Old store a treasure trove

Auctioneers have uncovered a treasure trove of historic items after being called in to sell off a village shop and post office that has been closed since the elderly owner's death.

Stamps, postcards, toys, advertising signs and even boxes and tins of food dating back to the 1920s have been uncovered at the former post office in Four Crosses, near Llanymynech, by staff from Harry Ray and Company.

The Welshpool-based firm were tasked with clearing City House, and found the original fixtures and fittings in the buildings, including a long unused telegraph office, were still intact.

City House was run as a post office until 1996 when robbers raided the old-fashioned premises and postmistress Eunice Edwards afterwards lost her franchise.

Undeterred, she carried on running a small shop there, selling newspapers and birthday cards from a small table in the corner.

Miss Edwards died a couple of years ago and the shop has been empty since.

Now the auctioneers, of Broad Street, are handling the sale of City House's fascinating contents. An auction will take place next month.

Martin Mason, from the firm, said: "We will be selling stuff from the 1920s onwards, signs and toys.

"The property is a mid-Victorian house. We are going back regularly to clear it out, part of it has been a shop until recently.

"There are some really old shop contents, advertising signs, old tins, all sorts of shop items that used to be there. Most things go back to the 1920s - there are hundreds of postcards from that era and cardboard boxes with mustard.

"There are also a lot of toys and dolls. Some things have never been touched such as tins on the top shelves. After Eunice died it has just been left, but the shop itself has not been touched for 30 or 40 years.

"It is a step back in time, it's like a time warp.

"The old counter is still in situ, which was probably put in there when the property was built. There's also a telegraph office in the shop."

The auction is on October 12 at Welshpool Town Hall, Broad Street. For details call (01938) 552555.

By Tamlyn Jones