Biography of Jill

Born in Bewdley in Worcestershire in the 1950’s, Jill’s parents ran a chain of shoe shops and she moved around with them until going to college.

In the early 1980’s, straight after she had completed a catering course, she was offered a job as assistant manager at the The George, which at the time was a Trusthouse Forte hotel.

The George back then was very different to today, the bar was the hub for the locals as well as for guests.  The Saturday lunchtime sessions was very lively!

After a few years Jill progressed and took a job as catering manager at Anglia Building Society, now the Nationwide in Bexhill.  She was in charge of a team that were cooking boardroom lunches.  Working 9-5 was better than at the George where he had to work shifts. 

After getting married she changed jobs and became catering manager at Hill House Hospital and Rye Memorial hospital up on the hill outside Rye.

When she had her first baby, she stopped work and moved to Ross on Wye to be near her parents.    It wasn’t what she was hoping for and pined for Rye.  She was relieved when her husband got a job offer back in East Sussex.  They came back and bought a house in Winchelsea Beach which they still live in today.

Jill did a few part time jobs to fit around the children.   Once they were at school, she took a job at Freda Gardham school in Rye as a teaching assistant for many years and later became school secretary.

In 1996 a friend of her husbands who owned the pet shop in Rye mentioned that he was selling up and so they bought the shop, not knowing anything about retail! 

What we sell has changed a lot in the last 27 years says Jill, we now sell lots of wild bird seed with lots of variety.  Although people buy large sacks of dog food online pet owners still like to come to a shop to fit a harness or a dog coat.

Over the last 27 years the choice of accessories has really grown, it’s not just dog jumpers but also things like reindeer ears says Jill!  For treats, people now want natural products for their pets, that’s changed a lot over the years.

It’s a very physical job, humping heavy boxes but at 66 Jill plans to continue for the foreseeable future.

Customers are lovely and chatty, pet owners are a friendly bunch and Jill loves the job!

Audio of interview with Jill