Rushden Echo, 5th February 1915, transcribed by Kay Collins

Rushden Recruits — The Co-op Employees

Rushden recruits this week include three employees of the Rushden Co-operative Society Ltd., viz., Messrs Thacker (bakery), Reginald Hodgkin (Butchery department), and Eric Bellamy (grocery stores).

Drummer Cook joined Kitchener’s Army in February, and the day following his enlistment was drafted to Southwick. He was shifted from Southwick to Shoreham, from then to Inkerman Barracks, Woking, and finally about five weeks ago, went to France. He was a butcher at the Co-operative Butchery, Queen-street, Rushden, before enlisting.

Rushden Echo, 3^rd November 1916, transcribed by Gill Hollis

Co-operative Society’s Appeals – The Rushden Co-operative Society appealed at the meeting of the County Tribunal on Tuesday for the conditional exemption of Joseph Walter Frear (28), married, grocery and general stores manager at Podington, and George Wootton (32), married, baker. – Exemption had been granted to Frear to Dec. 9 and to Wootton to Oct. 14. – The Military Representative opposed the exemptions on the ground that so long as exemptions were granted no serious attempt would be made to replace the men.  The representative of the Society said he had inserted 25 advertisements in different papers for a baker, but without result. – No further exemption was allowed for Frear, and Wootton was allowed until Dec. 15, final.

Extract from a Military Tribunal in May 1918

Six employees of the Rushden Co-operative Society – Irvine D. Haigh, W. Jeacock, H. C. Baines, T. E. Wigginton, W. H. Marriott and A. J. Odell, were dealt with. In the case of Mr. Haigh, who is manager of the drapery department, in which all the other male employees have joined the Colours, six months exemption was granted, and being a Special constable, the V.T.C. condition was not enforced. Six months exemption was granted to A. J. Odell, bread baker, 34, Grade 3 and the V.T.C. conditions waived. Exemption until July 31st was given to W. H. Marriott, 37, grade 2 manager of the Wellingborough Road grocery store. Six months exemption was given in the case of T. E. Wigginton, who is a Special constable and is the secretary of the society and the Volunteer conditions excused. Herbert C. Baines, 42, slaughterman and manager of the Wellingborough Road butchery department, grade 2, was given six months exemption and being a special constable, excused for the Volunteers; and the same course was taken with William Jeacock, 42, Grade 2 manager of the Queen Street butchery department, also a Special Constable.

Co-operative News, June 30th 1961

Long Service
AFTER 33 years' service with Rushden Society, Mr. P. Coles has been appointed butchery department manager on the retirement of Mr. J. C. Hanger.

In 1954 Mr. Coles became deputy meat buyer.

Last Saturday the management committee entertained Mr. and Mrs. Hanger and the departmental managers to dinner in recognition of Mr. Hanger's 50 years' service with the society.

ANOTHER co-operative employee who is retiring after half a century is Mr. J. C. Hanger, who has been employed by Rushden Society for 51 years, 32 of which he has been butchery departmental manager.

He joined the staff in 1911 and in 1927 was manager of the society's largest butchery shop.

Retired after 31 years
FOLLOWING 31 years in the service of Rushden Society Mr. H. Hodgkins retired last week when Mr. H. Bailey, president, handed him a cheque in appreciation of his services.

Mr. Hodgkins was the society's horsekeeper, until they were replaced by petrol and electric vehicles about 12 years ago. Passing his motor-driving test first time, he was transferred to the milk department, where he remained for the rest of his service.

APPRENTICE TO BUYER
MR. D. CUMBERPATCH has been appointed grocery buyer of Rushden Society. Forty-one year old Mr. Cumberpatch, who joined the society as an apprentice in the grocery department when he was sixteen, holds four Co-operative Union certificates. During the past ten years Mr. Cumberpatch has been shop manager at five shops. He spent a short time last year with Irchester Society as grocery branch manager.

Mr. Cumberpatch, who officially took up his duties last week, succeeds Mr. J. W. Cooke.

ENTERPRISE PAYS AT RUSHDEN
Over 1,500 packets of CWS biscuits were sold within hours by two enterprising young Rushden Society grocery assistants, Mr Peter Peacock and Mr David Thompson, who set up a stall in the office entrance on dividend day.

CO-OP SHOP'S 'BEST MANAGER EVER' RETIRES
THE best manager that the Rushden Co-operative Society Ltd. has ever had for its grocery shops retired yesterday — after 51 years in the society's service. And paying the compliment to 65-year-old Mr. D. Shouler was the society's general manager, Mr. R. R. Griffiths.

Mr. Griffiths was one of the surprise visitors at the Birchall Road grocery shop, which Mr. Shouler has managed for the past 21 years. Just as Mr. Shouler was closing shop for the last time, Mr. Griffiths arrived—and presented him with a barometer and clock. They had been bought as a surprise for Mr. Shouler by the 14 members of the staff of the grocery shop and the butchery department across the road.

Mr. Shouler, who is married and lives at 15 Upper Queen Street, Rushden, became a manager at the age of 22, and has been a manager of various branches in the town for over 40 years.

PAINTING
Mr Griffiths paid tribute to Mr. Shouler's service to the society. All sorts of difficulties could crop up, but there was never any panic at the Birchall Road branch, he said.

Handing Mr. Shouler the clock, Mr. Griffiths said: "When it gets to half-past eight in the morning you will think of all these people turning out, and all you will have to do is to turn over."

But Mr. Shouler does not intend to spend his retirement in well earned idleness. "I shall have to get a job to keep myself occupied," he said. In the meantime he has plenty of other things to occupy his mind. He is a keen motorist and likes painting.

Mr. Shouler will be succeeded as manager by Mr. P. Harris.

Co-op men receive awards at Rushden
"We do keep staff a long time in this society," employees of Rushden Co-operative Society were told last night at a presentation of long service and safe-driving awards by their president, Mr. H. Bailey.

Mr. Bailey, who was speaking at the Queen Victoria Hotel, Rushden, pointed out that the society had presented 41 long service awards from time to time, and none of the people concerned had left the society voluntarily.

Many of these people still worked for the society. It was "an incredible record,'' said Mr. Bailey.

Cheques for £12 10s. were presented to Mr. William ("Bill") King, foreman of the society's coal department and Mr. Leslie Butler, vehicle maintenance foreman, who had both completed 25 years' service.

NOT PRESENT
A similar award was in store for Mr. Reginald Pettitt, of the milk department, but like a number of those scheduled to receive safe-driving awards, he was not present. Mr. Bailey told Mr. G. Dodd, who received his fourth bar to his Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents five-year medal "It is not very easy on these roads to maintain a nine-year record of safe driving."

Other drivers on the award list were:
Fourth bar (nine years): Mr. W. Brittin, Mr. F. Cambers, Mr. W. Hadley, Mr. H. Hodgkins, Mr. C. Joyce, Mr. R. Pearson, Mr. H. Robinson and Mr. W. Wigglesworth.

Second bar (seven years): Mr G Bowers and Mr. E. Gell.

First bar (six years): Mr. J. Thompson.

Five-year medal: Mr. R. Parker and Mr. R. R. Pettitt.

CLEANLINESS
One year diploma: Mr. P. Annis, Miss D. Boddington, Mr. K. Beesley, Mr. A. Bing. Mr. J. Chettle, Mr. M. Childs, Mr M Ford, Mr. W. Hawes. Mr. K. Haddon, Mr. J. Homan, Mr H. Knowlton, Mr. B. Spencer and Mr. D. Warburton.

Before the presentations Mr. Bailey congratulated the staffs of five society shops on the cleanliness and tidiness of their premises. The shops had that day been visited at random and without any prior warning by representatives of the Co-operative magazine "The Producer," and the visitors, said Mr. Bailey, had been "very impressed."

Mr. R. R. Griffiths, managing secretary of the society, and Mr. W. Brown, vice-president, were present at the meeting.

CHEQUES FOR TWO
CHEQUES for 25 years' service were presented to two employees of Rushden Society at a recent staff meeting. They were Mr. L. F. Butler, traffic maintenance, and Mr. W. E. King, fuel department, who received their cheques from the president.

Harry Bailey

Mr. H. Bailey is Tops in C.W.S. Preliminary Poll
The the preliminary election in the Midland section for a director of the C.W.S. to fill the vacancy caused by the retirement of Mr. S. L. Kassell in May, Mr. Harry Bailey of Rushden has topped the poll.

He received 1,965 votes from 62 societies and will go into the national election with Mr. P. C. Walker, Wolverhampton, who received 489 votes from ten societies; Mr. P. A. Creese, Oakengates, 250 votes, 16 societies; and Mr. A. Arlow, Peterborough, 222 votes, five societies. Unsuccessful were Mrs. D. M. Fisher, Ten Acres with 88 votes from three societies, and Mr. L. H. Hyson, Mansfield, with 87 votes from three societies.

A total of 146 societies was eligible to vote, and 99 valid voting papers were received.

Voting papers for the national election are to go out to societies on April 16. More about Harry Bailey

Rushden Man is Elected to Co-op National Directorship
Mr. Harry Bailey, 39 Higham Road, Rushden, has been elected to the National Directorship of the Co-operative Society, it was announced officially today.

Mr. Bailey was nominated for the post by the Rushden Co-operative Society in February, and a vote was taken by the Midlands Co-operative Societies to select four of the six candidates whose names were put forward for the post. The four, including Mr. Bailey, then went forward for the national vote.

Forty-eight-year-old Mr. Bailey was a member of the board of management of the Rushden Co-operative Society Ltd., from 1939-41 when he resigned to join the Forces, and was re-elected immediately after demobilisation in 1946. He has served continually as a member of the board, and was elected president of the Rushden Co-operative Society eleven years ago. Under his leadership, the trade of the Rushden Co-operative Society has increased 87 per cent in the eleven years from £521,300 (in 1951) to £974,500 (in 1962).

He was first elected to the Kettering and Wellingborough District Co-operative Council in 1956 and has been a member of the Northamptonshire District Co-operative Education Committee. At one time he was chairman of the Northamptonshire Co-operative Footwear Repairing Society Ltd.

He has been a member of the sectional board of the Co-operative Union for the Midland Area for the past two years, and has been a member of the National Co-operative Bakery trade association of the Co-operative Union for the same period of time.

DELEGATION
Other activities he has taken part in on behalf of the Co-operative Society are as a member of the British delegation to the International Co-operative Alliance Congresses at Stockholm and Lausanne, and as chairman of the Kettering and Wellingborough district hours and wages hoard, and the Midland Sectional Hours and Wages Board.

Mr. Bailey also has connections with the boot and shoe trade union, the Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance, the Rushden and District Trades Council, and the Rushden branch of the Labour Party.

WAR YEARS
From 1930-47 he was employed by the local branch of the National Union of Boot and Shoe Operatives at the Rushden and Irthlingborough offices, with the exception of the war years when he was a member of the Royal Corps of Signals, in which he rose to the rank of sergeant and worked exclusively on anti-aircraft communications.

In 1947 he was appointed-executive officer to the Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance, and was promoted in 1955 to the rank of Higher Executive Officer. He was again promoted to the post of Senior Executive Officer a few months ago although he did not take up the post. He has served as secretary of the Rushden and District Trades Council from 1938-48, and as secretary of the Rushden Labour Party from 1934-37.

A member of the Society of Civil servants–the trade union representing the executive grade in the Civil Service—Mr. Bailey was first elected to the National Executive of the Society eleven years ago.

POSITIONS
The Society is divided into departments and sections and Mr. Bailey holds the following positions: Secretary and founder of the North Midlands branch of the Ministry of Pensions and Insurance section from 1948: chairman of the staff side of the North Midlands region of the Committee of the Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance from 1948; chairman of the national committee of the Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance from 1950; vice-chairman of the staff side Departmental Whitley Committee, Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance, from1950.

SPORTSMAN
A keen sportsman, Mr. Bailey played football for local teams in his younger days, tennis, and cricket for the Rushden Baptists. He is now a vice-president of the Baptist cricket team. He is also a member of the British Legion and the Rushden Concord Motor Club.

Mr. Bailey, and his wife. Mrs. Joyce Bailey, who is the daughter of the late Mr. J. T. Richardson, a member of the Rushden Urban Council and a former president of the Rushden Co-operative Society Ltd., have two sons. The elder, Alan, is an articled pupil with a firm of accountants, and the younger. Robin is still at Wellingborough Grammar School.

Young manager
Twenty-eight-year-old Mr. B. Foord has been appointed drapery manager and buyer of Rushden Society.

Mr. Foord started his co-operative career when he was eighteen, when he joined Dover Society. Mr. Foord moved to Royal Arsenal Society where he stayed until January this year before moving to Wolverton Society.

New Sectional Board member
MANAGING secretary of Rushden Society, Mr. R. R. Griffiths, was successful with 1,184 votes, in the election to fill a vacancy on the Midland Sectional Board caused by the resignation of Mr. H. Bailey.

Unsuccessful were: Mr. A. E. Lynn. Leicester, 568; Mr. P. R. Morris, South Leicestershire, 208; Doreen Dawes, Mount-sorrel, 66.

In the election to fill a vacancy on the Midland Sectional Education Council caused by the resignation of Mr. W. V. Lettice, Mr. A. Cox, Nuneaton and Atherstone was successful.

Unsuccessful candidates were: Mr. L. C. Townsend, Rugby, 102: Mr. E. W. Waldron, K.idderminster, 70; Mr. J. Harvey, Ten Acres and Stirchly, 46.

AFTER 52 years in the making department at the C.W.S. Rushden footwear factory, machine operator Mr. Charles Ginns has retired. Mr. Ginns has been a member of Rushden Society's board since 1945, and is at present the vice-chairman. In 1952 he was elected to the local urban council, and was chairman 1959-60. He is chairman of Wellingborough Divisional Labour Party. To mark his retirement, he received a presentation from C.W.S. director, Mr. H. W. Whitehead.

Children of Co-op staff at party
SEVENTY-ONE children of the employees of Rushden Co-operative Society attended a special Christmas party at Rushden Independent Wesleyan Church Schoolrooms in Queen Street last night, organised by the society's sports and social club.

The children, all under 12, were provided with tea, and given presents by Santa Claus. Later they watched films and a Punch and Judy show. Children who could not attend the party were visited at their homes by Santa Claus and given presents.

Successful
Mr. John Nunley, 63 Upper Queen Street, Rushden, was one of 106 successful candidates in the Coal Utilisation Council's correspondence course examination "Domestic Fuel and its Use" held in April. Mr. Nunley is employed by the Rushden Co-operative Society Ltd. The correspondence course is part of the council's Diploma Coal Merchants' Scheme which has the object of stimulating the standard of service to the public for the coal trade.

Award prizes in bread competition
RESULTS of their bread sales competition have now been announced by Rushden Society.

Special prizes have also been awarded, and incentive totals based on increased sales at the rate of 3d. per large loaf or its equivalent, were also given.

Among the bread sales staff first prize and a special award of £1 11s. went to Mr. J. Mitchell. Second, to Mr. W. Whiteman, and a special award of £2 2s. 9d. Third prize went to Mr. J. Chettle with a special award of 18s. 6d.

Among shop sales staff first prize was awarded to Irchester Road shop, together with £2 12s.; second to High Street South shop with 16s., and third prize to Rose Avenue together with £3 2s.

Personality girl chosen at Rushden
EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD Celia Lovell, Rushden, who works in the High Street pharmacy shop was last night chosen as Rushden Co-operative Society's personality girl 1963.

She was chosen at a staff meeting in the Victoria Hotel, Rushden. Second was Christine Perkins, who works in the footwear department, and third, Jacqueline Clarke, an employee at the Rose Avenue grocery shop.

The winning competitors— they were 19—received prizes from Mrs. J. Bailey, one of the society's committee.

Judges were: Mr. W. S. Bayes, society president; Miss M. Nichols, check office supervisor, and Mr. B. Foord, drapery manager and buyer.

Honours for Exams, Service and Driving
CERTIFICATES and cash awards were presented to seven members of Rushden Society's staff for their success in examinations during the past year, by Mr. W. S. Bayes, president, recently. They were: Miss J. Clarke, and Messrs. R. Cotton, B. Gosling, D. Gray, D. Thompson, M. James and P. Peacock. Mr. D. Spencer, of the milk department, received a cheque for completing 25 years' service with the society. Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents awards went to Messrs. W. Brittain, E. G. Dodd, W. Hadley, C. Joyce, K. Pearson and W. Wigglesworth (ten years); G. Bowers and A. E. Gell (eight years); J. Thompson (seven years); R. Parker, W. Whiteman, R. Pettitt (six years); and J. Holman and Miss D. Boddington (five years).

Labour candidate
PRESIDENT of Rushden Society and a director of Kaycee Clothing, Mr. Wilfred Stanley Boyes has been chosen as the Labour candidate for the Rushden South by-election.

Leaving Rushden
ASSISTANT secretary with Rushden Society for the past five years, Mr. P. Clarke is leaving to take up the position of assistant accountant with Oxford Society.

Mr. E. Newell the society's vice-president and a committee member for fifteen years is also leaving to take up an executive position with a footwear company in Bristol.

Returning to take charge
HAVING moved to Higham Ferrers Society 12 years ago from Rushden Society, Mr. F. Bedells is now returning to Rushden to take up the position of men's wear manager and buyer.

Mr. D. York, first assistant in the society's men's wear department is leaving to take over the management of Higher Ferrers men's wear shop.

Manager and store robbed
Thieves who broke into the house of Mr. Horace Waller, manager of Rushden Co-operative Society butcher's shop in North Street during the night, stole £140, and then used his keys to rob the shop safe of a further £91.

The £140 stolen from Mr. Waller's house, 21 Carnegie Street, Rushden, was money saved for a holiday.

The thieves got in through a downstairs window and took the money from his clothing. They took the keys to the front door and shop safe and used them to steal £91 0s 6d from the safe. Mr. Waller who slept through the incident, first discovered the theft when he got up this morning and noticed the keys to the safe were missing.

After informing the police, he went to the shop where he found the door opened and the safe broken into.

Mr. Waller would not comment on the theft but confirmed that the money stolen from his house was for his holiday, due to start next week.

Rushden police would like to interview anyone who saw or heard anything suspicious in the vicinity of the house, between 11.20 pm last night and 6.30 this morning or in the North Street area between the hours of 6.15 and 8.00 this morning.

MR. ROBIN COTTON, has been appointed assistant secretary of St. Neots Society. Mr. Cotton, who is 29, was previously chief clerk of Rushden Society, where he served on the benevolent fund, and education committees.

He was awarded the Co-operative Secretaries' Association Student of Merit prize, for gaining a distinction in secretarial practice, in last year's examination. At present studying for the Co-operative Secretaries' Diploma, Mr. Cotton will attend a week's scholarship at the Co-operative College in July.

NEWLY APPOINTED
MR. B. S. Foord, drapery manager and buyer of Rushden Society, has accepted the position of manager and buyer of the drapery section of Kettering Society. He has already been introduced to both the Kettering and nearby Corby staffs, and is to take up his position at Kettering after the Easter Holidays.

Rushden councillor retiring
MR. R. R. Griffiths, a Rushden urban councillor for 15 years, and chairman in 1963-64, will not be seeking re-election next month.

Business commitments have forced Mr. Griffiths to retire. He says that he feels he cannot devote as much time as the work demands to be able to do the job to its full extent.

Mr. Griffiths, a member for the North Ward, was the longest serving member of the Public Health Committee, having been on it since he became a councillor. He has also been chairman of the town Parks Committee for the past two years.

Mr. Griffiths is the managing-secretary of the Rushden Co-operative Society.

MR. ALBERT JOHN CAKE, traffic manager, Rushden Society, has been appointed to a similar post with Blackpool and Fleetwood Society. Mr. Cake, who is aged 47, takes up his new post on July 24.

Miss M. Nichols, who retired from the Rushden Co-operative Society after fifty years service, receives a cheque, yesterday, from Mr. W. S. Bayes, president. Centre is Mr. R. R. Griffths, managing secretary.

The presentation was at the the society's head offices off the High Street, Rushden.

Miss Nichols started work for the society in the general office, and has since worked in all sections of the administrative side of the business. For the past 21 years she was supervisor of the society's cheque office—a department in which she has seen a minor revolution.

Members' cheques were first sorted by hand, later the punch card system was adopted, and now electronic tape and computers are used. On her retirement last Friday, Miss Nichols received a fireside chair from the Co-operative Society's Employees Benevolent Fund for her work as honorary secretary over the years, and a jewel box from her colleagues at the society. Miss Nichols, is a member of Rushden Park Road Baptist Church, and has been the secretary of the church's Tuesday Fellowship.

She has served on Rushden Senior Citizens' Goodwill Committee for a number of years.

Albert Gell

At last night's board meeting of Rushden Co-operative Society, Albert of 43 Grove Road, Rushden received a cheque for £50 from Mr. W. S. Bayes, society president.

His colleagues on the rounds did not forget him either. They presented him with a gas lighter, pipe, tobacco pouch—and three ounces of tobacco for good measure. Albert, who is married with two daughters, started work for the Co-op on the farm, which the society used to have at Sanders Lodge.

In 1926, when milk delivery was introduced, Albert used to go round with a horse and cart with buckets of milk to ladle out to customers.

Albert intends to devote much of his retirement to his main hobby, gardening. And he will still be able to follow Oakley and Pytchley Hounds—his other love.

Mr. William King

For the past twenty years Mr. King has been foreman of the fuel department and for twelve years before that he was a coal lorry driver.

During his years with this firm he says he has seen many changes, the most notable being in types of coal sold. Once it was all coal, now it is coke and other specialised fuels, he said.

Before he retired, Mr. King was presented with a cheque by Mr. R. R. Griffiths, managing secretary, to mark his service.

Mr. King, who is married with one daughter, has made no special plans for retirement.

Residents of Alpine Road wish milkman Bill Hadley all the best in his retirement.

For the housewives he called on never forgot how he cheerfully trudged up a muddy track in all weathers to deliver their daily pintas — and on his last milk round they had a surprise for him.

It was only last year that Alpine Road was made up. Previously it had been a dirt track and in wet weather became ankle deep in mud. So when the housewives heard that Bill — 65 today — was retiring they got together and decided to give him a right royal send-off.

Mrs. Laurie Moore was Bill's first customer in the street and she organised a collection among the others. As Bill, of 54 Rushden Road, Wymington, arrived more than a dozen housewives gathered at Mrs. Moore's home to say good-bye and give him a present.

His workmates at Rushden presented him with a pipe, a lighter and some tobacco.

The four men who have retired (left to right) Mr Harold Bradshaw (47 years' service) Mr Horace Waller (50 years), Mr George Pogson (45 years) and Mr Bill King (51 years.

Four set up work record
Mr. Bill King retired at the weekend after havinhg helped create a long service record for his firm.

Mr. King is one of four Rushden Co-operative Society managers who have retired recently.

The other three are Mr Harold Bradshaw, Mr George Pogson and Mr Horace Waller, who all got together before their retirement for a chat in the society's boardroom.

Between them they have set a record 193 years of service with Mr. King contributing 51 years.

To commemorate their service, each of the four was presented with a cheque from the management, and various gifts were given by groups of employees.

Mr. King, of 31 Upper Queen Street, Rushden, hopes to visit his only son in New Zealand later this year. His only other plans are to "live from day to day" and to indulge in his favourite hobby of "beer and baccy".

Mr. Pogson, and his wife, of 114 Newton Road, Rushden, intend to "enjoy life to the full" now he has retired after 45 years. He looks forward to the prospect of having more time to follow his hobby of motor racing. He has two children and four grand-children.

Mr. Waller, of 21 Carnegie Street, Rushden, looks back to his 50 years as a butcher with pleasure. He admits he was a hard taskmaster but says there is only one way to learn the trade and that is to get it right from the start. Dick has never been unwilling to work hard. He remembers working seventy hours a week for eight shillings, and has offered to lend a hand in emergencies.

Mr. Bradshaw of 142 Highfield Road, Rushden, has been a grocer for 47 years and is looking forward to a holiday in Switzerland. He has a flourishing garden which takes up much of his time and both he and his wife enjoy a quiet evening listening to classical music. They have one son living in London.

All the four men are 65 years old.

Mr Jack Hacksley receives his cheque from Mr W. S. Bayes, East Northants Co-operative Society president.

Long serving employees get their rewards
SEVEN loyal workers from Rushden and Higham Ferrers lined up on Saturday to be rewarded for 25 years service to their firm.

All seven employees of the East Northamptonshire Co-operative Society are married men, with 13 children between them. Two of the seven—pharmacy dispenser Mr. Ben Perkins, and decorator Mr. Jack Haxley—are grandfathers. Mr. Perkins has three grandchildren and Mr. Haxley two.

Mr. J. Martin, the only bachelor among eight men due for awards, was on holiday in Wales and missed the presentation.

Changing
Mr. W. S. Bayes, president of the society, presented cheques to the long serving employees. The awards were made outside the society's head office in Rushden. The men joined the society after World War Two.

"You couldn't keep changing jobs in those days, because you wouldn't have known where the next week's money was coming from," said Mr. Perkins, of 4 Rose Avenue, Rushden.

Those who received their cheques with Mr. Perkins and Mr. Haxley, of 79 Park Road, Rushden; Mr. Brian Spencer, assistant furnishing manager, of 15 Fern Road, Rushden; Mr. Bert Robinson, coal foreman, of 15 Oswald Road, Rushden; Mr. Dick Lawrence, grocery office clerk, of 25 Handcross Way, Higham Ferrers; Mr. Charlie Joyce, milk foreman, of 10 Simpson Avenue, Higham Ferrers; and Mr. Peter Fenton, grocery manager, of 85 Washbrook Road, Rushden.

Grocery warehouseman, Mr. Martin, of 92 High Street, Higham Ferrers, will receive his cheque when he returns from holiday.

The seven men rewarded for long service in 1974, pictured outside the rear doors of the Co-op Furnishing Department. left-right: ?, ?, Mr Perkins, Mr Spencer, Mr Haxley, ?, ?. If you can add names we'd be grateful.

Co-op Claude retires
FORMER milkman turned mechanic, Mr. Claude Anderson, has retired after 43 years' service with the Co-operative Society at Rushden.

At a special retirement ceremony, he was presented with a cheque by society president, Mr. W. S. Bayes, as a token of appreciation of his work.

Mr. Anderson, of The Hedges, Higham Ferrers, joined the Society milk department in the 1920's and can still remember making deliveries by real horse power named Kit. In those days he worked as a rotary deliverer, delivering milk in the morning and bread in the afternoon.

Mr. Anderson returned to the society in 1946 and was responsible for collecting and distributing bulk milk supplies from the Wellingborough dairy.

Later he transferred to full-time duties as a mechanic with the society's motor fleet, where he remained until his retirement.