In our small town we are fortunate in having as our local store the Radstock Co-op. Started in 1868 there is a small display marking the 140th birthday so I thought I'd write about it. The Co-operative movement in the UK was part of the drive for workers to take the reins of commercialisation and provide for themselves - essential particularly in times of strike and strife to not be ripped off for neccesities.
Radstock having a mining community was pretty quick off the block and all the local families were loyal to this wonderful institution - for example my Grandfather when he first started down the mines at 12 was taken down to get his own dividend card and working boots by his mother and during the war schoolkids like my dad often were sent to the co-op farms to pick potatoes - a welcome break from the three Rs. Today the Co-op is still sharing profits with the customers and leading the way with fair trade goods and things like decently reared chickens in all their products but not everyone in Radstock these days is so loyal. It causes me great dismay to see my neighbours driving past such a brilliant shop to throw their money at Tescos - but what can you do? - apart from secretly hold them in contempt for having no brains and no soul and hope one day they will see the light - the fact that the miners' greatest legacy to the area is a simple humble department store - where people don't get ripped off.
Ralphadeus. Music movies comics feature in this look at life from Somerset.
