Shortlands 30 years on from the department store's closure

It is thirty years since Bourne End’s very own department store closed its doors. Shortlands (the full name of Arthur Shortland Ltd had been dropped in the 1980s) had been at the centre of village life for almost 100 years. Situated on the south side of The Parade, the double-fronted shop had changed dramatically over the decades.

Early years

When the shop first opened at the turn of the twentieth century, it was tiny and just one of several branches of Langstons Boot Stores. W B (William Bradby) Langston had opened his first shop in Marlow High Street in 1884 at the age of just 22. Within a few years he had established another in Marlow opposite the first, as well as shops in Lane End and in Boscombe, Hampshire. So how did Langstons become Shortlands? John Shortland, Arthur’s grandson explains, “Arthur had come to work in Marlow as a sales assistant, fell in love with the boss’s daughter and they married in 1907. This, of course, makes William Langston my great-grandfather – by the time I started working for the business in 1971, I was the fourth generation.”

In late 1914, the name over the door of the Bourne End shop changed to Arthur Shortland and Arthur and his young family moved into the accommodation above. With the outbreak of war Arthur, a deeply religious man and a conscientious objector, was sent to work on the land, his sister Edith left to run the business. With others fighting on the Front, feelings ran high in the village and the family business suffered as a result. However, by the 1920s the business was thriving and expanded into the premises next door to become the familiar building that is still remembered today.

With expansion the range of goods and services on offer increased from just menswear and shoes to include ladies wear, children’s wear, household linens, dress fabrics, haberdashery, knitting wools, soft furnishings, carpets and lino, luggage and gifts. Many of these departments were retained well into the 1980s when, with the change in shopping habits, the shop concentrated on its fashion and footwear ranges. With the outbreak of WW2, Arthur’s three sons all joined the army; only the two eldest, Hedley and Jack survived to return and run the shop, along with their cousin, Maurice Phipps.

Respect and service

John recalls how very formal life in the shop was back then. Customers were always treated with the utmost respect and only the unmarried staff were called by their first names. Service was of the greatest importance and customers would sit while a selection of goods was brought to them to view. “Everything was kept hidden away in boxes or drawers in those days. It would have been quite shocking if a customer had tried to help themselves!” Attitudes to shoplifting were different too. “A prominent person in the village had what was described as ‘a problem’. She would steal goods and later her husband would return them always saying that they weren’t suitable and there was no need for a refund! In my day we had ram-raids and, sometime, threats. A different class of shoplifters!”

Shortlands was the place to go for school uniforms and many a generation of children will remember running to the back of the shop where there was a raised platform with seats. There they would have their feet measured for new shoes. Behind them there was an elaborate train of zoo animals – a lion, monkey, llama, ostrich, all decorated with ribbons and sequins, and making it a fun place for them when having to try and sit still. Equally memorable was the pedoscope, a large wooden box into which your feet would be placed to check whether there was enough toe-growing room. X-rays were not considered harmful until the 1960s when the machine disappeared to the disappointment of many. Some years later, a new machine appeared – the electronic foot measure to excite (and occasionally terrify) a new generation of children. Shortlands was one of the first stores in the country to have this piece of latest technology.

It’s Sale-time

Many readers will remember the eager anticipation before the annual winter and summer sales. The shop would close for two days to prepare the price reductions. There were always a few ‘loss-leaders’: several items would be prominently placed in the window at ridiculously slashed prices to entice the bargain hunters. Unlike today, the sales took place only twice a year and only for two or three weeks. Customers would begin to queue up to an hour before and then surge forwards when the doors opened at 9am. Much of the frenzy and excitement was in being able to handle the stock and serve yourself, a completely novel experience in those days.

There were two other times during the year that created excitement. In the spring there would be a Household Linens event when customers could stock up on bedding, towels and soft furnishings at reduced prices. Particularly sought after were the Witney blanket offcuts, only available for one week – they were bought mostly for pet beds or for turning into pram and cot blankets. Christmas was the other, for there was no slow build-up as is the case today. The Christmas-themed windows would be dressed during the last week of November and the inside of the shop decorated in mid-December. The decorations were put away equally as quickly after!

Buying ‘on-tick’

Long before credit cards were available Shortlands offered monthly or weekly accounts to regular customers. In those days of weekly wage packets, many preferred to pay a small but regular amount whether they owed money or not and, for these, a little blue cardboard booklet, the ‘club card’, was given where the amount paid, and balance outstanding would be recorded. Other customers would receive an invoice at the end of each month, delivered by bicycle, which was expected to be paid in full. There was always a ready supply of Bourne End children wanting the job of delivering statements and parcels after school each day. They were less keen on delivering the annual calendar as several hundred were sent out each Christmas and weighing a great deal! As they grew older, they often worked in the shop on Saturdays and school holidays. One, John Pheby, started at the age of twelve, later to become a Buyer and then Managing Director. John Shortland recalls how well their partnership worked for they had known one another for most of their lives. “Both being called John gave rise to customer confusion and amusement at times. Being two inches shorter I became known to them as Little John despite being six foot tall!”

Modernisation of the store

In the 1980s the store was completely modernised. Although the shopfront remained untouched – when it had been installed in the 1960s its innovative design was featured in industry magazines – the fascia was updated to blue with illuminated gold lettering and Arthur’s name was dropped. The interior was completely altered to reflect changing shopping habits. Nearly all the departments closed enabling the business to focus on an expanded range of men’s and woman’s fashions and footwear. The children’s shoe department was retained along with gifts and toiletries. The old mahogany and glass counters where customers had patiently waited to be served were swept away to create modern, open-plan displays. One thing remained unchanged – friendly, helpful personal service. “We were very fortunate in having excellent and loyal staff who always took great care and interest over the customer’s requirements.” John says. The launch party was an evening to remember. Advertised in the local newspapers, several hundred people visited the new-look store to enjoys a glass of wine and view the latest fashions.

By the 1990s shopping trends were changing rapidly. More and more privately-owned stores were closing down and it seemed inevitable that Shortlands would go the same way. “In the spring of 1994, after almost a hundred years of trading, we reluctantly decided that our time had come. I shall never forget the sadness we all felt. The staff, many of whom had been with us for years, were in tears and the village seemed genuinely shocked – we had customers calling in and crying too.”

Recently John returned to Bourne End to give a talk about the family business to the newly formed Bourne End One Place Study Group where he met many old members of staff and past customers.

"After all these years, I find it humbling that many people remember my family and shop with genuine affection. It stands as proud testament to the business that my great-grandfather and grandfather established 125 years ago."