Trevor’s Shop 1982
Counter Service only
1950s: Albert Harvey (Trevor’s father) built new business premises alongside his house at 15 Station Road and moved the shop and post office there. It was run by his wife Florence (Trevor’s mother) and their daughter Pam. Albert also had a second job as a porter at Parkeston Quay
1977: Trevor Harvey (Albert’s son) took over the shop and ran it with his father (who died in 1982) and his mother Florence (who died in 1997). Trevor was later assisted by his sister Rosemary London and his cousin Julia Hockley.
1986: Trevor married Linda who then also worked in and for the shop/post office.
1992 - Shop Extension
Start of Self-Service
The Harvey’s Shop had always been counter service only.
In 1992 Trevor extended the shop to the side of his house in Rectory Road so he could carry more stock and better serve the needs of his customers.
For the first time people could pick out some goods for themselves without having to ask for all of them at the counter.
The Post Office was crucial to the viability of the shop providing up to half its income - dealing with TV licences, fishing licences, giros for pensions and social security and premium bonds.
Trevor also obtained a drinks licence and became well known for sourcing alcohol at reasonable prices.
Trevor’s mother Florence helped in the shop until she died in 1997. There are tales of people asking for gooseberries and Florence appearing a while later having nipped out to the garden to pick some for her customers.
Hub of the village life
Trevor Harvey’s shop/post office was the hub of the community where people met, had a ‘sit down’ and caught up on village news. Trevor was a reliable source of information and with a keen sense of customer service. He was always able to get goods into the shop that local people wanted to buy.
To work for Trevor was an interesting experience – many youngsters gained their first taste of work by working for Trevor on the several paper rounds – Trevor says he was writing first references for them many years after they ceased to deliver papers!
2008 – Post Office closure
The Post Office announced its intention to close the sub post office in Wrabness. Without the post office, the shop became financially unviable.
2011 Trevor’s shop closure
Despite the post office closure, Trevor managed to keep the shop open, but by 2011 he had no choice but to close it down. The village realised that unless the community took swift action, it would soon have no shop at all, and that the village would lose its heart and become a dormitory rather than a community.