My hardware shop survived two world wars, recessions & Covid – now Rachel Reeves has KO'd it after 160 years
But running a small independent shop has become no laughing matter for its current owner Paul Gillam.
5
After 160 years, surviving two world wars and Covid, rising costs have sounded the death knell for Mogford & Son
Credit: Jon Rowley
5
A snap of W.H Mogfrod & Son taken in 1920
Credit: Jon Rowley
5
Current owner Paul Gillam has blamed rising costs, including Rachel Reeves' National Insurance hike, for having to shutter the store for good
Credit: AP
Because of a tsunami of rising costs, including Rachel Reeves' employer National
Insurance
increase, Paul, 57, has been forced to call it a day.
At the end of September Mogford — one of Britain's oldest shops — will close its doors for the final time.
This Aladdin's cave has survived two world wars,
READ MORE UK NEWS
Close to tears, Paul told The Sun: 'I'm working seven days a week but things have got more expensive. From staffing costs to National Insurance and bank charges.
'The car park up the road has started to charge £2, so people can no longer park for free, because the council is short of cash. My
business
rates keep going up.
'It's been a hard decision but I can't carry on.'
Standing at the till, Paul is surrounded by thousands of objects for the home, from bamboo and compost to jubilee clips and, of course, candles.
Most read in The Sun
He has a wry smile as he poses with four candles, like shopkeeper
There are house numbers, bolts, rabbit food and aquarium cleaners all stacked neatly on shelving that has carried everything the local community could want for the past century and a half.
Popular bank with over 400 spots confirms it is shutting 18 branches in August – it follows 148 closures by rivals
Paul's wife Babs, 55, who has been working in the shop since two staff retired recently, not to be replaced, says: 'The Government say they want to keep High Streets open but then all the banks close.
"Then the car parks start charging, then the shops close. People end up going online or to one of the big retailers.'
The car park up the road has started to charge £2, so people can no longer park for free, because the council is short of cash. My business rates keep going up.
Paul
To try to counter the online threat, Paul's shop has a Facebook page and offers a delivery service.
He charges £1 for anything under £20 and free delivery on orders over 20 quid.
Paul makes just £1.60 on a bag of compost and in 30 years of working at Mogford he has never increased all his prices at once to keep pace with inflation.
He raises prices as little as possible and he reluctantly puts a £3 limit on the card machine because of the cost of using it.
Paul would have liked his daughter Sophie and grandson James to take over but he decided they would be better off in jobs with a
future
.
Paul remembers walking past Mogford's shop as a boy. He says: 'There was everything round here.
'Clothes shops, shoe shops, butchers, fishmongers, greengrocers. You could get every single thing you wanted.'
He points across the road to the shops that have closed down — a newsagent's, a women's accessories shop and a shoe repair bar.
He says: 'When Covid happened, we were considered an essential business.
I will close the doors with a heavy heart
Paul
'We extended our hours, opening at 6am and not closing until 9pm because our footfall went up so much with people working from home, and we wanted to help.'
When The Sun visited, all morning there was a steady stream of customers coming in to buy goods from washers to dog
bowls
, super glue to carpet cleaner.
Paul knows most of them by name and all seem upset that the shop will be gone in just ten weeks' time.
They say it's the latest nail in the coffin for their High Street and they don't know what they'll do when Paul locks up for the final time.
He says: 'I will close the doors with a heavy heart.
'It's not for lack of trying either but there's simply nothing I can do. I'm breaking even and have been for a while, so I've been left with no choice.'
5
Paul told The Sun: 'I'm working seven days a week but things have got more expensive. From staffing costs to National Insurance and bank charges'
Credit: Jon Rowley
5
Paul knows most of the customers by name, and all seem upset that the shop will be gone in just ten weeks' time
Credit: Jon Rowley
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Post
9 hours ago
- Irish Post
How Riley is changing period care in Ireland and beyond
WHEN Fiona Parfrey speaks about period care, she doesn't mince words. 'We want period products to be treated just like toilet paper; something that's readily available in every bathroom you walk into,' she says. Parfrey is the co-founder of Riley, a rapidly growing Irish startup that's shaking up the period care industry—not just with sustainable products, but with a bold mission to break the silence and shame around menstruation. 'We're aiming to remind people it's a normal bodily function,' she says. 'There's nothing to be ashamed about.' Born and raised in Cork, Parfrey studied marketing at University College Cork. 'I'm a very proud Corkonian,' she laughs. 'I studied marketing and worked in agencies across Dublin and Australia, and then I moved into the startup world in Australia. That's where I kind of fell in love with entrepreneurship.' That love turned into a career. After leaving her job in Australia, Parfrey went backpacking around the world, which sparked her first business idea. 'I realised there was a gap in the market for a travelling backpack that was ergonomically designed to fit the female body,' she says. 'A lot of the backpacks on the market were bulky and hard to carry for women. So I created a backpack that was made using recycled plastic.' The brand, Sundrift, gained traction until the COVID pandemic disrupted the travel industry and forced Parfrey to shift gears. That pivot led to Riley. The idea for Riley wasn't born in a boardroom or a brainstorm session. It happened over wine with a friend. 'The conversation happened quite naturally one evening,' Parfrey says. 'We were talking about how frustrated we were with the period products we had been using our entire lives.' That frustration turned into a revelation. 'We discovered that many mainstream period products are manufactured with up to 24 hormone-disrupting chemicals and covered in plastic,' she says. 'There were so many unnecessary ingredients in the manufacturing process. We felt like surely there's a better way of doing this.' When they couldn't find a cleaner, more sustainable alternative on the Irish market, Parfrey and her co-founders decided to build one themselves. Riley launched in 2021 as an e-commerce subscription service delivering organic, plastic-free period products directly to consumers' doors. 'We knew that when we started to build something clean, it would not only be better for our bodies but better for the planet as well,' Parfrey says. Sustainability isn't a marketing buzzword for Riley; it's a core principle of the business. 'Our applicators on our tampons are made from a bio-based solution, derived from sugarcane,' Parfrey notes. 'And we try to keep the environment in mind in every element of our supply chain.' But it hasn't been easy. 'It's a real journey to make things as sustainable as possible as we grow the business." Riley has since expanded from its consumer-focused model into the corporate space. 'We've started a big corporate offering,' Parfrey says. 'We supply period products to companies so they can stock them in staff bathrooms, just like they stock toilet paper. It's about making period care accessible, visible, and normal.' Parfrey is encouraged by how Ireland has responded to the brand and its mission. 'It's been really refreshing how open people have been, across generations, across genders, to actually talking about this,' she says. 'We've been really pleasantly surprised by the support we've gotten from all types of people.' But she's quick to note that stigma still lingers. 'If you survey young girls in school, 50% of them still feel shame when they're talking about periods. That's a huge problem,' she says. 'We've made progress, but we still have a long way to go.' The issue, she believes, goes far beyond just product accessibility. It's cultural, educational, and deeply gendered. 'Women go through a lot in their lifetime; from periods to childbirth to menopause and everything in between,' Parfrey says. 'It's important not just that women understand what's going on in their bodies, but that men do too.' She's especially passionate about closing the knowledge and research gap in women's health. 'There's been more research and studies on male baldness than there has been on endometriosis. That's shocking.' Riley was launched in 2021 (Photo by Riley) Riley is a proudly Irish company, but built to scale. 'We're an Irish-registered company,' says Parfrey. 'I'm based in Cork; we have a small office here and another in Dublin. My co-founder, Áine, has moved over to London as we try to grow the business in the UK.' That international push is already bearing fruit. 'Our supply chain is set up to serve all of Europe, and we have clients and direct customers all throughout Europe,' Parfrey says. 'We absolutely have global ambitions. The beauty of this business is that periods transcend borders, cultures, and languages. It's such a common thing for women no matter where they come from.' Reflecting on her startup journey, Parfrey encourages others not to wait for perfection. 'Just launch a minimum viable product. Get something to market and learn from your early adopters. If we had waited to launch a perfect product, we still wouldn't be in the market today.' Listening to feedback, she says, has been critical. 'Be close to your customer. Take their feedback on board. We constantly try to improve and make changes as we grow.' 'The more we talk openly about periods, the more we understand each other,' she says. 'And the easier it will be for everyone.' Whether it's tackling sustainability or breaking stigma in boardrooms and classrooms, Riley is charting a new course, one that's not just better for the body, but better for the planet too. See More: Business, Period Care, Startups
Irish Independent
11 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Government could generate up to €118m in tax revenue by setting targets for remote job creation, advocate says
It comes as AIB last week announced that its workers must return to the office for a minimum of three days per week from January 2026 in a reversal of its Covid-era policy for non-customer-facing staff. According to Tracy Keogh, co-founder of remote working advocacy group Grow Remote, approximately 100,000 remote jobs are made available across the European Union each month. Ms Keogh said the Irish Government could benefit from a substantial increase in tax revenue if it proactively embraced the work-from-home model in its workforce. "People probably won't know that there's 100,000 remote jobs open across the European Union every month,' she told RTÉ's Morning Ireland. 'If we set a target to win five per cent of those, that's 5,000 jobs.' She added that, if we take the average salary of a remote job at €60,000, this would represent a significant amount of tax generated by Revenue. 'That would be 48 million in taxpayer income per year.' She argues that the establishment of a national target by a pro-remote working government will not just benefit the country in terms of collected revenue, but it would also protect isolated areas of the workforce in the event of a company exodus. "If one [foreign direct investor] pulls out of a rural or regional place, we have left that town stranded. If we have remote jobs coming into the market, that's 118 million from the taxpayer.' Ms Keogh pointed to fintech firm Revolut's recent announcement of 200 remote jobs in Europe for which anybody living in Europe can compete for. "We need a national target to land those jobs into Ireland.' The prospect of businesses mandating a return to the office could see an inevitable worker exodus to remote jobs based on the Continent in search of more flexible working conditions. "In terms of AIB and any other company who since Covid, has decided to pull people back in who were working brilliantly remotely [...] have access to those 100,000 jobs that are available on the market. Ms Keogh acknowledges pushback from employers on the issue, particularly in the realm of employee productivity. This doesn't need to be one silver bullet for every person and company across Ireland. However, she is urging them not to see the advent of remote work as a threat to profitability. "If an employer doesn't want to embrace remote, they don't need to embrace remote. "This doesn't need to be one silver bullet for every person and company across Ireland.' Addressing fears that a growth in remote jobs could result in remote employers competing with office-based employers for workers, Ms Keogh says there should be no in-between. "You should have people who are working in companies, or want remote jobs, working in remote companies. "Then for those companies like AIB, where they have branch staff who have to be on site and present, they will have that tension, and that probably was a factor in how they came to the decision to ask people to come back into the office.'
The Irish Sun
15 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Turn your pathways into a stunning floral backdrop with Home Bargains £4.99 buy – it helps plants grow tall & strong too
HOME Bargains is helping garden enthusiasts transform their outdoor space into a floral spectacle for just £4.99. The bargain discount store is flogging a three-piece plant trellis, perfect for growing flowers against. Advertisement 1 The set of three trellises could be yours for just £4.99 Credit: Home Bargains The feature could also help to create extra privacy for front or back gardens. The metal trellis set is ideal for climbing plants and instantly adds height to your borders and potted flowers. The large trellis measures 93 x 36cm, the medium is 76 x 26.5cm and the small is 60 x 16.5cm. Home Bargains customers recently went wild for a new £8 version of a viral accessory. Advertisement read more on gardening The Firefly Hot Air Balloon Solar String Lights are a hit with shoppers who say they look "amazing" at night, and they've recently come back in stock at the popular homeware store. Scanning at £7.99, the solar lights automatically light up at dusk and feature a flame effect LED to illuminate your garden during the summer evenings. Home Bargains says the lights bring a "magical glow to your outdoor space", while each light comes with a rechargeable battery and is easy to install. The retailer adds on its website: "The lights automatically turn on at dusk, providing a warm, inviting ambiance with a stunning flame LED effect. Advertisement Most read in Fabulous "No wires or fuss—just let the sun charge them during the day, and enjoy the beautiful light as the evening falls." The lights are incredibly popular among Home Bargains fans and have previously sold out on the store's website. They've also proved to be a viral sensation on social media, with several shoppers posting to Facebook to share their finds and sparking a frenzy among fellow bargain hunters. One fan posted a picture of the lights to the Bargain Lovers Facebook Group, with hundreds of garden owners replying to leave their reviews. Advertisement "I've got those they are stunning," one shopper wrote, while another said they were so pleased they were going back to Home Bargains to get more. More garden buys Experts have revealed that outdoor lighting can also be used to elevate the look of your home. And B&M is currently offering the Shoppers can now pick up the "stylish" light for £1.50 instead of £3. Advertisement Alternatively, you can opt for garden decor buys to transform your outdoor space. The bargain retailer is also supplying garden wall art for cheaper than ever. Shoppers can "bring a calming vibe" to their outdoor space with a The decor item has been reduced from £3 to £2 as part of the summer sale. Advertisement More on gardening One homeowner turned their garden into a B&M has also slashed the price of its viral rattan sofa in a huge garden sale. Plus, the £1 Tesco buy that can And a £3 Advertisement 5 things you didn't know about Home Bargains Home Bargains was founded by Tom Morris It's official name is TJ Morris Ltd but trades as Home Bargains The first store was opened in Liverpool in 1976 Around 30% of the stores range comprises clearance lines There are 575 stores nationwide
