Thringstone Co-Operative Society Store (Branch No 8)
NB: You will need to install Real Player in order to view this file
Special thanks to Mark Redfern for producing this incredible little file, in which we see
a farmer walk his cows across Thringstone Green, circa 1940. The original footage comes
from a promotional film made for the Leicestershire Co-operative Society, and which came
to light when one of the Society's stores in Leicester was demolished a few years ago.
In order to keep the file size minimal, there has been an inevitable reduction in clarity,
but we reckon its still pretty impressive. In particular, we love the narration by
'Mr Chumley-Warner', and the way he enunciates the word, 'Thring-stone'! His commentary
is transcribed below:
'To quote from the Committee report for December 1909: "We have opened a small shop at
Thringstone in response to an appeal from members in this district. We trust that Thringstone
will meet with the same success as our other branches". At that time the premises consisted
only of a cottage.'
The cottage referred to in this quotation was apparently the last house in the terraced
row on the East side of the Green (the house next to 'Gary's Hair Salon'). Indeed,
the latter part of this row was actually known as "Co-operative Cottages". Evidence of a
shop doorway can still be seen where there is a diagonal swathe across the corner frontage.
(Source: David White, Whitwick)
Following its closure as a Co-operative Society outlet, the store became 'Lucas Mart'
(Alan and Joyce Lucas) and the village post office transferred here from its previous
location at 113, Main Street. Mr and Mrs Lucas were followed respectively by the Tomlinsons
and the Devanis.
A second Co-operative Society store was based at Clover Place, Thringstone from 1957
until 1994. This property is now "The Body Toning Emporium".
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