LONDON MYSTERY SHOP

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 96, 4 February 1936, Page 8

LONDON MYSTERY SHOP

OWNER TELLS HIS STORY. The story of the London shop that lias been locked, but stocked, for sixyears was told two or three days after the facts were published in bar gland. Mr Harry Xicholls is the owner of the shop. “I had not realised that people would be curious, but this is what happened,” said Mr Nicholls. M.\ wife became ill and had to have a serious operation. She went a\\a\ aiteiwards, but when she came back she was all nerves. She could .not stand the noise of flic traffic. So I took her to our country house at Esher, in Surrey, and I stayed on at the shop. “But she could not bear to be separated from me. She wanted me with her all the time. ‘What is business,’ I said, ‘when my wife wants me.’ 1 shut up the shop and joined her. T had no time to worry about the shop. Arranging about clearing it and selling it would have meant that I ha< to be away from my wife and neither of us could bear that. “Then we moved to Kingston, nearby. One evening she insisted on my ~'oino- to the pictures for an hour or two "by myself. While I was gone she went out to the garage and slipped on the steps. From that day she grew worse and last May slie died. “Since she died I have left inn down and lonely and have been going trips abroad. Now I realise 1 shall have to do something about the shop. lam making arrangements to sell it. Ihe stock is still good. “In the six years the shop has been empty 1 have paid about £360 in rates and income tax on it. T do not grudge the money. It helped to keep my vufo from being unhappy, and that was all that mattered.”