Dave wraps it up after 30 years at fish and chip shop (From Stroud News and Journal)

Dave wraps it up after 30 years at fish and chip shop

THE aptly named Dave Spratt is something of an institution in Stroud.

Over the last 30 years he has served hundreds of thousands of portions of fish and chips to the people in the town.

After a lifetime of tirelessly hawking haddock and peddling potatoes to friends and royalty alike, he will be flying off to Canada on May 10 to begin his well-deserved retirement.

"It's very emotional," he said, from behind the counter at Smith's Traditional Fish and Chip Restaurant on Nelson Street.

"I have mixed feelings about retiring.

"I will miss the company of the customers and the employees here, but I also look forward to my rest.

"I see most of the customers here as friends - good friends, some of them.

"I have seen many of the customers grow up and the Saturday girls bring in their own offspring."

He started at Smith's as a fledgling fryer in 1975, selling portions of newspaper-wrapped fish for a paltry 10d.

"Newspapers went out for health and safety reasons," Dave explained. "The print would come off on your hands."

His boss and good friend Graham Smith, who owns the shop, added: "I think it's a bit of a fallacy when people say it's better to eat them out of the newspaper.

"They just taste better out of paper. The biggest problem with fish is the steam when they are wrapped up."

Over the last 10 years, they say the fish and chip business has changed dramatically, with competition from Chinese, Indian and Thai cuisine coming in to tempt the town's taste buds.

"It has affected us because a lot of people like spicy food," said Graham, "so where they may have had fish and chips twice a week they might only have it once a week now."

However, through a combination of brilliant batter, sociable service and the largest 'large' portions known to man, Smith's has survived - though frying times have been revised.

"Many years ago the bulk of our trade was late. It was nothing to have 30 or 40 in the queue. Now the bulk of our business is at tea time," said Dave.

Now a manager, his customers have included Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, actress Honor Blackman and former Coronation Street star Colin Procktor, who lives locally.

"In the 30 years I have been here, I have had the pleasure of serving royalty and famous people," he said.

"They were just normal people. I enjoyed having a chat with them.

"We were asked once to look after Princess Michael's car and two children. She stopped outside and said 'I have to pop along the road - could you keep an eye on the car and the children?'

"Then there was the time Prince Michael was in Stroud and he came in moaning and groaning because he'd had a ticket on his car."

Dave was born in Tetbury and brought up in Briscombe. Before he came to Smith's, he worked for the bus service, first as a conductor and later in the office.

After 14 years, he decided to change careers following rumours about mass redundancy.

When he began working at the fish and chip shop, his previously innocuous name became the cause of much amusement. "There is a fish called a sprat," he admits, "but it's only got one 't'.

"I have had jokes about that in more ways than one. Some chaps used to call me Spratapus."

His wife Pauline also worked alongside him at Smiths for 20 years, before changing jobs for health reasons.

Dave has promised to keep in touch with the many friends he has made while working in the shop, but said he will miss the sociable aspect of the job most of all.

"I didn't miss the buses so much because I was here," he said, "but I shall miss this because I shan't be here meeting the public."

However, he is looking forward to starting his retirement with a fortnight in Canada, where he will meet up with an old classmate who lives on Vancouver Island.

"He's four days older than me," said Dave, "so we're going to retire together."

Their wives, who get on "like sisters" are also excited about the reunion.

"The first time we went out the two girls broke down and cried because they thought they wouldn't see each other again," he said.

"Dave will be sorely missed," said Graham. "He has been a very loyal hard-working employee and also a good friend."

Local people have also expressed their regret at losing their favourite fishmonger, whom they have described as "a legend" and "a Stroud institution", but Dave is characteristically modest.

"I wouldn't say I'm a legend," he says, laughing. "I just work in a chip shop."