Mr Howes the Newsagent

Extracted from Brockham Green and its Inhabitant's in the 1930's by Len Jordan:

Granny and Granddad Duffell: Next door to them in the house with the large windows, which had at one time been a butcher's shop I believe, lived Mrs. Monnery's parents, Granny and Granddad Duffell.

They let two of their rooms to Mr. and Mrs. Brannan and their daughter Beryl, who was the same age as me, and was another of my early playmates. When the Brannans went to live in Kiln Lane, the two rooms were then let to Jack Howes and his wife. Jack came from East Ham. Mrs Howes was a native of Betchworth, and her mother Mrs. Miller lived by Snower Hill. Jack started off doing a bit of jobbing gardening, but in a very short time took on an evening paper round, and was a familiar sight riding round the village selling "Star, News or Standard" on his trades bike.

He soon extended the business to a morning paper round as well, and combined this with turning his downstairs room (with the large window) into a small shop selling besides newspapers and magazines, sweets, cigarettes, stationery, seeds etc - and later on when he had electricity - Eldorado ice-cream appeared. When the Monnerys also moved to Kiln Lane, Jack and Mrs Howes moved next door and ran the shop from there for a couple of years.'