Rotary Club of Shrewsbury GUEST SPEAKER – Peter Birch
Peter Birch with Rotary Club of Shrewsbury President John Siviter At the Rotary Club of Shrewsbury luncheon on 25 November 2015 our speaker was Peter Birch who told us the story of his family company C.R.Birch & Son of Roushill, Shrewsbury. Peter can trace the Birch family back to the 15th Century in Shrewsbury, and they have always been involved in trade in one form or another, from glovers, to ‘Pop’ bottlers, to paint mixers! Peter and his brother, Christopher, are Freemen of Shrewsbury. The building, from which the company operated, until its recent closure, after over 100 years in business, had an unusual triangular site, facing the Riverside Shopping Mall. It was and still is exposed to flooding from the nearby River Severn. The shop itself with its modest exterior, gave no clue to the enormous variety of goods that were stored away behind the scenes, as many of us have discovered when we went to Birch`s to find or replace some obscure implement, or utensil, for the house or garden. In fact the shop only provided one part of the original business which delivered paraffin, fuel and lubricating oil to farms all over the county. Gradually deliveries also included almost every item a farmer or his wife could want or wish for. Sadly, with the changes in oil distribution and the development of out of town and Internet shopping, the role of this unique and fascinating business could no longer survive. Summary report by Rtn David Jenkins
Peter’s mother Margaruite received a Rotary Community Award earlier in the year