Page 6 - Hunstanton Town & Around - June 2013

6 Hunstanton Town & Around June 2013 Tel: 01485 533422 email: editor@hunstantonnewsletter.co.uk

Three generations of service once again the industry of
electronics thrived. Incidentally
The Wallis family has been War. Ernest had been a local 1953 was the year that Arthur
servicing the needs of the haulier and had served the local married Joan. The current brother showroom and the other three
residents of Heacham and District population for years before partners were born John in ’56 shops were knocked through into
for at least three generations. standing in for his son in the war and Richard in ’59. one large electrical showroom.
The business known to most of years. By the 1960’s the boom had Until the brothers decide to
us locally as A.E. Wallis When Arthur came home from started on colour televisions, expand again that’s how the
specialising in the sales and the war he very soon got back although the brothers tell me they business is today.
service of Quality Electrical into the expanding market in were very expensive, for instance Interestingly, there are on show
goods and Bicycles was 1946 the second of the current for the same money you could in the electrical store, examples
originally started in 1939 by row of shops was purchased and buy a brand new Mini van or a of electrical appliances through
Arthur. he doubled his sales and service luxury cruise on one of the the years that the family has
He had worked for a local area. By 1947 he was employing Cunard Queens. traded in the area. With the strap
business and among his duties staff for the first time and the Unfortunately Arthur became line “We deliver, We install, We
was the installation of radios . He sales continued to thrive. very ill in 1982 and the brothers care” The culmination of
decided to go it alone and took on In the early days, the shop sold were forced to take over the reins, generations of service to their
the first of the row of shops that amongst other things the still quite young they set about community seems to be summed
we now know; the first shop was components for crystal sets, how expanding the retail premises up.
the one on the far right as you many of us remember them? And again, initially by knocking down The Bicycle business is
look at the row. radios in parts and complete sets, internal walls between the shops complete with sales of Brompton
Timing is everything in life and wirelesses to the people of that and work areas and then in the and Landrover Brands amongst
some German fellow called Adolf age, late eighties by purchasing yet others, servicing of all makes,
put a temporary halt to Arthur’s Another of Arthur’s innovative another shop unit adjacent, this hire bicycles and all family bike
business building ideas and he ideas was that he “piped radio,” became exclusively bicycles and requirements.
was invited by the King to join an economic method distributing John took on the job of further The electrical store,
the Royal Air Force; he was music and news around the development to this side of the specialising in most major
called up, village, how many of us business. brands. Big and small appliances,
Fortunately the business was remember this system of In the year 2000, because they including bakery products
able to continue as Arthur’s father receiving I wonder? were “bulging at the seams” following the recent upsurge in
Ernest and his sister Mildred were In 1952/3 there was an another shop unit was purchased T.V. programs for budding
able to continue the business enormous surge of interest in in an adjacent block, this became bakers. All appliances can be
while Arthur was away helping television, not least, because of the bicycle stores, workshop and taken away or delivered
Britain win the Second World the televised Coronation, and