IN 1907 two brothers who had a disagreement opened separate furnishing shops in Leominster.

One shop, at Broad Street, closed a few years ago but the other, at Corn Street, is celebrating its 100th birthday.

Richard's Furnishing, founded by Andrew Lewis and taken over by Jack Richards in 1949, is now a family concern run by Roger Hall and his son Chris.

They believe the firm may be the oldest retail business in Leominster and has operated from the same premises for a century.

Deeds for the timber-framed building, written in Latin on parchment, date back to 1790 to an era when Corn Street was known at The Narrows.

Roger Hall joined the furnishing business as an apprentice in 1971 on leaving the Minster School. For 32 years, he combined his duties with those of a retained firefighter. A former fire station sub-officer, he was awarded the MBE for his long service.

Roger and Chris work as a team and have sometimes been called on to travel far afield to London and even Scotland.

Their has even involved fitting carpets in trains, boats and planes. The Halls are proud of their shop's 100th year landmark but say they are are just too busy to party!