Long Eaton: Chip shop opened in World War Two to close

Tennants Fish and Chips in Long Eaton is closing after 81 years

A Derbyshire chip shop that opened during World War Two is preparing to close for the final time.

Tennants Fish and Chips, which has served Long Eaton since 1943, will shut on Saturday.

The family-run business said it was closing due to retirement and other health issues.

Gary Tennant, 74, who is the third member of his family to own the shop, said: "It will be a sad day, it's the end of an era."

A picture of the shop in the 1960s after it was first opened by John Tennant Senior

Mr Tennant said: "I want to retire. I'm 75 in October and everything price-wise is going up.

"I only open 17 hours a week but running a business is hard work, really hard work."

Mr Tennant said he had been thinking about the decision to close for some time.

He said: "I need to look after my wife a bit more but I am going to miss it so much."

Gary Tennant (left) and Hayley Frearson (right) said they knew "70 per cent of customers' names and orders"

Mr Tennant's daughter, Hayley Frearson, has worked at the business for 30 years.

On the closure, the 47-year-old said: "It's going to be weird and strange.

"All the people that come in here are regulars and they are all lovely, lovely people, it's been an honour to serve them all."

Ms Frearson said a man who used to watch races at Long Eaton Speedway, which was located opposite the Station Road business until it closed in 1997, visited from Stoke-on-Trent after he heard the shop was closing.

"He came all this way just for some chips," she said.

"It's been great to have all the support recently but it's really sad as well. This shop is people's memories, it really is."