Reading on social media that Rosalind Rapley was retiring after 18 years of owning Roberts in Ottery and reassuring residents of a successful continuity of the service offered through the new owners Dean and Mark, with a wealth of experience in the retail industry and a deep respect for the shop’s history and community, reminded me of Rosalind once advising me to stop dwelling on the past, focus on the future, and give time to those in charge to forge their way of dealing with it.

But who can resist not following her advice when writing about a shop that, thanks to the unwavering dedication of its owners, has impacted so many in Ottery?

Therefore, here I am, with the help of my reliable source of information, Dave Stevens, letting you have a bit of the history of one of the few remaining old shops in town. It was challenging, but Dave came up with some interesting information.

Robert's has been known locally as an 'Aladdin's cave' of treasures or is referred to as the famous Two Ronnie's' 'Four Candles' sketch, as customers are still being served from the same counter many stood in front of many years ago. Customers can purchase from the original vintage hardware shop drawers filled with nails, screws in singles. A well-earned description if you look at their adverts from 1948-1950, including creosote, felt, Calor gas, batteries, torches, electrical equipment and wireless sets, binder twine, Thatchers' yarn, sheep dip, gun shells, plus being approved Hoover agents, suppliers and fixers of hot plates, cookers, Rayburn cookers fitters and agents of Mortegg tar oil winter wash. As a customer of the present shop pointed out, Roberts still "has whatever you need, no matter how obscure."

Regarding business ownership, the Exeter & Plymouth Gazette refers to Samuel Warren, Ironmonger and the Ottery School Board member in 1877, as living at 13 Broad Street. After a bit of digging, it looked like a family called Roberts was residing at that address as far back as 1913, confirmed by two pictures from 'The Book of Ottery St Mary' written by G. Gosling and P. Harris, one in 1914 and another one in 1919 showing Roberts flanked by 'W.P. Cannicott Draper', who ran a 1920s version of the Greenshield stamps bonus scheme, and 'W. Hake & Co.' on either side. An advert in the Western Times in April 1918 from Mrs Roberts requesting help with knowledge of plain cooking for a family of four also confirms the above.

This takes us to curious details connected with the shop. A snippet from the Western Times on March 20, 1931, mentions Harold Richard Roberts, ironmonger of 13 Broad Street, being involved in a collision between a pedal bicycle and a motorcycle combination. It is interesting to note that by the 1960s, almost all the young guys in town had a motorcycle. Outside of Roberts and Lowell's shops, Broad Street was a popular meeting place for Ottery's bikers. This highlights the shop’s central location and its role as a hub of community activity, a tradition that continues to this day.

What caught our attention during the investigation was that the shop may have undergone a name change at some point, perhaps to reflect a change in ownership or business focus. On a photo taken in 1950, the shop's name is 'HP Roberts & Sons', which seems to corroborate Dave's distant memories of the three family businesses 'Coles'. 'HP Roberts & Sons', and 'C. F. Lovell's Garage' being adjacent to each other, with Roberts being the middle one of the three.

As I reflect on the past, I am reminded that the personal service and inventiveness of local shop owners are irreplaceable. While I cherish their memories, I am also filled with anticipation for the future of Robert’s under the capable stewardship of Dean and Mark. I extend my heartfelt thanks to Rosalind for her years of dedicated service to the Ottery community, and I am confident that the shop will continue to thrive under its new owners.

Read more: 'New owners of Roberts pledge to continue its traditional ethos'