Comments on: Shops past and present: Whiting’s

By: Adrian Leaman

Adrian Leaman — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 15:48:37 +0000

We lived in the old almshouses at 90 Bootham opposite Whitings. I used to be able to get over to Whitings, buy something, and get back indoors, during an advert break! We also use to play a game with dinner guests, saying to them, “Name your dessert and we will do it for you.” Whitings would come up trumps, and at high speed. Belated thanks to the late Mrs Whiting and Mr Hugill. I hope you have a long and happy retirement. You deserve it.

By: Brian Camplin

Brian Camplin — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 23:37:24 +0000

Not only were they a good shopkeepers they were good to work for as I was privileged to work for them for approx 10 years

By: YorkStories

YorkStories — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 22:03:38 +0000

Glad it wasn’t just me with the bags of change!

You captured what I was struggling to say - in the last bit of your first paragraph in particular. It was that ‘if you wanted’ - they always seemed to get it right.

By: mallory

mallory — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 10:11:32 +0000

I also have lived very close by to Whitings, close enough to refer to it as ‘next door’. I could do all my shopping there, from toothbrushes to cheese to spring onions.. it was like having a private larder / food cupboard / wine rack that i could dip into whenever i wanted, staffed by courteous, friendly, but not too over-familiar, staff, who were always willing to pass the time of day with you if you wanted.

i too have offloaded several Kg’s of very small coins onto them, having bags of coins cheerfully weighed on the scales usually reserved for goods from the deli counter..

and i too have bumped into the owners down Bootham, looking relaxed and cheerful, rather than forever busy from dawn to dusk, and its still a pleasure to swap a few pleasantries with them.

i still live in the same home, but its never felt quite so ‘homely’ since Whitings closed, they helped give me a sense of community, of belonging, of my own little shop where they knew me and i knew them..

i don’t think i’ll ever see the likes of it again…