This month, we’re throwing the spotlight on local business – R Miles & Son. Founded back in 1896 by Mr Miles, it can claim to be the longest continually running shop in Haslemere.

The current owner is Angela Burt, but day to day, the business is run by Dave and Russell (assisted by the incredibly friendly retriever - Milo - who you will often find in store!) When it was founded, R Miles & Son was actually based across the street where you will now find Brewers. However, it moved to its current location at 20 West Street in the 1940s and in 1950 was established as a private limited company. This purpose-built building was much better suited for the business to continue to grow. Incidentally, you can head into the store to see some wonderful photos of the original shop placed on the wall near the counter.

 

Angela’s father-in-law bought into the business after he came back from fighting in the Second World War. Local to Fernhurst, his son - Martin – also got involved in the running of the business when he was old enough, eventually taking over the reins completely. Martin’s wife, Angela, was finally persuaded to join the team when their second son was around 7 years old. She was initially a little sceptical about joining, but by stepping up to help, it in turn, allowed her father-in-law to take a bit more of a back seat. Angela and Martin then split the roles between them. Martin was always an excellent buyer and tended to be on the shop floor. In contrast, Angela’s role was largely in the ‘back office’. She recalls taking a bit of a crash course in accounting to learn how to balance the books, understand VAT and other things needed to do a good job.

Angela and Martin had two sons. One is now an executive chef based up in Yorkshire. You’ll find the other son, Dave, in store most days. A roofer and scaffolder by trade, he first helped out at R Miles when his father Martin fell ill. It was never Dave's plan to get involved in the business before this. In fact, his father Martin was keen to ensure that both his sons followed their own paths in life. And Dave still does miss his roofing work - apparently, the higher the roof, the happier he tended to be! However, his wife is definitely much happier with him having two feet on the ground these days and Dave has found enjoyment in managing R Miles. As he put quite simply, 'It's family isn't it,' and it's clear that he is proud that the business has been handed down through the generations.

As a child, both Dave and his brother could often be found lending a hand in the shop to earn some pocket money. He remembers fondly how he would play his father off his grandfather so they would each give him some spending money for helping out! And he also remembers the upstairs stock room. Unlit, it was difficult to find anything in there. Apparently, he could usually hear his grandfather whistling away before he could actually see him!

Like so many local businesses we have had the pleasure of meeting over the past few months, R Miles & Son place a massive emphasis on the people they employ. Angela is incredibly proud of the local families that they have employed over the years. She told us how R Miles & Son has, over the years, employed multi-generations of the same local family. She speaks fondly of how previous staff members will always pop back in to say hello. And she is clearly extremely passionate about the benefits that work brings to the younger generation in particular. This is something that seems more relevant than ever today when national news headlines often highlight the high unemployment rates among 16-24 year olds.

Russell is a prime example of this approach. Russell’s mum actually used to work for R Miles before he did. And Russell joined the company when he was just 14 to get some work experience under his belt. He never left! Given that he is now 40, it’s testament to what a fantastic business R Miles is to work for. Angela fondly speaks about Russell as her ‘third son’ – that just sums up how caring Angela is. These days, Russell makes a conscious effort to constantly adapt the range of products that R Miles offers, giving their customers plenty of choice and variety. And, as they buy direct rather than from wholesalers where they can, they definitely get the pick of the best products too.

That spirit of caring extends not just to those working in R Miles. Angela and her team have always been firm supporters of local charities and organisations. Every year, R Miles gives generously to the Haslemere Food Bank, for example, amongst others.

Angela’s motto is firmly to, ‘Treat people as you would like to be treated yourself,’ and, crucially, to treat young people as adults, giving them the respect they deserve. She particularly likes it when the younger generation show initiative – go in with a CV yourself rather than getting your parent to call up is her wise advice! In addition, Angela strongly believes that, ‘If you look after people, they will look after you.’ Some of the ways that Angela and Martin looked after those that worked for them over the years are charmingly traditional – they would often buy the employees their ‘Sunday meat’ for example. And, in fact, she still sometimes does this even today.

There couldn’t have been stronger proof of how their employees and customers showed their thanks in return than when Angela’s husband, Martin, fell ill. Martin sadly passed away on 13 July 2013. Angela remembers fondly how customers came in to store to pay their respects following the news, many bringing massive bouquets of fresh flowers and passing on their phone numbers in case there was anything that they could do to help. And on the day of the funeral itself, she reminisced about how many people came to pay their respects, something that touched her deeply and which she remains extremely grateful for.

Martin’s death obviously hit hard. However, Angela is definitely not a lady to wallow in grief. Far from it. Instead, she is definitely the type of person to suck every last drop out of life. She told us, ‘I picked myself up, dusted myself off and got on with it.’

These days, Dave and Russell’s brilliant management of the business allows her to enjoy her other passions in life – her grandchildren, her garden and travel. She has certainly seen some incredible places over the past few years. From the paddy fields of Bali to the orangutangs and mangrove swamps of Borneo, Angela is someone who likes to travel to some of the furthest corners of the globe. The one thing that connects her travels in each place is her passion to meet the locals and to see the ‘real country’ rather than skimming the surface in the way so many travellers do. It’s just further proof of how important human connections are to Angela.

That is not to say she doesn’t miss being more deeply involved in the business. She certainly misses the chats with customers and the members of staff. And she misses seeing the deliveries come in. She used to love the lorry driving up – she remembers fondly how often what had been ordered was never quite what was actually delivered! But, she is also very aware that it was the right time to hand over the reins. ‘They’re all such a great bunch of people…. But it’s their turn now,’ she told us.

Dave and Russell are certainly firm hands running the business. The business requires an awful lot of hard work and dedication on their part. The business is constantly evolving to ensure it can continue to meet Haslemere’s needs. Dave and Russell are always assessing what is going well, what they can do better and what else they can bring to the store which shoppers would want. No doubt you will have noticed that their window display changes fortnightly – this allows those walking past to see the eclectic mix of products stocked inside and is aimed at encouraging people to pop in and browse. All these displays are done in house.

The store itself is surprisingly complex. No one could tell us how many different products they currently stock but it certainly runs into the 1000s. Stock taking tends to take place at the end of each year, so maybe they'll be able to tell us then! At its core is traditional hardware, tools and materials but you’ll also find kitchen equipment, homeware, gardening supplies and much, much more. If in doubt, they'll probably stock what you're looking for.

The whole team are proud of their traditional approach to retail too. Angela reminisced about how a customer once came in with a broken scooter – he was sent away to get a coffee and, by the time he returned, the team had fixed it for him. Similarly, one of the This is Haslemere volunteers popped in a few months ago needing a new battery but, again, R Miles went above and beyond, opening up the item to install it for them. It’s a small gesture but one which adds that personal touch that is so appreciated.

In short, R Miles believe strongly in old fashioned values and we think this is one of the many reasons that this is such a special store within Haslemere’s business community.

So, if you haven’t had the pleasure of popping in to this treasure trove of a local business recently, we recommend you do. Dave, Russell and the team (including Milo the dog) will be happy to see you and to help with whatever you need.