheme which will be in complete contrast to the present rather sombre decor.

'Come Co-operative Shopping' is theme for one week contest
"COME CO-OPERATIVE SHOPPING" was the week-long theme of a shops' competition organised by the Kettering and Wellingborough District Co-operative Council.

It was run to tie up with the fifth C.W.S. "Come Co-operative Shopping" promotion which included Gold Seal margarine, Digestive and Lincoln biscuits, Hyglos furniture cream, Florglos, Laundene and Excelda, and Federation self-raising flour.

Ten of the fourteen societies in the district council took part — Kettering, Wellingborough, Rushden, Raunds, Rothwell, Market Harborough, Wollaston, Burton Latimer, Irchester and Finedon.

The district was divided into areas for preliminary judging before going forward for the final awards. Shops were grouped into self or counter service—post-war built and fitted; self or counter service—pre-war built, post-war refitted and all other shops pre-war built and fitted.

Shops were then divided into two classes — self-service and counter service.

District winners were: self-service shops: 1, Co-operative House food hall, Corby; 2, No. 8 branch. Stamford Road, Kettering; 3, Rose Avenue, Rushden; 4, Birchall Road, Rushden; 5, Corby No. 3 branch, Occupation Road; 6, High Street, Rushden.

Counter service shops: 1, Gold Street, Clipstone, Market Harborough: 2, No. 4 branch, Church Street, Stanwick, Raunds: 3, Irchester Road, Rushden; 4, Branch No. 18, High Street, Gretton, Kettering; 5, Farndon Road, Market Harborough; 6, Branch No. 3, High Street, Raunds.

Winners of the self-service shops section hold the championship cup, and in the counter service section the championship shield.

Two Shops Purchased
RUSHDEN Society has bought two shops in the town's High Street which, it is hoped will be redeveloped into a retail shop in the future.

Managing secretary of the society, Mr. R. R. Griffiths, said that the shops, formerly Elizabeth's and Cutmore's and an adjoining factory of Messrs. Seddon and Arlidge Co. Ltd., would not be redeveloped at the present time as there were no immediate plans in hand.

Co-operative Row

The East Northamptonshire Co-operative Society, Ltd., has submitted two separate outline planning applications to re-develop disused butcher's and grocer's shops in the same area.

There has also been a planning application for a private housing development in adjacent Crabb Street.

Residents in parts of High Street South, and Co-operative Row want to know if and when their properties will be pulled down for redevelopment.

Blight
Estate agents will not issue mortgages in the area, Mr Tom Doyle, Rushden branch manager of Swindall, Pendered and Atkins, commented: "We are not issuing any mortgages in this area of the town. There are blight notices on these houses and it wouldn't be fair to issue a mortgage, knowing that they will soon be brought down."

Former merchant seaman, Mr Edward Corbett, whose house, 51 High Street South, is adjacent to the disused Co-op shops, returned to settle down to retirement and found the future of his house was in the balance.

"I wouldn't mind if I knew one way or the other the houses will be knocked down. I can’t spend money on the house because I don't know how long it will stay up. The uncertainty is stopping me from getting a grant from the council to get a bath installed. I don't want to spend money on a shower, which will cost me £200, because I don't know how long it will last," said 65-year-old Mr Corbett.

Future
"The Co-op has left their shops next door very unsightly indeed. Bricks are all over the place, the roof has half collapsed. It's disgusting. I have had to cut down a tree from the site to let some light in," Mr Corbett claimed.

Mr and Mrs William Wilshere, who live next door, at No 53, are also concerned about the future of their home. "We have been here so long and we don't want to go now," said 70-year-old Mr Wilshere.

Residents in nearby Co-operative Row, are in the same dilemma.

At number 3, 80-year-old Miss Esther Fox and her sister Frances (67) also complained about the unsightly overgrowth and rubbish.

Northamptonshire's County Council deputy planning officer, Mr Kevin O’Shaughnessy, told the Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph that two planning applications, one for a private house in Crabb Street and the Co-op's plan to change its old butcher's and grocer's into a clothing manufacturing factory, had been refused because the area was due for major redevelopments.

"There are two reasons for refusing the latter planning application. The first one is because the area is specifically a residential area, not industrial. The second reason is that a factory would result in an increase of parked traffic," said Mr O'Shaughnessy.

Issue
Mr Ralph Griffiths, secretary of the Co-operative Society said: "The decision to grant an application comes from the council and what's to be built there if it's granted, is the decision of the planners."

He continued: "The East Northamptonshire District Council, which takes effect from April, issued a statement last October, which said major redevelopment schemes in this area of Rushden, will commence within the next two years."

The derelict Birchall Road store

An application for a change of use of the building, from a shop to a church, has been made by Mr. L. J. Calder, of Rushden.

Mr. Calder, who works at Sharnbrook, said, "I appreciate the interest you're showing in the scheme, but I'd rather not talk about it at the moment."

The shop, in Birchall Road, is disused and broken windows and fading paintwork indicate a general disuse.

The application will be considered by Rushden Urban Council's planning committee, which meets next Wednesday.

Chip shop plans fail
PLANS to change a Co-op butcher's into a fish and chip shop have been turned down by Rushden Urban Council, because of parking problems. The East Northants Co-operative Society was hoping to make the changeover at their shop on the corner of Higham Road and Northampton Road.

But following recommendations from the County Planning Officer the council has refused the plans.

The council says that a fish and chip shop would lead to increased parking, which could affect the safety and free flow of traffic on the trunk road. The shop is also sited on land which is earmarked for the improvement of Northampton Road.