Who'd've thunk it. Idris Evans's Steptoe's is to close. I can't remember when he opened but it must be about 1986.
"Things have changed and it is important to know when to finish"
If you read the article on the Free Post website you’ll realise that it mentions onfour occasions changes in the market of house clearances, antiques and & collectibles.
We're used to the internet being blamed for the decline of mainstream High Street shopping. But antiques? The truth seems to be that if you have something valuable to sell, you sell it yourself, via eBay. And if you want something, rather than trawl showrooms over what in North Wales is a huge radius, it's easier to go online. Either way, local collectibles emporia suffer. Remember Tilly Mint? Watergate Antiques? Grandpa's Collectables? The Star Barn? Castle Antiques?
As if to empathise the point, antiques traders are progressively setting up parallel internet stores, especially on eBay. Evans hasn't, though. Evans must've been all too aware of the fortunes of the town centre and drop in footfall: he mentions the fact that fewer people are visiting town centres in general, thanks again to the internet (but also because of retail parks).
A bit of a character, do people remember his glassfibre model cart horse (named Dobbin); his cream replica 1950s Jaguar coupé; and his tuk-tuk auto-rickshaw, all of which have been parked outside his premises at one time or another. The horse with cart dates back to 1994.
There aren't many shops left that pre-date Steptoe's that have changed not at all (well, some have changed management). Among those that spring to mind are:
- Gayla House
- Montecito
- John Jones & Son
- Castle Park Café
- Ruthin Wholefoods (then with homebrew)
- King's
- Siop Nain
- Boot's
- Trefor Jones
- Finn's
- Clwyd Army Navy (moved premises)
- Book Shop
- Harris Toys
- Bar Llaeth
The Ruthin Wine Seller doesn't count: it was Thresher's before. Neither does Vanity Fayre (lack of continuity: it came as one of the many town clothes shops, went and came again as a beauty parlour).
eBay
Among the expected books on Rhuthun/Ruthin, books by (Margaret) Ruthin, maps, postcards, photographs, mineral water bottles and, yes, radiators, here are three gems that I am sure will educe memories for readers. Two speak for themselves. The blurred manikin models a herringbone tweed jacket under the label Lucinda of Ruthin.
