www.subpostmasterpeterpfeiffer.co.uk
for history of
http://www.hampsteadnorreysvillageshop.co.uk
more information re. postal code, addresses and other services:
http://www.postoffice.co.uk
contact point:
Pensions Helpline Tel. 0845 603 0043
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Hampstead Norreys Village Shop and Post Office-
the shop part closed at the end of February (28) 1998.
Hampstead Norreys Post Office closed on 27 March 2008 at 4 p.m.
after having served the village over 163 years......more on:
http://www.hampsteadnorreysvillageshop.co.uk
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History and facts of
Hampstead Norreys Village Shop and Post Office
This page is dedicated to all the past village shop keepers and postmasters who served Hampstead Norreys with great dedication and personal sacrifice for the past 170 years. Not only did they provide the village with supplies on a daily basis, but also helped the elderly with advice and practical help to withstand the pressures of daily life, The distribution of prescriptions from the Doctors surgery, the co-ordination of the neighbourhood watch and holding the key to the village well were among the functions performed.
The days of independent village shopkeepers and postmasters, who invested their own savings into their businesses, who sometimes faced armed robbers are just part of the past.
Profits from the village shop and post office were essential as the loans and mortgages the independent village shopkeeper and postmaster had to take out to acquire the business in the first place, needed to be repaid.
One of the main reason for all the village shop and post office closures in the past was the lack of business generated in the village which was in turn caused by the lack of employment locally and the opening of shops in nearby petrol stations. Of course the supermarkets and the preferred payment method by credit cards was also detrimental.
The Co-operative in the past proved very successful when the farms were still employing locals and the village life was prospering with shops and pubs and even the Railway and Hotel. Gone are these good old times and the village shop and post office of the past.
Time will tell if the new ideology of community village shop backed by sponsorship of council and community as well as using volunteers will fill the gap.
Good luck and best wishes to this venture.
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The last village shop keepers were the Izzard Family of Yattendon who served the village for almost 3 years, when they decided to quit due to illness. No new tenant could be found for the shop either within or outside the village. The village shop closed at the end of February 1998.
see Newbury Weekly 25-6-1998.
The post office run by Peter Pfeiffer remained open until 27 March 2008, when it was closed by government cuts.
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News of the past - 1991
Hampstead Norreys Village News
'Rattlesnake'
VILLAGE SHOP, CHOP or CO-OP?
Does the village need another Co-op?
"Yes" says Mr Pfeiffer, who saved the village shop from closing last year and
who has experienced for one year the running of the Post Office and Village Stores.
"A village shop of this size will only be viable if the whole village takes an active interest in it."
Mr Pfeiffer has planning permission to demolish the Little Shop and replace it with a two storey extension. The ground floor will be shop and Post Office space, and the first floor a flat for letting.
"I would be happy to sell the business and the site for devlopment to a village co-operative, which would secure the future of the shop albeit on a smaller scale. I would take part, if asked, in this co-operative myself and be glad to help with the running of the shop;however it would be necessary to raise about £125,000."
RATTLESNAKE says: We must all be grateful to Mr Pfeiffer for what he has done so far and recognise the problem. We would all like a village shop and Post Office, and the elderly and those without transport depend on it, but are we prepared to use it enough to make it viable?
The present level of business in the shop does seem low for the size of the premises. Does this mean that we can't justify a shop or is the shop simply not selling the right goods and services?
Mr Pfeiffer's suggestion of a village co-operative would secure the shop and Post Office permanently, but is it really a practical proposition? Who would put up the money and who would administer the co-operative?
Let us have your views on what should be done- drop your suggestions into a box in the shop or give them to any Parish Councillor. In particular:
a) Do we really need a shop or would it be better to accept that it is not viable?
b)Why don't you use the shop more?
c)Would you put time or money into a co-operative to buy and run the shop?
d)If we arrange an alternative Post Office and newspaper service, and perhaps a rota to take those without transport to another shop, how much would we miss the shop?
Let us know what you think. If we don't get many views we may have to assume that most people don't care.
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Above did not come off the ground. Government came out with new health regulations and updated rates. Petrol stations opened shops within, and more supermarkets opened up in towns.
To prevent closure of the village shop the size was drastically reduced to cut overheads, although the product range was maintained.
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Watch this page for more info regarding village shop keeper of the past....
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Hampstead Norreys Sub Post Office
Peter Pfeiffer Sub Postmaster
26 October 1990 - 02 April 2008
'The Thursday Club' at Hampstead Norreys Sub Post Office.
Many thanks for the loyal support over the past 18 years. Shown below
are the pillars of this Post Office.
Bob and Audrey Walters, Violet and Jim Fulker, Iris and Ron Raisey, Donald
and Sylvia Greenaway, Margaret Cundell, Ken Holmes, Ethel Ayliffe, Reg.
Stokewell, Lucy Shanks, Daisey and Reg. Wise, Pansy Billingham, Kath Willis,
Evelyn Hannington, Betts Family, Diane Shakoor-Butler, Charly Langston and
the Laytons.
A Special Thank you to Ted Clacy of the Chievely Surgery for his continuous
help over the past 18 years supplying the Village with the much needed
prescriptions.
Debie Beesley, Sandra Hallett, Yvonne Hughes and Pat Croysdill, all having
been very intrumental in the running of the Post Office and Shop over the past
18 years. I would like to thank them very much for their support.
I would also like to thank everyone who patronised the Post Office and Shop,
not forgetting some great personalities such as:
Ron Lousley, Arthur Dow, Sir Edward Goschen, Sir Roderick and Lady Sarell,
Patsy Paulson, Brig. A. Peake, Patrick Ainslie, R.Admiral Peter and Phyllis
Gibson, Susan Palmer, Stan Alexander, Peter Walker and Mike Nicholls.
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Village loses Post Office
Thu, March 27 2008
By Pamela Owen, Reporter
Email: pamela.owen@newburynews.co.uk
Phone: (01635) 564533
Long-standing Hampstead Norreys Post Office first of six to close across district
FOR more than a century the Post Office in the tiny village of Hampstead Norreys has been serving the community.
Today (Thursday), almost 163 years-ago to date, the store will close its shutters.
Sub postmaster Peter Pfeiffer, aged 63, said he felt “sad” at the decision to close the post office.
He said: “It’s a very sad day for the village. After so many years the post office is closing.”
Mr Pfeiffer, originally from Germany, moved to the village 23 years-ago with his wife, Valerie, to retire after managing a number of hotels around the world.
After hearing about the plight of the local post office, the father-of-one couldn’t resist a challenge and decided to save it from closing.
Mr Pfeiffer said: “Taking over the post office in 1990 was one of my biggest challenges.
“I was very attracted to the venture with a view to being able to preserve an old English institution in a very attractive village for its residents.”
“I was happy to be able to give help and advice to many elderly people, including helping to organise telegrams from the Queen for special anniversaries.”
The post office, which is only open on a Thursday, is situated between residential buildings and a large wall and could easily be missed because of its size.
It offers a range of postal services and dotted along the walls are various newspaper cuttings and memorabillia of the impact the shop has made on the community.
Mr Pfeiffer, who has a son also called Peter, said he felt the decision to close the post office was the right one.
He added: “I’m okay with this because it’s obvious to people who live in the village that it’s not economically viable to keep a business like this running.”
Hampstead Norreys is the first of six shops in West Berkshire to close. Kiln Road in Shaw will close on April 1, Station Road in Thatcham will close on April 2, Chapel Row will close on April 3 and Lower Tilehurst is to close at the end of May.
Postmistress Laura Allen from Engelfield said she is still waiting to hear when she will close.
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The History of Hampstead Norreys Post Office and Village Shop:
6 June 1845 Appointment Nr. 1176, William Joyce was appointed Sub Postmaster of Hampstead Norreys
14 July 1845 Compton was made an official Post delivery to Hampstead Norreys.
A request from Hampstead Norreys to have their own foot messenger servicing the village direct from Newbury was turned down in a letter dated September 20, 1845
22 October 1990 Peter Pfeiffer saved the Post Office and Village Shop from closure.
28 February 1998 the Shop is closing.
27 March 2008 After 163 years Hampstead Norreys Post Office is closing.
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FOLLOWING A PUBLIC CONSULTATION PROCESS WE HAVE RECENTLY ANNOUNCED THE DECISION TO CLOSE THIS BRANCH AS PART OF A NATIONAL NETWORK CHANGE PROGRAMME.
WE CAN CONFIRM THAT THIS BRANCH WILL CLOSE ON THE FOLLOWING DATE:
THURSDAY 27th MARCH 2008
WE DO HOPE THAT YOU CONTINUE TO USE THE ALTERNATIVE BRANCHES IN YOUR AREA, I.E. YATTENDON, COMPTON AND HERMITAGE SUB POSTOFFICES......
POSTOFFICE LTD
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IS THERE A FUTURE FOR THE SMALL SHOP?
Three-quarters of subpostmasters run their post office alongside another business, usually a small shop. But in recent years small independent shops have been closing at an unprecedented rate. Under ever increasing competition from the supermarkets, does the small shop have a chance of survival? Annabel Barnett, NFSP Research and Policy Manager, reports on a parliamentary inquiry, High Street Britain 2015, which examines the state of the UK's small shops, and makes predictions about their future.
The statistics are impressive - there are 278,630 shops operating in the UK and allmost half of these are owned and managed by a sole trader. The retail sector employs 3.1 million people, 11% of the working population. In rural England, retailing is actually the single largest employer, with nearly half a million employees and owners. Over a third of consumer spending takes place in the retail sector.
High Street 2015
Based on current trends, the High Street Britain 2015 report makes a number of predictions about what our high streets will look like in a decade's time.
The report predicts that there is likely to be an acceleration of small shops in the grocery sector going out of business...........They simply cannot compete with larger competitors, both in terms of buying power and promotional activity.
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