After Military Service
Interviewer: You came back into Port Isaac?
Jack Rowe: No to the Post Office, as they were short of men because of the war, experienced men. And then I was sent on course after course up in Taunton. I didn’t like it at all, I couldn’t settle so when mum said she was going to retire, I said ‘Right, I’ll take over the shop if you like’…….next thing I was home!
I bought Atlantic House over there where Dennis Knight lives in 1953. I lived there till 1960 when I took over the shop…….The Sherrats, they were an old Port Isaac name….
Interviewer: Am I right in thinking The Sherrats would have owned what is now The Mote?
Jack Rowe: (Nods) They were there first before they moved up to the shop on the corner. They were bakers.
Interviewer: When you ran your general shop, were Sherrats supplying you with bread and stuff?
Jack Rowe: No I took over the Bakehouse, the Sherrat Bakehouse, and I could see straight away it was not paying. I didn’t actually buy the business from Sherrats, they had already sold it to people who came back from Africa to retire and running a business is no retirement! They left again after 6 months. The Sherrats did try to buy it back. I said ‘No, I’m away with it now. I’ll keep it.’