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Ron Levett, born in Alfriston, East Sussex, enlisted in 1943 and joined the Royal Armoured Corps. He joined the British Liberation Army and took part in the liberation of Germany. He met and married his German wife, Ruth, while stationed in Münster then returned to England.
Len Wilde, who owned the grocers where I worked, had another shop in Upper Dicker, which was run by a couple called Dunk. At some time in the past, the husband had had a fit and had fallen face forward into the open fire. His face suffered terrible burns, which, in spite of plastic surgery, still gave him an awful appearance.
His customers, however, had become used to it and treated him quite normally. The shop had been rather badly run and Len Wilde wanted to get the place on a businesslike footing. I suppose that because I was an ex Sainsbury's man, I was the one to do it.
Across the yard from the shop was a barn, the upstairs room of which was used as a store. In this I found case after case of food, which should have been thrown out years before. There were cases of Norwegian Sild, a small fish like a sardine and tins of soup, which were so old that the ends were blowing out. These were all dumped.
In the living room of the house was an open fire and in front of it was a gallon tin of Golden Syrup, warming up to make it run easily. Beside it was a row of open empty jam jars. When a customer wanted syrup, one of these jars was filled and a lid fitted. I didn't think this was very hygienic and this custom was stopped forthwith.
There was a roundsman employed who delivered orders to the outlying farms around Dicker. One afternoon he came back from a round 'collecting orders'. The only order he had was for some back shirt studs. This practice was also soon stopped.
Soon after this Len Wilde sold this shop and the other shop he owned in Litlington. The latter became a private house and from then on Litlington had to rely on the Alfriston shop for all their requirements.
About this time the small shop and Post Office in Wilmington also closed down and became a private house. Alfriston had another grocers shop run by Sid Selvey and his wife. This also closed and one half of his shop became The Singing Kettle and the other half the 'Boutique' on the corner.
At this time Alfriston had two butcher's shops, one owned by the Wood family, in the village square and one run by Alec Barnard, who also had a cycle and electrical shop next to the butchers. The numerous knick-knack shops, which now disfigure the village, had not yet put in an appearance.
Ron Levett, 2001
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