Shopkeeper - George Last

Many little shops, often the front room of a house or cottage, were scattered around Halstead before the days of the supermarkets. One of these was George Last's of 14 Mount Pleasant who sold anything from a pound of butter to a dead rabbit. He grew fruit and vegetables on his allotment to sell fresh to his customers. George (left) is standing here in 1902 whith his wife Elizabeth (centre), Kate Miller (right) and his daughter Ivy, who carried on the business from her mother in 1926 selling many sweets and non perishable food, under her married name of Cracknell. An enamel sign, to the right of the door, advertised the News of the World and for this the family received a free copy every sunday for about 70 years - what a remarkable contract!

The Cracknells ceased trading in 1966.