John Pargeter & Sons has been a welcome sight as you turn the corner onto Stourbridge High Street near #Dudley - after trading for 99 years serving the town the doors are about to close for good. We catch up with owner Miles Pargeter for a chat.
02:39Yeah, well, I mean, it's a fantastic looking shop, you know, it's a classy shop, isn't it?
02:43It looks quality, and what you're selling is quality.
02:45I was just looking on the window, it's all been about selling British products, hasn't it?
02:50Yeah, we've only sold mainly 98% of what we sell is British.
02:54Yeah, and it must have been a difficult decision to come to the point where, you know, to say, right, we're going to wrap it up now.
03:01Yeah, yeah, because I'm 66, I've got no one else in the family to come into the business through various reasons, and I feel now's the right time.
03:13Were you a woman and are in for the last couple of years, kind of?
03:16Not really, no, I've just made my mind up that 66 is a good time.
03:22I've put my full effort into this business, but getting older, I'm struggling to lift the heavy stuff,
03:28and, basically, I want to leave on the high.
03:32Ready, Dan.
03:34So, here in Nick, as well, you said you've lived in Stairbridge, that you moved to Stairbridge in 1971?
03:3871.
03:3971, yeah, so, I mean, obviously, it's closing, isn't it?
03:43Yeah, yeah, so we bought our first three-piece suite from them, then we bought another one, we bought more.
03:49Our house is furnished, because they were always such nice people to deal with,
03:56and you felt, you know, you felt they were honest, and it was nice.
04:03I mean, John Boyce, his father, they were real chaps, like, of the old school.
04:15It's sad, you know, because there's not a great deal left in Stairbridge,
04:20unless you want to have your hair cut, or your nails done, or want to spend money on coffee.
04:28It's another example of one of those real local family stores going, isn't it?
04:33Over the road there, you've got Barclays Bank.
04:38Yeah, and there's a difference between this sort of store and the big warehouses.
04:45You know, the people who work there, I'm sure they do their best, and they're keen.
04:52It's not quite the same, is it?
04:54You don't get that real, sort of like, you know, like a family care sort of thing.
05:00Yeah, no, it's sad, but I mean, like, I think the plans for now are cruises and golf.
05:05So, you know, going on plenty of cruises.
05:09Yeah, I mean, I used to play golf after I retired, when I started very early.
05:14I don't play it any longer, but...
05:19Here we are.
05:21Now, is that enough to keep you?
05:23Go on, sir, what's your name?
05:24My name's Bob Teel, I'm live at outside Padres and Son.
05:27I used to work at Osborne's, the poshest clothes shop in town,
05:31and I've known this gentleman all my life, all my grown-up life,
05:35and it'll be a sad, sad irony to see yet another named family leave the vicinity of Starbridge.
05:42Very true, very true.
05:43Love you all, Bob Teel.
05:44Yeah, yeah.
05:45So, you've done 45 years yourself here?
05:47Yeah, yeah.
05:48No one here to pass you along service award, is there?
05:51Unless you can pass it to yourself.
05:53So, what's plans for you then?
05:54To kind of just relax a bit?
05:56Yeah, yeah.
05:57Less heavy lifting?
05:58Exactly, yeah.
05:59Yeah, yeah.
06:00And any words you'd like to say to the customers, kind of, over the years?
06:03Yeah, I'd love to thank all my customers for all their business and interest in the business,
06:09and for supporting this business from all over the West Midlands.
06:13Yeah, well, thank you, sir, and thank you for, you know,
06:16giving us the service you have done over the years here in Starbridge.
