The History of Greens

The History of Greens Stores…(As captured from various sources including the Granddaughter of Mr Green and also Mrs Helen Ash, Village Historian)

The shop was thought to be built during the 1720s 1866 to 1945 it was called Morsheds – The name changed to Greens in 1945. The traditional frontage of the shop became Grade II Listed in June 1986

The Buildings which made up the original property were:

• Greens Store – the shop and accommodation for the workers was upstairs
• The Tall House – the house that the owners lived in
• Long Barn House – The Stables & Coach House, the Old Bakery & The Grain Store
• 28 High Street – The Garden (Sold as a building plot in 1972 after Robert Green died)

Mr Robert Green was a Shop Assistant in Morsheads from 1919. He was one of three brothers from the village of Eagle. He moved to Bassingham in 1934 with his wife Flora and their two daughters, Betty and Mollie. He could not afford to buy the shop but rented it from 1934 to 1945 when he finally bought the shop and continued to run it as a family business until 1972 – it cost £60 per annum to rent in 1964!

Greens became the local Post Office in 1849 and barring a brief period in C20th it is still the Post Office and hub of the local community today.

Greens has had a number of owners, or custodians, since 1975:

• 1975 to 2009 Colin Thompson, who had worked with Mr Green since 1945 along with his wife Betty ran the store until their retirement in 2009
• 2009 to 2015 – Robert & Jean briefly ran the shop, swiftly followed by Mayur and Kunjal Shah who owned Greens for almost 6 years
• In November 2015 – Michael & Tracy bought Greens Stores with a view to returning the shop to its true roots as a ‘real village store’