From grocers to barbers and much in between

With the recent arrival of a new business at 29 High Street – Rulo’s Barbers – it seemed appropriate to take a look at the building in the village which has housed more businesses than any other.

The earliest business operating here was Ayres grocers from the 1920s until the 1960s. The Ayres family lived in Hauxton. Their two sons were killed in WW2 and are commemorated on the Hauxton war memorial. The eldest son Geoffrey was killed by a sniper in Hamburg on 9 May 1945, one day after the war in Europe had ended.

Unlike most village shops, Ayres were licensed to sell fireworks so got this trade from Hauxton, Newton and other villages.

Immediately to the left of Ayres shop was Phyllis Jackson’s hairdressers sometime in the 1920 & 30s. Across the other side of what is now a parking area, there was a small shop thought to have originally been Pask’s butchers. Later it sold fishing tackle and wicks for lamps, became Ernie Collins’ decorating shop, and Aubrey Northrop’s haberdashery shop

The grocery business was continued by ‘Grinner’ Sergeant and his wife who also lived in Hauxton.

Subsequent businesses identified with approximate dates are:

1982 Harston Antiques

1993 Not Just Sweets.

1998 Harston Antiques

1999 Archers Estate Agent.

2001 Hairs & Graces

2009 Athletic Training

2009-2015. Eden’s Flowers

2013 S Cambs Osteopathy Clinic

2015 Briggs & Mortimer Estate Agents

2017-2022 Curnow & Co

If you can add more dates/businesses, please let us know.