The Little Shop on Chapel Street
Glancing through the yellowing pages of some old Parish Magazines donated to the
History Group by David Edinborough I noticed an advert which will be familiar to
many of us, the name F.E. EATCH of Chapel St., General off-
The Eatch family tree can be traced back in Bramcote to John Eatch (1821 -
John married Fanny who, we believe, had been a housemaid at Bramcote Hall, the home of Banker Smith. John's brother Ernest was a private in the Royal Lancs. Fusiliers and was killed in World War 1. He is commemorated on the War Memorial in St. Michael's Church. There was also a sister, Emily, who married William Roberts and lived on Town Street.
John and Fanny's children were Ernest and Wilfred. Ernest, named after his late uncle, also took his turn working in the shop but his full time job was as keeper at the George V Recreation ground, very much his pride and joy. He married a lady called Elsie who at that time was working as a nanny to the three children of a local family, the Prudens, who lived on Beeston Fields Drive. Elsie obviously had a flair for her new role as a wife and shopkeeper and before very long had totally transformed the little shop on Chapel Street.
The range of its stock was quite something and if by chance, heaven forbid, a customer might ask for something not on the shelves it soon would be! Past customers of Eatch's will all have their own particular memories of the shop and of Elsie. For example, on opening the door you were immediately met with the comforting smell of fresh bread and the delicious ham being sliced to the customer's requirements, the same with the cheeses.
Margie Edinborough, David's wife, has fond memories of Eatch's shop and recalls its
influence on village life. 'Eatch's, as we always referred to the shop, was virtually
'open all hours' -
There was also a willingness on Elsie's part to split up packets of things such as razor blades and cigarettes and if you happened to be a bit short of cash that week she would 'put it on the slate', always provided old John Eatch was not around.
And, oh yes, there was a penny box of sweets on the counter for the children to choose from.
Ernest, of course helped his wife when off duty from the Recreation Ground and their daughter Sylvia pitched in at weekends and holiday times when school and, later, teaching duties allowed.
A special mention also for Elsie's long serving assistant, the late Vera Cooke, another lovely person in the Elsie mould.
When the shop was full, as it often was, there was time while waiting to be served for customers to have a good chat amongst themselves. The shop was certainly a hive of information, not just gossip but good information and this was particularly useful if some pastoral care was needed. It would be fair to say that over the years the shop became the hub of village life.
Sadly the shop on Chapel Street was closed in 1978. Ernest had died in 1977 aged 64 but Elsie was able to enjoy her retirement, continuing to take an active part in village life. She died in 2000 aged 88.
But that is not quite the end of the story. Visitors to the Old Church Tower at the top of Town Street, where restoration work is in progress, will be able to see Elsie's name immortalised on the granite panel linked to one of the three sculptured seats recently put in place in the Tower's grounds. The words on this panel, as for the two other seats, have been penned by local writer, Pat Ashworth and it was deemed fitting that Elsie Eatch, so much a part of village life over the years, should be remembered in this way.
Edward Motteram
Mr and Mrs Eatch in the shop
Photo courtesy of Sylvia Whalley (nee Eatch)
Bramcote Bugle -
