Springfield Stores in Hardington Mandeville, run by the Creed family since 1890, survives through generations.
Daphne is the third generation to run the shop, taking over in 1991 from her mother, who had run it from 1936. Before her mother, her grandmother managed the shop from 1890. Daphne helping her mother felt natural.
Meeting customers and friends is the best part for Daphne. She enjoys supporting her customers, which gets her going each morning. She does not have to travel to work, and she can do her own thing with her family close by.
The shop is different than her grandma’s time. She remembers sweet jars and cheese rinds. Decimalization happened, and her mum thought she couldn’t handle it, but she did it fine.
Before the shop, Daphne worked at a hospital as a secretary in the maternity unit. After her father passed away, she returned to the family business.
Daphne has four grandkids and used to help her mum more. Then, after her dad died, they moved in with her mum. The shop started in the house and now sells many things, and she sells local products when possible.
Daphne is the only employee, and she has fought off bigger supermarkets. She just helps people top-up their shopping, understanding that she cannot supply everything the village wants. Her location is good, without close competition.
She gets about 50 to 70 customers daily from the village and nearby areas. Springfield Stores also has a Post Office, and they avoided the Horizon scandal.
The Post Office is good to have, and retail sales supplement the Post Office income. One really cannot work without the other. Thankfully, she avoided the scandal and understood the extent after the film.
She gets good feedback from the community, and businesses can pay in cash there. In 2009, she won an award for community service from the council.
In 2012, she received an MBE from the Queen for services to Hardington Mandeville. The Queen gave it to her at Windsor Castle, and it was lovely and like a dream.
She got a letter about it, but Daphne could not tell anybody then. She has been a Churchwarden for 25 years and is also the Village Hall’s Secretary.
Daphne gets involved in village life and tries to fundraise often. She hopes the shop stays in the family, and closing it isn’t in her plans. She’ll continue until unable to make money or her health declines.