[speaker001:] Erm this is this is a pet shop in. And erm how long has this shop been going for?
[speaker002:] be sixty one years.
[speaker003:] Sixty one years.
[speaker002:] Since nineteen twenty six.
[speaker003:] And it's always been actually situated at this very shop here on?
[speaker002:] exactly in the same place.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] That's right.
[speaker003:] You must have quite a lot of memories.
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER] Yeah [] well. A lot has happened.
[speaker003:] Has
[speaker002:] Er in the years I can assure you. [phone rings] [break in recording]
[speaker003:] Right so at the point we broke off, you were saying about things that things have changed quite a lot. What was it like I mean you know you er when you first moved here that was it nineteen twenty six? Er yeah.
[speaker002:] As a child? I was a child. At school? Yes.
[speaker003:] So that was obviously that was well well before the flats were built So what was it actually like? What kind of housing was it across where the flats are now? I believe they're coming down very shortly.
[speaker002:] Er... Yeah they were semis. All semi That's right, semis. Two houses, an entry.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] That's right. All the way up Road right to Street. And er they were good houses. Er definitely good houses.
[speaker003:] So what actually happened that were they were brought down?
[speaker002:] Well this is the powers that be isn't it? Er I suppose really the fact that all the streets down Road were er very narrow. And er I think some people might have called it a slum, I suppose they were in a way. But there were some very good people lived down those streets. And they cleared the entire area.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] The area that you can see.
[speaker003:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] Right to the Boulevard. And erm er built the flats in place. They pulled the houses down, all the shops down. Because there were shops all the way down Boulevard. From here. And er put up the flats. Er it's different. It definitely is different to what it
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] used to be.
[speaker003:] Was it I mean when the actual decision was made to ge to get rid of that property that was there prior to the flats, was that a controversial decision or was it welcomed by local people who?
[speaker002:] Er be difficult to say because er looking at it purely from the mercenary side of the business,
[speaker003:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] If memory serves me correct, there were about say four hundred dwellings.
[speaker003:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] And they put up the flats, and I think I'm right there, is about seven hundred dwellings.
[speaker003:] That's right. Yeah.
[speaker002:] So there's more people into the area for the shops. And er looking at it from that light it was er obviously a better proposition. But somehow well I don't know, things didn't seem to work out. Er it was ne it's never been the road that it was prior to that.
[speaker003:] Mhm. Yeah what was
[speaker002:] Never. Even even er well with the er extra extra houses that you might say, the flats the extra dwellings. And it's never been the road it was. Up unto er I think the flats came about nineteen sixty seven I think. Something like that nineteen sixty seven or nineteen sixty eight, some where around there. But er it's not the road that that that it used to be. Not not business-wise.
[speaker003:] Mhm. So w did you used to have quite a lot of customers who came up from th from there
[speaker002:] little streets you mean?
[speaker003:] Yes
[speaker002:] Oh yes. Oh yes.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] Very very many.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] I mean this is personally for our place, and I'm sure all the shops did the same.. They all er traded on the. And er well it was rather good.
[speaker003:] And what kind of community was it?
[speaker002:] community.
[speaker003:] I mean did people tend to know everyone, know each other 's name
[speaker002:] stay together er families stay together er I thi mind you I think this is pretty general anywhere, but from what I understand, but er when er sons and daughters marry, they invariably got a house just down the street, near to mum. They didn't move out of the area necessarily.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] I won't say none of them did, but the majority stayed together, so you might say this gave this close knit of people all intermingled relative-wise. Which as I say, er it was alright. It maybe not the modern way but it was.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] Er certainly the area is better from the point of these little streets going. It's just a bit unfortunate in my opinion, what they put up in the place. If they put houses up it'd be a different situation.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] But they didn't. They really out.
[speaker003:] Mhm. What do you think went wrong?
[speaker002:] Don't know.... I wouldn't like to say.
[speaker003:] Was it
[speaker002:] I don't really know.
[speaker003:] Mhm. Was it I mean... was there w I mean wit with regard to custom, Did you get much custom Have you had much custom from people in the flats?
[speaker002:] Oh yes. Oh yes. I mean again you know, this is speaking personally of the trade,
[speaker003:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] you see, when this thing first happened, er all those old houses, they all had some sort of garden. It was the order of the day. You didn't build a house without a garden. Even if it was neglected, it was they still got a little bit of land. And er of course people er pursue their own hobbies of pets. Or whatever it may be. And this is er obviously ideal for us. Well when they put the flats up, I mean they couldn't keep pets, and they hadn't got a garden, and there was a period of time when er we were rather concerned. From fr the only from the trade angle, the business angle. But like so many other things er, they say, when one door closes another one opens, so the people in the flats, they hadn't got a garden, then they er went to town on er pot plants, indoor plants. In place of a garden. And to offset the the er not being able to have pets as such, pigeons and aviaries of birds and things like that. Erm they went into fish. They could have as many fish tanks as they wanted, so things came right again. And er er well as I say, they took the place of gardens and er birds really.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] Birds I'm talking now, not the one in the cage, er the aviaries and the pigeons and the chickens and all that sort of thing. Which they used to have down those streets. So really it's not worked out too badly. I mean er now we're in the second flow of them being emptied again, so I don't know what's gonna happen for the future.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] I'll have to wait and see.
[speaker003:] Mm. Do you welcome the flats that are c the fact the flats are coming down or are you sorry about it do you feel?
[speaker002:] Well I'm er I'm actually sorry about it in and and that. But I think it will be better, better for the area
[speaker003:] The flats coming down?
[speaker002:] If if they put up dwellings.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] Houses as opposed to flats. Er I I personally think that would be better for the area, yes.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] They whether they're going to do that I I I don't really know yet, not really certain. I can't seem to have have yet heard definitely that this is going to be. I hope it is.
[speaker003:] Mhm. How has the actual erm shopping complex when i th the area in general, how has that changed erm over the erm
[speaker002:] Over the years?
[speaker003:] over the years? I mean obviously for thirty
[speaker002:] Well... it was always said that and Street, were the two best shopping Roads in Nottingham. And er I quite believe it. I don't know much about Street, but er I can say this, That on on, if you started at the top, at Road and walked down to er well just past where we are, you could buy anything. And not only just er the cheaper things, quality. You could buy both. It doesn't matter what you wanted, you could buy anything, whether it be as I say, er the cheaper line of goods in whatever category they might fall, or the better class.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] And er well now I think there's a lot of things that you can't purchase on this road. From what i understand you have got to go out of the road to get to get er well this er well whatever it is, this
[speaker003:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] type of thing. I know there's an awful lot you can get on the road, but not not like it used to be.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] So to me it is not as good as it was, as a shopping area.
[speaker003:] Mhm. What about for traders I mean, erm obviously you can't really c er why you can't comment on the fact that er how your father o o can you comment on how your father actually moved here in the first place. I mean, what attracted him to?
[speaker002:] Ooh that No I couldn't answer that er only the fact that er he'd been in the pet business, all his life.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] But not in Nottingham, down in London.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] And he moved up here after the war, World War One. and I don't know what he did in between then and er... Oh he had a we had a sweet shop on Road. That's right. But he obviously wanted to get in his own trade, and I assume place came up. For for sale I would imagine. Anyway he moved into here, er like I say, nineteen twenty six. And er been here ever since.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] Er... Well that's that's really it in that sense
[speaker003:] Mm.
[speaker002:] erm I mean my father died eventually, and er the business passed on to meself. And now my son's in it with me so hopefully he will carry it on when the time comes.
[speaker003:] Mhm. So there's there's the
[speaker002:] I don't know.
[speaker003:] this business has been in erm family hands since nineteen twenty six?
[speaker002:] Yes.
[speaker003:] That's sixty that's for sixty odd years.
[speaker002:] That's sixty one years. That's right.
[speaker003:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] Yeah..
[speaker003:] There must be a lot of pride actually in it then Erm
[speaker002:] It is rather nice I must admit. Er it is rather nice
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] Yes. I must I think it is anyway. But it's now in its you might say third generation mightn't you. Basically.
[speaker003:] And has it cha you know the actual erm things that you sell, the actual. The trade itself, how's that changed?
[speaker002:] Oh yes yes it's changed yes. Well I mean you've used the word the pet shop.
[speaker003:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] Or the pet trade.
[speaker003:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] Er which it is.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] But way back er there wasn't such a thing as a pet shop. Not as you know it. They were corn shops, which is what this was. Er that's like I say, chickens, pigeons, and various other animals, obviously rabbits, and dogs and cats. And it was the corn shop that started selling the dog and cat biscuits. Of which there weren't too many. I think there were sufficient but there weren't too many. Er well through progression, through whatever people giving up chickens and pigeons and all that sort of thing. Oh and in case of this particular area, not being allowed to keep them. So you're not a corn shop any more. But of course, this is where you came into the pet shop. You catered for pets. As opposed to well chickens and pigeons. Er and that's how it is today. Dogs and cats, of course birds, and er since the war, erm second war erm in the fifties, er the aquatic side started to take over and er people kept fish. Cold water fish and then er what are generally known as tropical fish which are basically fresh water tropical fish, and maybe this last fifteen years or so, er a step up from that they've gone onto tropical marine fish. Which is how the business is today. And we also did in those old days, pre-war, a big garden trade. Seeds, which were sold loose, and all the fertilizers and er erm accessories that go with it. Plant pot etcetera etcetera. Well again since the war and er probably since about the sixties, the garden centres have taken over a lot on that. But we still sell the seeds and we still sell the fertilizers, but we don't sell them loose any more, they're in fancy packets. Which people seem to prefer. And er again they're... some of the side of the trade that has altered, but the basics are still there. It's still er a a garden shop in that sense. But not s not so No the the stuff is not sold in the same way. We just have packeted seeds like nearly everyone else. And er fertilizers we s tell lo still sell loose and packet them ourselves but it has altered. But the garden side's still there anyway.
[speaker003:] Mhm. What about erm how was it that you became involved in erm was it Having looked round the shop erm is it you specialize in is erm fish
[speaker002:] Ah I see what you mean yes. Yes. Ah well that was when my son came in the business.
[speaker003:] Yes.
[speaker002:] Because prior to that we hadn't sold fish as such. Goldfish yes, and that s a few cold water fish but nothing much. And it was he that er started the er the aquatic side. And er eventually when we got the ne purchased the next door premises, we decided to turn that entirely into aquatic.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] And er what we term, the front shop, the main shop if you like, that's still the pet shop. And er the next door shop is the aquatic where all the aquatics are.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] But it was he that started the aquatic trade. Er it would be about nineteen seventy perhaps.
[speaker003:] Mhm. One thing that interests me erm is you know, a lot of the shops haven't survived. You know a lot of the erm shops that have been here for many years
[speaker002:] Mhm.
[speaker003:] eventually disappeared from for various reasons.
[speaker002:] Mm.
[speaker003:] What do you think it is about that's sort of helped this shop survive for so many years.
[speaker002:] To keep this one going?
[speaker003:] Yeah I mean thi is now sixty one years which
[speaker002:] Well I don't really know. Excepting that er... it might be the fact that always have we had what I would term an an outside trade. By that I mean... partially out of this area.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] And er I mean that was pre-war I'm talking of even there. We had customers that came or we delivered to, out of the area. And we've still got them. So maybe that's kept us going when the times weren't so good as they might be. When the local populants er declined. As I say which came about when they built the flats and filled those. But we've still got those outside er customers. By outside I'm talking obviously of er,,
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] Places like that.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] And we have got one or two families that still trade with us, their parents traded with us. And their sons or daughters or whatever still trade with us. And that maybe that's the reason.
[speaker003:] Mhm. Am I right in saying that you've also been very you've also changed with the times as well, and adjusted
[speaker002:] Well we sort of had to obviously.
[speaker003:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] We've had to. Erm we could the the the the needs of the customers are different. Er through through the er local scene I suppose.
[speaker003:] Mhm. Cos you were saying for example with the fact that the the flats they erm people what they actually wanted to buy from here, erm differed from what Yeah.
[speaker002:] that fr the people in the houses had? That's right. It was still basically pets, but a different type of pets.
[speaker003:] mhm.
[speaker002:] Or a a different type of livestock maybe better word cos i don't know You can't really count chickens and pigeons as in the way of pets. Although they are, they must be to the people concerned but I mean, a pet's usually a dog, cat or bird isn't it? When you say I've got a pet, whatever.
[speaker003:] Yeah. Mhm. Moving on to look at the fact I mean you had erm and it isn't the fact that you're still working in the shop, you're still helping the shop, you've had forty years in which you actually lived here didn't you? about forty years?
[speaker002:] Yes yes, forty years.
[speaker003:] Were they were they happy years?
[speaker002:] Ooh they were.
[speaker003:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] Definitely.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] Oh yes.
[speaker003:] And did you get to know a lot of people in the obvious well do you still know a lot of people in the area.
[speaker002:] Yes er the older people er erm and some of their erm children. Which are now sort of grown up but er known them all my life. And the older people er er I've obviously known those mor nearly all my life as well. Oh yes. happy days here. I've no regrets.
[speaker003:] Mm.
[speaker002:] I mean we were brought up here. Didn't do me any harm.
[speaker003:] What kind of community has it been, having lived here having had so many years in which you've actually had I mean ei either lived here for forty years plus erm from many other years you've actually been working here in addi in addition.
[speaker002:] Yes.
[speaker003:] Erm what kind of community had there been here I mean, erm is there mu er is there much community spirit in would you say or not?
[speaker002:] I think there is.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] You're talking of today?
[speaker003:] Yeah today.
[speaker002:] Yes. I think there is probab
[speaker003:] Compared with previously.
[speaker002:] Yeah probably are.
[speaker003:] Compared with pre
[speaker002:] Probably not so much as previously.
[speaker003:] mhm.
[speaker002:] But I think there is a community spirit here, yes.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] But I I think No I I I wouldn't have thought that it er was as much as er er as it was previously.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] No. I wouldn't have thought so.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] But certainly there is a there is the s the spirit here. And without a doubt.
[speaker003:] mhm.
[speaker002:] But then see people live live different lives today. Er and again I don't know er it's only my thoughts that everybody's in such a hurry today through pressure of this and pressure of that. Perhaps they don't have time to stand and talk like we used to. Erm and that may be the reason.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] That you've got to get on with your thing and get your shopping or whatever it is, done quick to get home to do whatever they do at home. Whereby you know going back a bit it was quite the accepted thing to stand and have a chat for ten, twenty minutes and er life was at a slower pace. Which it is I would assume anywhere. I don't think it's er anything to do with area or a this town, this city, or this
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] I mean people move faster now, they don't have time. I don't know why they don't have time, but er they don't.
[speaker003:] Mhm. the actual flats gonna be coming down. Do you think that they erm were an asset or or or not to the actual community when they ac I mean erm looking at how things were in prior to the flats being built and and
[speaker002:] Mm.
[speaker003:] erm the couple of years since, I mean have they What impact have they had on the area in general, if any?
[speaker002:] The flats?
[speaker003:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] Well I don't know er
[speaker003:] Well you j you're sitting
[speaker002:] In all In in all fairness they're not in my opinion, not exactly the greatest thing to look at in the country are they? They don't sort of spur you one with, Oh dear look at that, isn't that nice? I mean it's a dwelling I think it's fine they're very nice, so I understand. But looking purely at the outside bit, If they'd have had some whitewash on I think they'd have looked better. Quite honestly. But er I think that has not improved it. I think perhaps, as I say, I'd have had some colour. It might had er i i it could well have er given a different appearance to people coming through. The passers by, not the people that live here. Er but that's just I say, that is my opinion.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] Erm they really do look a little bit drab, a little bit grey. Well they are grey looking cos that's the colour of them.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] But er I would have thought they would have presented themselves better, had they have been er well a little bit more colour about it.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] I mean you get normal houses, I know they're only red bricks, but they've got different coloured doors and different coloured window frames and things like that. Which er... well to me it looks nice. But they are all the same. The grey had taken the place of the red bricks and as you can look out now, you can see them. All the windows are the same colour. And assumably all the doors are the same colour. It'er nothing to to show out or stand out or look rather pleasant.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] I mean as I say very very good.
[speaker003:] Mhm. Have you had much contact with anyone in people in the flats
[speaker002:] In what way?
[speaker003:] As a trader a
[speaker002:] Customers?
[speaker003:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] Quite a lot.
[speaker003:] Mhm. And although it's quite easy to it's quite difficult to Sorry, it's quite difficult to erm to generalize, I mean how have you found the people compared erm people ever discuss the flats or
[speaker002:] Not really, no. No not really.
[speaker003:] I mean do you find most people happy contented living there or
[speaker002:] Yes they seem just ordinary people
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] to me. Yeah.
[speaker003:] mhm.
[speaker002:] They're quite appear quite Well I don't know whether they're happy living in the flats or not but they seem quite normal people, they talk about the normal thing that people always talked about.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] And er. No they I think they're the same type of people by and large, as as we had here before. Really.
[speaker003:] Do
[speaker002:] er they seem just ordinary people.
[speaker003:] Whereabout I mean certainly in recent years anyway, 's had a lot of erm bad publicity in the press and certainly in the press and
[speaker002:] Oh yes.
[speaker003:] T V. I mean how far do you think the publicity that the area's had has been... from your considerable experience would be
[speaker002:] I Yes. I think er it did get a very bad name. But it is I think it is far different now to what it was... five five or six, seven years ago.
[speaker003:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] That er when you get these these er er reputations or whatever it is, it takes an awful lot of living down. And I think a lot of people outside the area,... perhaps do not accept it. You know, it's er it's got the bad publicity that it had and it's still got it, well I don't think it has to be. It's far far different I I I think to what it was as I say, er well five, ten years ago.
[speaker003:] What are the difference that the last five, ten years? What what kind of difference have round in ten years?
[speaker002:] Oh [cough] I think the people are different, somehow or other. I know they're probably the same people that lived here then but er There's all this talk about problems and troubles er we we've never noticed it. On the other hand, at six o'clock at night I've gone home.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] So I can't speak for that obviously.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] But er they seem quite ordinary people to me.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] people I know and the only ones I really know are those that come in the shop. And they're they're just people.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] And they've got the usual moans and groans like everybody else including myself. I've got my moans and groans, but haven't we all.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] But er you know the ordinary people.
[speaker003:] Mm. So how are things you know, said that in the last few say, in five years, that things have changed. What k what kind what's changed in the short time are the things Wh when I've been talking to them about the publicity you said that, The last few years there's there has been
[speaker002:] It's
[speaker003:] very recent there has been changes.
[speaker002:] It There there is a difference.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] There is a difference now. And to to the better.
[speaker003:] So the thing you're saying you're saying that people
[speaker002:] Ooh yes. Yes to what they were.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] Yes.
[speaker003:] Mhm. So you've er you're pretty hopeful about the future?
[speaker002:] I am if they put houses up there yes.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] that's purely a mercenary business thing obviously.
[speaker003:] What about for the overall area, I mean, do you s do you think that that what kind of future do you think has?... Cos I mean
[speaker002:] Well er I would think erm
[speaker003:] Both for the I'm talking about both for the from the trader's point of view and also for the also
[speaker002:] Yes. Er I would think it should have a decent future, myself. If you know providing things keep going along the lines
[speaker003:] Mm.
[speaker002:] that er I understand they are going to go along.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] Oh yes I think so.
[speaker003:] What where are you I've missed that actually the the quite interesting just to briefly ask you about th erm When we s when I saw you last time, you were telling me something about actually erm a bit about yourself how what kind of person actually saying, you know, personality, what kind of things Wh how would you actually describe yourself? say if I said to you, Erm what kind of person are you?
[speaker002:] Me?
[speaker003:] What kind of q Yeah what are the kin what are the kind of qualities that have helped you get by over the years?
[speaker002:] Just an ordinary person. I don't think I've got any special qualities at all. I'm sure I haven't. No er take life as it comes you know. times, we've all had bad times
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] and doubtless we'll have some more bad times but er No no. I think that I'm just an ordinary I hope I am anyway. I would like to think I am just an ordinary person. Er I don't really know anything special about me. Had a normal upbringing, normal schooling. Normal early work life.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] I mean
[speaker003:] What did you do in your. You was that
[speaker002:] When I first started work?
[speaker003:] Yeah. Yeah.
[speaker002:] Well like any other shop lad, and although worked with me father I was still a shop lad. Er out on the shop bike, and cleaning the windows and all that sort of thing. With everybody else who worked in shops did the same thing. All the juniors. We didn't start at the top in those days. And work your way in. up or down. You started at the bottom.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] I didn't regret it. They were happy days.
[speaker003:] And wh when you when you look at your actual erm schooldays, etcetera schooldays
[speaker002:] Oh yes round here. Oh they were good.
[speaker003:] What school is it you went to?
[speaker002:] I went to. Which is not called that now, I went to Road. And then after that I went to a public school but er to those years er I just followed the pattern. After, that was that, and then on to Road. Er that was just normal schooldays schooldays.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] I don't regret them. Not one little bit.
[speaker003:] is this erm looking at the a Moving on to look at the erm this area for actual for traders and so on, is it as attractive erm for traders to actually move into the area, as it was previously or or not? Erm
[speaker002:] Well That's a bit difficult er I would probably think not.
[speaker003:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] I would probably think not. Er quite so today as it used to be. Er I'm only basing on that there are one or two empty shops
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] around. Fortunately not too many on this little patch we're on. I understand further up the road there are.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] Well that must mean something. Must do.
[speaker003:] Mhm. Well do you think actually so to make it more What could be done to actually make it more attractive to traders?
[speaker002:] To traders?
[speaker003:] Yeah. Cos obviously
[speaker002:] Ah.
[speaker003:] you can cos you can contrast it with when it was a very successful area.
[speaker002:] Mm. Well.
[speaker003:] You could get virtually anything at one stage.
[speaker002:] You could.
[speaker003:] So what what could you do to kind of
[speaker002:] Er I don't really know. It would be asking too much to bring all the shops back on
[speaker003:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] patch, obviously.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] And make it one long road of shops. That may have been the reason. That may have been the decline that they chopped all these shops out, and so er... well as far as this side of the road, right hand side coming from the city end. Er all of sudden you get the Boulevard and the shops stop. Whether that is it, I don't know but it could well be. You stop there. You don't go any further. And I know I don't really know. Not to be able to answer that one. To make it more attractive. Perhaps if we get dwellings as I say, up here.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] These small small houses again, yes that could that could have er an impact I think.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] It could well do. It might bring more people into the area.
[speaker003:] Mhm. other
[speaker002:] Who do the shopping like.
[speaker003:] Mhm. So actually quite a few factors, what actually goes there the flats could be quite an important factor for the area.
[speaker002:] I think so. I really do. Yes.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] I I really do think that.
[speaker003:] Mhm. Is th another area that I didn't cover actually when when we were looking at the flats was erm, some people have s have around said that erm flats when they were first up in the first few years, erm were a contrast with the later years, in that erm they didn't have many of the problems, Many of the problems associated with the flats now,didn we were not in existence in the early days of the flats. Do you would you say
[speaker002:] No I don't think they were. If they were they didn't manifest theirself.
[speaker003:] Mhm. So
[speaker002:] I would think er very little er problems er if that's the word. Er as you say, about the first eight years.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] Er it's something like that. Ten years perhaps. No there were just erm a load of flats across there instead of houses. No.
[speaker003:] Mhm. So is it have you idea what's actually changed why
[speaker002:] Why?
[speaker003:] things were okay early on and
[speaker002:] I don't know.
[speaker003:] Was it a fairly sudden thing or A rapid change?
[speaker002:] It probably
[speaker003:] Was it sudden or fairly slow change?
[speaker002:] manifested itself perhaps, over a period of... three, four years.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] Or five five, six years perhaps. Something like that.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] The reasons why are I I d I don't know.
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] as I say, the majority of the people whom I come in contact with, they're just people. Just ordinary people.
[speaker003:] Mhm. So so you felt that
[speaker002:] the could be anywhere.
[speaker003:] Mhm. So am I right in saying, you find the people in the flats fine.
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[speaker003:] No problem at all.
[speaker002:] The people I've come in contact with, definitely. No trouble at all.
[speaker003:] straight into finish now most of the areas. Erm that started and let's look at the actual future. Erm
[speaker002:] Mm.
[speaker003:] So looki looking ahead, erm how do you see the future for this business. Do you I mean do you think you can
[speaker002:] Oh dear. Yeah. Well
[speaker003:] I mean you start started going sixty one years. Erm so
[speaker002:] I er
[speaker003:] What about it's chances to of of century
[speaker002:] Going the next [LAUGHTER]
[speaker003:] Of ge of getting to a hundred years old?
[speaker002:] I would think that's rather unlikely. Er
[speaker003:] You think that's rather unlikely?
[speaker002:] Well I do because er... As I say, my son more or less runs it now. And he hasn't any children. So there you go from there. And er
[speaker003:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] It'd be nice er but I shouldn't think he will be having a family now. So after he, there isn't anyone
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] to carry it on.
[speaker003:] Mhm. I'm right in saying that, he's he you know he's had er many He's got h he he's likely to have many years yet isn't he, working for
[speaker002:] Oh he's got er yeah he's got quite a few. Er he could well I'll be eighty six. Oh he could take us into the two thousand. Yes.
[speaker003:] That'd be quite an achievement really. And you could take into account the fact that
[speaker002:] That's right.
[speaker003:] you started in the year of the general strike in nineteen twenty six.
[speaker002:] Now that's a thought yeah. No I've not looked at it that way.
[speaker003:] Mm. You mean you've never thought.
[speaker002:] Yes. [LAUGHTER] occurred to me that. Yes we did didn't we? Yes.
[speaker003:] I mean
[speaker002:] Aye.
[speaker003:] Do you do you think erm your father when he started the shop in twenty six, would ever imagined that it could possibly go on to the the end of the century?
[speaker002:] Ah well I don't know. He might he probably had his thoughts. Can't remember him ever talking to me about this. But he probably did have his thoughts. Bearing in mind that although not here as I said, but he he he worked for his father. And his father worked for his father. So the the Yes it's been going back a the the name, the firm in that sense I think goes back a lot of years. But I say, as far as Nottingham's concerned, er er only since er like I say nineteen twenty six. But er yes he probably did have thoughts on that.
[speaker003:] I think we'll end on that one. Thank you thanks very much for your help.
[speaker002:] That's quite alright.
[speaker003:] Thank you.
[speaker002:] You're welcome. [recording ends]