Number 14

Introduction

A story of greengrocers, grit, and community spirit

When John Jagger completed the Carr Lane parade in 1925, he imagined a proud new shopping street for Slaithwaite. A century later, No. 14 still stands true to that purpose: a place where locals buy their food, share news, and keep the spirit of neighbourly trade alive.

Legacy

From George Walker’s horse‑and‑cart deliveries to Frank Daker’s Baby Burco piccalilli and today’s Green Valley Grocer refill bottles, No. 14 Carr Lane tells a story of continuity, care, and community pride. For a hundred years, the produce may have changed, but the purpose has not: to serve Slaithwaite well and with a smile..

Fun Fact

The only shop never to have changed purpose – 100 years a grocer.

Listen to the history of the shop or scroll through the timeline. Narrated by Ange Dews

Creative Response

100 Years a Grocer is a rock-inspired song created by children from Nields Primary School in collaboration with Huddersfield-based singer, songwriter and community musician Jess Baker.

Through energetic lyrics and local research, the song tells the 100-year story of a much-loved greengrocers, celebrating resilience, community spirit, and the people who kept the heart of the village beating.

1925–1946

The Walkers’ Greengrocery

The first known owners were George Henry and Clarissa Walker, soon joined by one of their sons, Harold Victor Walker. A 1933 Examiner advert lists “Walker, Greengrocer, Carr Lane, Slaithwaite.” Harold had served in the Durham Light Infantry during the First World War and earned the B.E.M. in 1944 for his Home Guard service. After the war Frank Lord Daker crossed the Pennines from Littleborough to buy the shop but Harold remained on as a valued hand.

1946–1997

Daker’s Greengrocers

From 1946, the shop became Daker’s, run as a true family enterprise across multiple generations. Frank and his wife lived in the flat above, and later the business passed to their son Arthur, and eventually grandson Stuart. The whole family was involved: Arthur’s brother John supplied fish from Huddersfield Market, while his sister Margaret delivered freshly picked strawberries from her farm. Frank’s daughter Vera grew up in the rooms above the shop and remembered a lively childhood spent among crates and counters:

“We played in the shop… we weighed the potatoes… we weren’t allowed to touch the tomatoes but we could touch the oranges and the onions.”
Tuesdays were fish day, when mussels arrived in a giant hessian sack from Conwy.
Frank became locally famous for his homemade piccalilli, cooked in a Baby Burco boiler and guarded so fiercely that the recipe stayed secret for decades — and when Vera finally saw it, it made 240 jars at a time.
Daker’s pickled red cabbage earned a similar reputation, long remembered in local memories.
After more than fifty years of loyal service, the Dakers retired in the late 1990s, closing a remarkable chapter of village food history.

1997–2009

Artichoke Greengrocers

The business was then taken on by Howard France, who renamed it Artichoke and brought in a new focus on natural foods — everything from fresh produce to gluten-free staples.

He stocked goods from the Suma worker-cooperative, reflecting early interest in ethical and sustainable retail long before it became mainstream.

The living space upstairs was no longer a home but became an office and creative workspace used by Graham Mitchell and felt-maker Helen Coxan.

They became friends with Carol Wood, the shop’s sole employee, and as trading became tougher for small independents, the three began imagining what a community-supported grocer could look like.

2009–Present

The Green Valley Grocer Co-operative

In 2009, their ideas became reality. The Green Valley Grocer opened as a community-owned co-operative — created specifically to save the shop, support local farmers and ensure that Slaithwaite kept a greengrocer at its heart.

More than 100 local residents invested in a community share offer, raising around £12,000 in just one week.

Founders Helen Coxan, Graham Mitchell, Fiona Russell, and Camilla Govan set out clear principles:

sell local, seasonal produce
pay fair wages
keep profits in the community
protect traditional high-street shopping
They invited Carol Wood to stay on as manager — a role she has proudly held for over 20 years.

Today, the co-op continues through the dedication of its board, staff and loyal customers. No. 14 remains one of Slaithwaite’s best-loved shops: proof that community spirit, collaboration and a lot of hard work can keep a local high street alive.

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Number 14

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