A sad farewell to David Barron’s Shop

The dark green wooden shop located in the centre of Newlyn close to the War Memorial is no longer in existence. On Monday 5 February 2018 the demolition men arrived and by late afternoon on 7 February 2018 David Barron’s shop had disappeared.

Generations of Newlyners bought their sweets, cigarettes, magazines, papers and much more from the shop for as long as almost anyone can remember. The shop was set up by David’s father, Jonce Barron, in 1920 and David took over from him for a few days when his father was ill. Fifty odd years later the shop was finally closed.

To say that David and the shop will be missed is a massive understatement; it was the acknowledged social centre of the town where everyone met everyone else, where the latest news was exchanged, the epicentre of the Newlyn grapevine, and all this presided over by the genial and friendly host, David Barron.

There is a definite sense of loss in the town that something precious and irreplaceable has gone.
However, we are all pleased that David Barron helps run the archive when it opens on a Tuesday morning at the Admiralty Boathouse next door.

Ron Hogg