LATE-night snacks and last-minute essentials were once just a short walk away in Hereford, thanks to a beloved all-hours shop.
Quinsey’s, a long-standing fixture on Belmont Road, is being fondly remembered by residents for its Tardis-like interior and reputation for stocking just about everything.
The corner shop, which served the south side of the city for more than a century, was reported in the Hereford Times in 1989 as having changed hands after an incredible 104 years of continuous service.
Colin Quinsey, then aged 50, had run the shop for 22 years, continuing a family tradition that spanned generations.
It was previously managed by his father Harry, his grandfather (also named Harry), and his great-grandmother.
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Mr Quinsey stepped down in 1989, passing the shop to Mohinder and Harchan Sing Sandha, who promised to keep it much the same for the community.
Memories of Quinsey's have been shared many times on the We Grew Up in Hereford Facebook page.
Carl Brace, a reader, said: "My Nan and Grandad used to take me there now and again, can't remember where we'd park, however, to a child the shop was like a Tardis and felt piled high with stuff."
He said he always left with a polystyrene airplane kit—"literally three pieces of board with a slide-on plastic propeller"—often shaped like a Red Arrow or Spitfire.
Janet Walton remembered the area as prone to flooding, and said: "The army would take us over the flood in their lorries so that we could get to work."
The shop stood on the corner of what is now known as the Asda roundabout.
The area was redeveloped in the early 2000s to make way for the Asda superstore and new road layouts. The nearby Greyhound Dog pub was also demolished during the redevelopment.
Tim Gerrard recalled working at the shop as a teenager, saying: "Used to work there evenings and weekends when I was 14 till I left school & up the house during school holidays, great times with Colin and Nesta."
Others shared memories of the people behind the counter.
Dinah Jones said: "Colin was one of the nicest people. He was so kind to me when my husband died &when my mother-in-law died.Such a lovely man."
For many, Quinsey’s was also part of daily routines.
Robyn Taylor said: "Brilliant place. Only place open on a Sunday and late at night. We'd go to the chip shop next door and place our order, then while we waited we'd go into Quinsey's to get chocolate and ciggies."
Helen Dean described it as "part of the furniture of the area," a shop woven into the fabric of Hereford life since 1961.
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