God, it breaks my heart a little. Another piece of proper British history gone just like that.
I was actually in Ely last summer with my sister (she's obsessed with teh cathedral there), and we popped into Burrows for a magazine. Never thought I'd be writing about its closure less than a year later. That's how these things go, isn't it? Here one century, gone the next.
When Your Paperboy's Grandad Was Also Your Paperboy
Burrows Newsagent—that little shop that's been part of Ely's city centre landscape since Queen Victoria was still knocking about in 1899—served its final customers on April 26th. Let that sink in. One hundred and twenty-five years of continuous family business. My local corner shop changes hands every 18 months!
The shop was first opened by James Frederick Burrows, who passed it to his son Percy, who handed it to Jeff, who brought in his niece Annabel. Four generations of early mornings, newspaper ink, and community service.
Annabel Reddick, Jeff's niece and the only full-time employee left, told reporters the final day was an emotional rollercoaster. "People were constantly coming in saying 'thank you,' bringing presents and cards," she said. I bet they were. Where else can you buy your morning paper from someone who remembers what your dad used to read?
5am Starts and No Bloody Card Machines
Jeff Burrows started working full-time in the shop back in 1965. Think about that—the Beatles were still together, England had just won the World Cup, and Jeff was already getting up at dawn to sort papers.
He took over from his father in 1973 and kept things deliberately old-school. The shop opened at 5am every single day except Christmas (saints, the lot of them) and remained stubbornly cash or cheque only until the very end.
"By the time you've paid the charges, you'd make very little," Jeff explained to the BBC about his refusal to take cards. In an age where I can't even buy a coffee without someone waving a contactless terminal at me, there's something almost rebellious about that stance.
Remember Your First Job?
Around 500 paperboys and papergirls got their first taste of employment at Burrows over the decades. I had a paper round when I was 14—worst six months of my life, honestly. Up at 6am in winter, frozen fingers, dogs chasing me down driveways... character building, they called it.
A week before the doors closed for good, more than 80 former delivery kids—some now in their 60s and 70s—gathered outside for a reunion photo. Must've been like a weird school reunion where the only thing you had in common was delivering the Racing Post to Mrs. Jenkins at 6:30am.
"It taught them to count, responsibility, and commitment," Annabel said of the paper round experience. She's not wrong.
So Much for a Quiet Goodbye...
The final day was supposed to be low-key. Yeah, right.
"We made a point of closing the door at 4pm and blocking it, but we kept getting a flow of customers and visitors," Annabel laughed. I can just picture it—trying to cash up while half of Cambridgeshire is banging on the door with farewell cards.
Poor Jeff missed his own farewell party due to illness. After 60-odd years of 5am starts, the man deserves a lie-in.
What Happens When You Don't "Diversify"
While every other shop on the high street was busy turning into a coffee-shop-slash-nail-bar-slash-whatever, Burrows stuck to what they knew: magazines, newspapers, and greeting cards. No fancy lattes, no CBD oils, no "authentic street food" counters.
And you know what? They lasted 125 years. Show me a vape shop that'll do that.
I visited a newsagent near my flat in London last week. They had three newspapers hidden behind shelves of phone chargers, vapes, and energy drinks. Progress, I suppose.
Time for That Caravan in Norfolk
Jeff hasn't been forced out by rising rents or online competition (though I'm sure neither helped). "We haven't had to close," he insisted. "This is purely about retirement—and spending more time at the caravan in north Norfolk."
After 125 years and around 45,625 early mornings, I'd say the Burrows family has earned that holiday.
Jeff sold his paper rounds to a national company and sent a heartfelt letter to his customers, thanking them for their support adn saying the family was "proud and honoured to be part of Ely's history for all these years."
Listen. I'm not usually sentimental about shops closing. It happens. But there's something about a family business that's survived two world wars, the Spanish flu, the Great Depression, the digital revolution, and everything in between finally calling it a day that makes you pause.
So here's to the Burrows family and their little newsagent that became part of Ely's DNA. I hope that caravan in Norfolk has the comfiest bed in England, Jeff. You've earned every lie-in.
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