Success story unfolds at the Back o’the Shop in Terrington (From Gazette & Herald)

Success story unfolds at the Back o’the Shop in Terrington

9:02am Thursday 23rd April 2009 in

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IT’S a year since Terrington post office closed its counter, but owner Ian Hughes was so determined that his business would survive the axe that, thanks to an unusual brainwave embracing diversification and lots of hard work, the future’s looking bright for what he describes as “about the last shop in the Howardian Hills”.

“We were determined to fight back,” said Ian.

Using the compensation money he received for losing the post office, he decided to reinvest in the existing shop, a move that proved fruitful.

“It really needed it,” said Ian.

“When the post office closed, they just took the computer out and left everything else, including the bandit screens, so we removed those and fitted new lighting and new flooring and extended our booze, cards and range of other items.”

Though this proved successful, it was not enough to make up the difference between what the business had been bringing in prior to the closure and what it was making since.

“We lost £12,000, so we are trying to claw that back,” said Ian.

So Ian turned his attentions and energies to the Back o’the Shop Gallery he initially opened in September 2007, driven, then, by the shadow of post office closures.

“The Back o’the Shop must be one of the quirkiest art galleries in the North,” said Ian.

“It’s an art café, really, with 16 covers and lots of artwork, which changes every month.”

Situated in a former storeroom at the back of his store and post office in Terrington, the concept for the gallery grew from Ian’s love of contemporary art, plus an awareness that his daughter, Shelley Hughes, and her friends found it hard to find local galleries who would display their work when they graduated with fine art masters degrees, “It was like a light bulb that came on, like someone had pulled the cord,” said Ian.

The post office and shop had always had a tearoom where hot drinks and sandwiches were served, but Ian incorporated that idea and merged it with the gallery concept, so that people could either drop into the gallery and have a coffee or cake while they were there, or vice-versa.

There are three stipulations for artists who wish to show their work in the Back o’the Shop gallery.

“The artist has to be from Yorkshire, or at least have Yorkshire connections,” said Ian.

“They have to be an emerging talent – we have turned away two well-known artists before. The third is a price ceiling of £500.”

The current exhibition, Equus, is described by Ian as a ‘one-off’.

“Everything is horsey – it looks stunning,” Ian enthused.

“It needed doing in an area like Ryedale. Next year, I’m looking do something similar based on the subject of the farm.”

Ian has also come up with one or two other ideas for his business, including a scheme called ‘sign and store’, where, for just £1, people can have parcels delivered to the store if they are out at work or away, to save them having to travel to the sorting office in York to pick them up. They have also kept on the National Lottery and sell stamps.

“We are determined to survive this,” said Ian. “It’s enjoyable doing this and good fun.

“We also try to support Yorkshire as much as we can and try to do everything to do that – in the gallery; food-wise – we try our hardest, using local bakers and butchers.

“This works in turn with the shop. We use cooked ham from the shop in sandwiches, for example.”

As to the future of the business, Ian has applied for a grant from Yorkshire Forward which he is quite optimistic about.

“During the last year, we have made mistakes but we have also had big successes, with wonderful artists who we’ve introduced to an audience that they might not have encountered otherwise.

“We’ve had lots of letters of support and backing, which is brilliant.

“We are still fighting and the business has grown, despite the closure of the post office and through a year of economic downturn.

“It goes back to the old adage that people have to use something or lose it, so we just need support – things can always go better.”