Nub News' UP CLOSE meet the mother and son team to talk about the past, present and future of Orwell Stores in Chelmondiston.

Tracey Fletcher has been a constant in the Chelmondiston community for 32 years and has now been joined at Orwell Stores by her 18-year-old son Lewis, and they are out to show it is more than just a paper shop.

Affable, chatty and caring, Tracey has built up a myriad of good relationships over the years, overcome adversity, enjoyed the daily interactions with her customers, including keeping a comfy chair on hand for them, and has seen incredible changes as competition from supermarkets, online deliveries and an ever evolving world, was evident even before the coronavirus struck.

Lewis is impeccably polite, engaging and very enthusiastic. His admiration, love and respect for his mum is abundantly clear and they obviously enjoy working together.

Tracey brings years of experience and sage advice, Lewis has fresh ideas and drive and while the duo may not aways agree, they complement each other and share the same vision in making the shop and even more integral part of the village.

It all started when Tracey moved into the shop in 1978 with husband Ian and their one-month old son Ben. She recalled: "It was really good business and we settled into the village really well. My husband and I loved it here."

Sadly, Ian died 18 months later due to blood cancer aged just 28, leaving young mum Tracey with a business to run and a son to raise, but friends and family rallied round and the decision to stay was made easy.

"I carried it on with the help all our ladies, and my mum was also really good," said Tracey. "It was hard though, Ben was 18 months, and I was doing all sorts of things I had never done before, because my husband had dealt with most things.

"I took on driving the big van, we had 15 paper boys and girls back then and did a lot deliveries, we were a really busy shop.

"Back then the supermarkets did not have such a big hold as they do now. They did not open Sundays so that was our big day and it was lovely.

"Keeping the shop helped me cope with what had happened, especially when my dad died a few months later which meant my mum really helped me.

"I was also very fortunate to have some lovely ladies help me, in fact one, Nancy Hailstone, who is 93 now, did not retire until she was 80. She was brilliant, she got on really well with my mum and they did everything together."

Wisely, Tracey has stayed out of the local politics but has been involved in village life, including spells on the Chelmondiston PTA and the playing fields committee.

"When I first arrived I felt very welcome straight away and it has been wonderful to be able to bring my children up in a nice, safe community," she said. "I have loved being part of the community and still do.

A chair, provided by a customer many years ago, remains in a corner for older customers to have a sit down and enjoy a chat as they watch shop life go by.

"It is lovely for them to sit and talk with each other and I just get on with what I need to do. I have met so many characters over the years and feel sad when they do go because they feel like part of the extended family.

"You know all about them, they know all about you and like to have chat."

That includes watching the paper boys grow up and have families of their own and she said: "Whenever they are come back here they come in and say hello, they love how the shop is still the way they remember and it has stayed a village shop and has not got bigger and less personal."

As part of that ethos being competitively priced, and going above and beyond for customers is still a priority for Tracey and Lewis. That has included get in a special brand of cigars for one customer, soya milk for another and other special requests are fulfilled, while keeping prices competitive.

Tracy added: "I try and buy as much as I can that is already price marked and sell at the recommended prices so people know I'm not putting in high percentage. They know they are getting a good deal and I'm making my bit.

"As the older customers pass away there are fewer young people coming in.

"The ones that do support us don't use us in the same way because they have so many other options and so will treat us as a convenience store, whereas years ago people bought far more from us.

"It has changed gradually over the years but we can still stock things and do thing that perhaps other places don't do. We will always get things in for people if asked and we don't already stock those items."

Tracy admitted she ended some convincing to make changes, but knows it is for the best, especially as she has no plans to ring up the till for a last time.

"I'm not one for sitting about and have no plans to retire." she said firmly. "I know I needed to change really, I was stuck a bit too much in the past and I needed to look to the future."

Son Lewis was lured in some three years ago as he was going through his GCSEs at Holbrook Academy, and by the time he finished his A-levels at college, he was hooked.

"I enjoy working with my mum, said Lewis. "Sometime, but very rarely, we do clash, generally though you just can't beat it. I would not have it any other way."

Among the things Lewis is spearheading is an online presence both with an Orwell Stores website and social media presence. They will be running a Christmas raffle, and recently successfully held a calendar competition.

Lewis said: "It is just a case of letting people know what we do. We are not just a paper shop, we do lots of other things, so we will be advertising those more.

"I also do grocery deliveries for those what can't get out.

"We are starting to get young people in now. whether it is for kids magazines, or different sweets, and other things they can ask for."

The fresh pastries, pies cakes and sausage rolls are another attraction along with convenient free parking, Sunday opening and outstanding service in a family run, local shop.

One of the many benefits of having Lewis on board now, is not as many early mornings for Tracy and she can take part in keep fit dancing, a passion she has enjoyed since a young child. Family holidays are unlikely now as they need to cover for each other but Tracey admits she probably would not be up for going to Ibiza with Lewis.

Running a shop downstairs from you home has many perks, but Tracey still gets cross with the way small shopkeepers are treated.

"It annoys me that because we are smaller shops we get ignored," said Tracey. "They big shops all get a say in what happens and are treated differently but we are looked down upon in many ways. For example, if the newspapers are going to be delivered late for whatever reason, they big shops will be looked after first but we may not get any at all.

"That make you feel as if you are not important at all, which is annoying because we still get charged a lot."

Another irritant is the proliferation of online supermarket delivery vans whizzing by and Tracey revealed: "They even have the cheek to use our car park outside our shop then deliver across the road. I have to admit the drivers will sometimes come in and buy a pie or something, which is good."

And ever the diplomat, Tracey added: "You have to be careful what you say and make it so people enjoy coming in and want to come back."

And why would you not want to? After all with Tracey and Lewis' love and care, Orwell Stores is proving to be more than just a paper shop, so while it retains its old fashion care and values, it is also moving with the times - in good way.

For more details go to Orwell Stores in our Local List business directory.