Sporty1

Hello again Sporty 1 - I had actually found a 1936 marriage entry for Ernest Applegate and Beatrice Brumby. It's wonderful that Beatrice lived to the age of 105 - hard work in the shop and raising a family certainly did her no harm! Beatrice seems to have been a Lancashire lass - at least, I found a possible 1905 birth entry in Burnley. Our next-door neighbour is in her 90s and still drives her car (safely) so there's hope for us all!

Hi,yes her maiden name was Brumby. Her mother my great grandma lived until her late 90's and one of her brothers lived to a similar age. So there may be hope for me ! My son had to do a family tree for a school project and it was good to research my family. I was only young when Ernest Applegate died so do not have many memories of him. Today's post has been very interesting to me and the comments about Ernest Applegate have made me smile. Always wondered why we often had corned beef ash to eat guess it was surplus from the shop

Hi dave d - I did wonder if the "W. Smith" was Winnie Smith - in the 1954 directory "Mrs Winifred Smith, shopkeeper" is shown at No 9 Dane Street, so perhaps she moved her business when Ernest Applegate moved to Norton. "E. Applegate" and later "B. Applegate" appear in 1960s/70s directories on Norton Lane.

Beatrice Applegate was my Grandmother. My father helped run the shop in Spring House Norton after my grandfather passed away. Beatrice bless her died a couple of years ago but at 105 years old she had enjoyed a long and healthy life

Thanks sounds very much like my grandfather. He did go on to own a shop in Norton. I can remember that as my late father used to work there. Good memories remember when Open all Hours first came on the tv my father never giggled so much. Always thought he was laughing at the programme and memories of his fathers shop.

How many years ago? I am interested as my late grandfather was Ernest Applegate