Information requested on a shop called Weldons

I remember the shop on Beccles Road c.1961-late 60s as I lived nearby and shopped there occasionally. I recall the son of the lady shopkeeper attended Alderman Leach School and was the same age as me and he was a good footballer ... maybe played for Alderman Leach School football team. I was unaware of the shopkeeper's surname but if it was Mrs Willis she was always a happy smiling lady and she knew my late mother. There was another very tiny grocery/'allsorts' shop further along the Beccles Road owned by Mrs Bristow ... and almost opposite there was Longs' Dairy shop. That part of the Beccles Road has since been widened and many of the houses on the Willis' and Bristow's shops' side of the road have been demolished. Best wishes Duncan Kirkwood in Peterborough

Ref the query on Weldons I spoke to a very good friend who lived on Beccles Rd , he said the shop was situated about 100yards from the halfway house going towards the Church Rd end of Beccles Rd . My friend cannot remember the name of the family ,but can remember the son used to go to the Alderman Leach school as he played football against him apparently the shop and alot of the houses along the road were demolished so that Beccles Road could be widened. On the same road used to be Longs Dairy,hope this helps ,my friend often writes on this site ,his name is Duncan Kirkwood.

Many thanks Duncan and Keith for your responses. My main reason for making this enquiry was to find out the whereabouts and what happened to the Willis family. I started work there at the age of 11 in 1947 as an errand boy delivering groceries etc usually to older people who could not carry their purchases. On delivery I was usually awarded a 3d or 6d tip (old money). The carrier bike had a very deep basket and being only 11/13 years old I had great difficulty in reaching goods in the bottom of the basket. I sometimes had to put the bike on its side to get them out. Other duties were to tidy the warehouse, sort out the fruit and vegetables and to make sure they were suitable for sale. I also assisted with the making of bouquets and wreaths. I usually worked on Friday evenings and either a half or a whole day on Saturday and some days during the week during school holidays. After a while I served customers in the shop and got to know the price of all the products. All adding up for the total of the bill was done manually. When I was 15/16 Mr. and Mrs. Willis would go shopping in Yarmouth and leave me in charge of the shop. I recall one amusing incident, and the older generation will remember this, when a ship carrying oranges was wrecked just off the coast. Tons of oranges were washed ashore and hordes of people, including Mr. Willis, gathered them up. We spent quite some time washing and drying them ready to be sold. I am not sure if oranges were at that time still on ration. Mr. Willis was known as Ben and Mrs Willis as, I think, Lilly. Duncan, you are right when you say that Mrs. Willis was a happy smiling lady. They had two children, Margaret and Graham. Margaret was learning to play the piano at Miss Benson's next to the shop and Graham at that time was a toddler and I used to help him climb over a high step leading to the back of the shop. I learned later that Graham was keen on football but I don't know if he took it up seriously. Mr. and Mrs. Willis were good to me and wanted me to stay on after I left school possibly to look after another shop. Although this was tempting I was more interested in engineering and went to London as an apprentice with BOAC (now British Airways). I spent the rest of my working life associated with aircraft. To recap, any information about the Willis family would be appreciated. Regards – Raymond Brown.

Many thanks Duncan and Keith for your responses. My main reason for making this enquiry was to find out the whereabouts and what happened to the Willis family. I started work there at the age of 11 in 1947 as an errand boy delivering groceries etc usually to older people who could not carry their purchases. On delivery I was usually awarded a 3d or 6d tip (old money). The carrier bike had a very deep basket and being only 11/13 years old I had great difficulty in reaching goods in the bottom of the basket. I sometimes had to put the bike on its side to get them out. Other duties were to tidy the warehouse, sort out the fruit and vegetables and to make sure they were suitable for sale. I also assisted with the making of bouquets and wreaths. I usually worked on Friday evenings and either a half or a whole day on Saturday and some days during the week during school holidays. After a while I served customers in the shop and got to know the price of all the products. All adding up for the total of the bill was done manually. When I was 15/16 Mr. and Mrs. Willis would go shopping in Yarmouth and leave me in charge of the shop. I recall one amusing incident, and the older generation will remember this, when a ship carrying oranges was wrecked just off the coast. Tons of oranges were washed ashore and hordes of people, including Mr. Willis, gathered them up. We spent quite some time washing and drying them ready to be sold. I am not sure if oranges were at that time still on ration. Mr. Willis was known as Ben and Mrs Willis as, I think, Lilly. Duncan, you are right when you say that Mrs. Willis was a happy smiling lady. They had two children, Margaret and Graham. Margaret was learning to play the piano at Miss Benson's next to the shop and Graham at that time was a toddler and I used to help him climb over a high step leading to the back of the shop. I learned later that Graham was keen on football but I don't know if he took it up seriously. Mr. and Mrs. Willis were good to me and wanted me to stay on after I left school possibly to look after another shop. Although this was tempting I was more interested in engineering and went to London as an apprentice with BOAC (now British Airways). I spent the rest of my working life associated with aircraft. To recap, any information about the Willis family would be appreciated. Regards – Raymond Brown.

Today 10th February a neighbour told me about the website and the query by Raymond Brown about Weldon's shop which was owned by my parents, Lily and Ben Willis. I will write a page of information tomorrow covering questions and other details in comments by Raymond, Duncan and Keith. Margaret.

Hello Margaret,

Thank you for showing an interest - Re Weldons. You said you would be writing something for me on the 11th February. As at today (3rd March) I have not received anything. Did you manage to write anything or are you having difficulty in getting onto the site?

Regards Raymond Brown

Hello Margaret Willis, I am still trying to contact you. Did you manage to write a page of information? I would be pleased if you could provide me with further information. Regards Raymond Brown

I have found all the information all concerned very interesting.  I now live in the property where the shop history be.