Riverside Stores Stokesby

[unclemike]

have just read that barry sylvia and natalie are not opening this year but are retiring and hoping to convert the shop into a one bed holiday let, I'm sure we would like to wish them all the best in their retirement..

[unclemike]

have to say I will miss their breakfasts

[coolcat]

5 minutes ago, chameleon said:

have to say I will miss their breakfasts

You and me both.

F15E0F1C-24CE-44A2-A6FB-4D3AE26E3C53 by Jeff Cranwell, on Flickr

I wish them all the best for the future .

[Paul]

Very best wishes indeed, but sad, sad news nonetheless. I can't call it the last of the riverside stores, but the last of the really good ones. It will be a big loss, not only to the boating community but to the village, and the surrounding area too.

[VetChugger]

2 hours ago, Paul said:

but to the village, and the surrounding area too.

Even though it was only open for six months of the year?? Something tells me that this six months were not to serve the residents of the village! Sorry, but I do get a bee in my bonnet with this sort of exploitation.

[trambo]

Not a great surprise to be honest. Barry has been thinking about closing for a long time. Will miss the home made cakes though. I wonder if there is an opportunity here for the Ferry House?

Fred

[Paladin]

Just to put a stop to the rumour mill before it gets going, this is what Barry posted on NBF:

Riverside Tea & Stores, Stokesby 

Barry, Sylvia and Natalie are sorry to inform you that after lengthy discussions, over the winter, we have made the decision to retire and close the business. 

We would like to thank all our customers for their support and business over the past 20 years. We have seen children grow up and have made some really good friends. 

As there has been conflicting social media information over the past few days, we would like to authenticate the events taking place in respect of our property. We have NOT sold our property and have no intention of selling it. We have submitted plans to convert the Shop into a “one bedroom holiday let” and will keep you all informed of the outcome of this application. 

If any of our customers would like either of the following Key Cutting, Watch Batteries or your favourite Cake or Scones made, please do not hesitate to contact us on 01493 750470/07502322517 and will be only to happy help you. 

Sylvia and Barry

Barry

[trambo]

27 minutes ago, Paladin said:

If any of our customers would like either of the following Key Cutting, Watch Batteries or your favourite Cake or Scones made, please do not hesitate to contact us on 01493 750470/07502322517 and will be only to happy help you. 

Sylvia and Barry

Barry

Thats my favourite fruit cake still available then. Yummy!

Fred

[Gretzky]

It's pitty, had some really good food there and they saved big time when my phone charger broke on a solo trip, amazingly they had one and I still use it on the boat to this day. Places like that are a god send and will be missed.

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

On 24/03/2019 at 21:20, coolcat said:

You and me both.

F15E0F1C-24CE-44A2-A6FB-4D3AE26E3C53 by Jeff Cranwell, on Flickr

I wish them all the best for the future .

Did they go to any cookery school?, Those bangers have been incinerated. The eggs got scorching around the edges, yet looks like the albumen is`nt all cooked?. I`m not a real fussy eater, but i do like things to be cooked properly.

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

I think i`m going to make a comment which SOME may not like.

To be brutally honest, i think to shut the shop and convert the place into a holiday let could be thought of as lacking consideration for the general public. If the shop and tea room was a success, why on earth do they not sell up, and buy another place, enabling the shop etc to be bought and run by someone else?. I know all the comments like "it`s their property" etc etc, but closing and completely doing away with a shop that`s relied upon by some regulars as well as many tourists is a bit selfish. When you live in a village, as we do, you have to consider other people, being such a small area, and to deprive a community of a much needed resource should be looked at as unthinkable.

Just my opinion folks.

[marshman]

Case of time and time again in all rural areas, of use it or lose it. Clearly that was not happening and no one should be expected to work for nothing, so its gone. I actually doubt whether its "relied upon by ...regulars"!

End of story I am afraid.

[Wussername]

37 minutes ago, SPEEDTRIPLE said:

I think i`m going to make a comment which SOME may not like.

To be brutally honest, i think to shut the shop and convert the place into a holiday let could be thought of as lacking consideration for the general public. If the shop and tea room was a success, why on earth do they not sell up, and buy another place, enabling the shop etc to be bought and run by someone else?. I know all the comments like "it`s their property" etc etc, but closing and completely doing away with a shop that`s relied upon by some regulars as well as many tourists is a bit selfish. When you live in a village, as we do, you have to consider other people, being such a small area, and to deprive a community of a much needed resource should be looked at as unthinkable.

Just my opinion folks.

They wish to retire after many years serving the local people and the tourists. In this respect they must be allowed their chosen path.

ST. Are you aware of the financial issues which they would have considered prior to their decision. No I expect. Neither was I. They worked hard and provided a "remembered and much appreciated service to the local community and tourists alike"

I find you comment ". When you live in a village, as we do, you have to consider other people, being such a small area, and to deprive a community of a much needed resource should be looked at as unthinkable"

These two people are allowed, and should expect a quality of life, to which they are entitled after so many years of serving the community.

Andrew

 

[Paul]

1 hour ago, Wussername said:

remembered and much appreciated service to the local community and tourists alike

I'm getting the impression from one or two posts on this thread that the business was not particulalry well regarded by locals.....

[JennyMorgan]

It's going, it's gone, shouldn't we leave it at that? 

[marshman]

Exactly Pete - we are in agreement again!! Dangerous precedents being set!!

[Wussername]

 

1 hour ago, Paul said:

I'm getting the impression from one or two posts on this thread that the business was not particulalry well regarded by locals.....

I am pleased to note Paul that you have disassociated yourself from this minority as stated in one of your previous posts.

”Very best wishes indeed, but sad, sad news nonetheless. I can't call it the last of the riverside stores, but the last of the really good ones. It will be a big loss, not only to the boating community but to the village, and the surrounding area too."

Andrew

[Paul]

2 hours ago, JennyMorgan said:

It's going, it's gone, shouldn't we leave it at that? 

I don't think it's unreasonable for those who wish to record their appreciation of a business which has served the boating community at least, very well for many years. I for one always enjoyed stopping there, it was very rare we passed Stokesby without calling in, in fact it was one of the last places where one could enjoy a stop over along the river other than at a pub.

Given the increasing difficulty of moorings at Wroxham there are not that many places on the Northern Rivers where one can restock the tucker cupboard. It was just about the last place on the riverbank you could buy decent quality sausage and bacon, about as crucial for us as diesel and drinking water!

[Paul]

46 minutes ago, Wussername said:

 

I am pleased to note Paul that you have disassociated yourself from this minority as stated in one of your previous posts.

”Very best wishes indeed, but sad, sad news nonetheless. I can't call it the last of the riverside stores, but the last of the really good ones. It will be a big loss, not only to the boating community but to the village, and the surrounding area too."

Andrew

Always a favourite with us Andrew. Alas I assumed it would be the same for local residents. Just goes to show you should never assume anything. 

[Regulo]

6 hours ago, SPEEDTRIPLE said:

Did they go to any cookery school?, Those bangers have been incinerated. The eggs got scorching around the edges, yet looks like the albumen is`nt all cooked?. I`m not a real fussy eater, but i do like things to be cooked properly.

If that were me, I'd like those bangers a few shades darker! Can't beat a well scorched banger. I'm not in the least fussy. Nor would anyone be, if they'd experienced my Mum's cooking, bless her. Served my evening cottage pie once, and watched me eat it, with a funny smirk on her face. "Was that alright?", she asked, when I'd finished. "Fine, why?", I says. " 'Cos I scraped it off the floor after I'd dropped it getting it out of the oven". Oh, how we laughed! One of her many sayings was "Gotta eat a bit of dirt before you die", and she was determined to make sure I did.

[VetChugger]

As I recall, it was up for sale for quite some time at a hefty price. What many are avoiding is the effect this sort of seasonal business has on the local community. I have already pointed out that a Post Office/general store that existed previously sited further into the village was likely forced to close because of the six months of the year that this shop was open and deprived the P.O. of trade at the busiest time of the year.

However, I will always wish those retiring best wishes and a happy retirement. Just the circumstances that grate with me.

[VetChugger]

1 hour ago, Regulo said:

I'd like those bangers a few shades darker!

I used to love it when all bangers leaked at each end resulting in a lovely crunchy lump on both ends!

[Meantime]

I guess the crux of the matter is that everyone wants a convenience store on their doorstep, but very few want to pay convenience store prices, and even less would contemplate doing the majority of their shopping in one. I guess if you have a car then the superstores in Yarmouth are cheaper and offer a wider range of items. If you are retired and don't have a car then taking the bus into Yarmouth and making a morning or afternoon of it and turning it into a bit of a social seems to be the done thing from what I could tell the one time I took the bus from Stokesby to Yarmouth.

The problem with the weekly bus ride into Yarmouth is what to do about getting the fresh bread, milk etc. I'm surprised to be honest that someone hasn't bought a second hand supermarket chilled delivery van and stocked it with some fresh essentials, bread, milk, eggs, bacon sausages etc and formed a round going around the local villages and stopping at each for a period of a couple of hours each time. Effectively a mobile shop that stopped at Stokesby for perhaps two hours a time twice a week. If your timetable was published to the local villages they would all know when you would be arriving, just pull up at the local village green for a couple of hours and then move on to the next village.

I know if wouldn't be a lot of use to boaters, but would certainly help the villagers and I think has potential. For the average retired person they could do their main shop once a week by bus to Yarmouth or Acle, and then buy the shorter life fresh items a couple of times a week from the mobile shop.

 

[jeffbroadslover]

It is such a shame that there is not a son/daughter or grandchild who is willing and able to carry on the business in the manner it has been run over the years.

Jeff

[Meantime]

3 minutes ago, jeffbroadslover said:

It is such a shame that there is not a son/daughter or grandchild who is willing and able to carry on the business in the manner it has been run over the years.

Jeff

The problem is that there is an assumption that the business was providing a full liveable income for the couple that ran it. I don't know anything of their financial circumstances, but it may well have been the case that the business was providing a supplemental income till they reached full retirement age. If that is the case, then it would never be tenable for a younger couple running it as their sole income.

A friend of mine, his father semi retired, but for ten years still used to run an ice cream van for the Summer season. This never provided a full income but was used to supplement their other income and provide for things such as a couple of cruises per year and other holidays. It kept him active and allowed them some other luxuries they may not otherwise been able to have afforded. However it was never a full time business that could be passed onto his son. He has since fully retired and sold the van.