Another local ‘household name’ is vanishing from the ‘high street’ this weekend.

Master butcher Mike Ward, who runs Stables Butchers will turn the closed sign on the door of his business for the last time after 37 years of trading.

A number of factors have contributed to Mike’s decision including the lease expiring and poor trading conditions, along with new legislation. Mike, from Oakworth, has been a butcher for 43 years and is, as the saying goes, as well known as the bell-man around the town.

Like many local businessmen, playing a part in community life, as well as trading and employing people, was the norm for him.

A number of comments made by Mike deserve further examination. The average age for a butcher is now 59 – young people are being discouraged by the job’s unsocial hours. If that is a major reason – and there is no reason to dispute it – then begs a number of questions.

For example, it is to be hoped younger jobseekers are not turning down work because those on offer involve shifts and unsocial hours.

New rules and regulations covering raw and cooked products have been brought in. They are perfectly sensible and should help protect the public. But such changes do not help smaller businesses like Stables. In these challenging times businesses need help not hindrances.

But the positive message is that there is still room for the butcher’s shop offering the right goods and individual service.

And the good news is the pies Mike sold are still available in the market. All the best for the future Mike – you and your family deserve it!

DEAR READER

If it wasn’t depressing enough to think the nights are going to get darker from now on, the first book-your-Christmas-celebration invitations have arrived on my desk.

Obviously in this industry I understand the need for forward planning for months ahead – but the situation struck me as being a tad comical.

There are, as me old Nan used to tell me, two things we cannot do anything about – the weather and time. She would say ‘have you nothing better to do?’ if you mentioned either subject, adding in a negative way – the ‘the devil makes work for idle minds’.