We take shopping for granted nowadays, using our local shops (if we still have them) and going to the supermarket. We can even order on-line and have a home delivery at our convenience. How different was it for our ancestors – would we recognise a medieval shopfront in our own High Street and how many have survived?
And what about shop signs and shop names – how have they changed?
Do you have shopkeeping ancestors?
Who really said that the English are a ’nation of shopkeepers’?
There will be some laughs and also some oohs and aahs as some of us remember childhood shopping expeditions. Who didn't love cash railways!
There are still things to look out for in our towns and villages, as our small shops sadly dwindle. Hear the answers to many of these questions, and add your own comments and memories. Do share any family ‘shops and shopping’ photographs or memorabilia.
- £10 to attend this event
- Join Gold (£15 per month, cancel anytime), to attend this event, access a recording, get free tickets to all other Gold talks AND catch up on 200+ previously recorded sessions
- Not a Gold Member yet? Existing members upgrade here. Non-members, find out more about Gold here.
Click here for information about our events. Contact events@sog.org.uk if you have any questions.
About the Speaker
Janet Pennington
Dr Janet Pennington is a historian specialising in Sussex history, with extensive experience in teaching local history and palaeography at the University of Sussex and serving as archivist at Lancing College. She has held leadership roles in numerous historical and archaeological societies, including chairing the West Sussex Archives Society. Her research focuses on historic buildings, inns, and landscapes, culminating in a PhD on Sussex inns and taverns in the early modern period. She has published widely and authored Chanctonbury Ring: The Story of a Sussex Landmark (2011). An active lecturer and researcher, she continues to contribute through talks, publications, and ongoing work on Sussex heritage and the Wiston Estate.
