February 2019

Buckden Roundabout

February 2019

Pipe’s Shop, Buckden (1945-96)

Sylvia and Sidney

married in 1940 and

lived

rented

rooms in Cambridge.

Sid had failed his

medical for the forc-

es but due to his

flourishing abilities

with radio was se-

conded to P.Y.E of

Cambridge for the duration of the war, playing his part in the

development of radar. Sylvia worked in the P.Y.E. factory,

alongside other women, assembling radio communication

equipment especially for tanks. She found the factory work

an eye-opener and was more than a little shocked by what

some of her fellow workers were prepared to offer American

soldiers, in exchange for a pair of stockings!

With peacetime came new possibilities. Sid’s involvement

with P.Y.E. conferred eligibility to develop an electrical fran-

chise. The couple were looking for prospective premises when

they visited Buckden in 1945. They saw potential in the strik-

ing building at 49 Church Street and duly took on the lease,

envisioning their new general and electrical store.

The arrival of ‘The Pipes’ was a breath of fresh air for the vil-

lage. The shop was soon smartened up and Sid became the go

-to person for technical advice; supplying ready-charged accu-

mulators; shotgun cartridges for pigeon-scaring and a large

range of handy tools and fixings. Sid was energetic and deter-

mined to build up the electrical side of the business.

With rationing still very much a part of daily life, most Buck-

den residents were registered with ‘Milner’s’ or ‘Bowtells’.

These two stores enjoyed the lion’s share of local trade. It was

evident Sylvia needed to direct some energy to the grocery

side of the business in order to attract custom away from

these long-established competitors. Fortunately, behind the

scene Sylvia had the help and back-room support of her par-

ents (Mr & Mrs Gill) who lived on the premises, too.

Sylvia had a quiet, lady-like countenance and a natural apti-

tude for customer service, long before training in such

matters was considered. She always smiled and treated all her

customers the same, whether they were regulars or not, and

never neglected to enquire as to the health of other family

members. She also produced fabulous home-cooked ham.

The customer base expanded so Sid’s best man, Gerald Finch,

was offered employment. The long-awaited blessing of

parenthood followed, with the arrival of Colin in 1956. With

behind the scenes help from the Gills, and Gerald manning

the grocery counter and undertaking deliveries to neighbour-

ing villages, life settled into a happy routine and the business

prospered.

TV ownership expanded speedily. Sid found himself supplying,

installing and repairing TVs and erecting TV aerials. He was

also called upon to fix some of the new electrical domestic

appliances that were beginning to find their way into village

homes; toasters, vacuum cleaners, fridges and washing ma-

chines. Sid could fix them all!

Over the road the Hinsby’s were begin-

ning to find their corner shop ‘too much’

in their declining years. Sid duly took on

the lease in 1962, employing local girls,

first ‘Chrissie’ Gale and after she left to

get married, Jane Milner. Following the

death of Mr Hinsby in 1973, the Pipes

were able to purchase the freehold for

their shop. They also acquired the remain-

ing stock from the corner shop and Jane

moved over the road too. Colin joined

the business after leaving school. He in-

troduced a new element to the shop with bedding plants and

garden supplies. Colin had green fingers and his handiwork

further expanded the shop’s market range.

The shop window displays were renowned locally - an attrac-

tive focal point - especially at Christmas. Gifts of all descrip-

tions were amassed for the window-shopper to stop and won-

der at. Christmas trees also adorned the shop front, where

the bedding plants were displayed during the summer. With

the signature row of coloured lights above, this sight simply

couldn’t fail to raise one’s spirits.

Mrs Pipe continued to supply her home-cooked ham, popular

throughout the village. The home produce section expanded

with Kath Milner’s home-baked Cornish pasties, sausage rolls,

and, in season, Christmas cakes, mince pies and marmalade.

Although the shop was open daily from 8.30 to 6pm, closing

only for lunch hour and on Sunday afternoons, such was the

conviviality and patience of the Pipes that they found them-

selves at the mercy of out-of-hours customers knocking on

their back door - even on Christmas Day!

The family bungalow in Church Street, started in 1970, was

finally completed and ready for occupation in 1980. There

were some benefits to be gained from living away from the

shop. Sadly, it wasn’t long after that Sid’s health began to de-

cline. The electrical side of the business closed in 1981 and Sid

died in 1984.

The shop continued to prosper and an off-licence was ob-

tained. Plans were drawn up to expand the shop floor and

modernise the premises. The work was completed in Decem-

ber 1985. Sylvia did not embrace the new automated till with

unalloyed enthusiasm. When it came to totalling the bill she’d

had years of practice with a scrap of paper and a biro. She

avoided new protocol where possible, sharing a surreptitious

and knowing smile with customers and whispering ‘Don’t tell

Colin’!

With the closure of Milner’s shop in 1986, more loyal custom-

ers stepped over the threshold. Business was thriving and felt

secure, but not for very long. The big supermarkets in sur-

rounding towns were beginning to have an impact. More vil-

lagers were choosing to shop at Tesco, only using the local

stores for convenience items. By the mid 1990’s the shop

lacked sufficient custom to sustain it. Having thrived for 50

years its doors closed for the final time in February 1996.

(Sylvia and Colin left the village for retirement in Essex. Sylvia passed away in

December 2017 aged 95. Long term residents of the village turned out in huge

numbers to pay their respects and share fond memories at her funeral on 14

February 2018).

December 1995

Hinsby’s corner