History of Fred Grain’s shop 72A Windmill Road, Headington
Above Frederick Grain, the tobacconist, confectioner, and stationer at 72A Windmill Road (next to the former West’s Garden Centre site) from 1924 to 1934.
Right Frederick at his parents' home at 34 New High Street in the 1890s, with his son of the same name. Frederick Grain junio was also a watchmaker at this shop from 1934 until his death in about 1975.
The shop was left to Mrs Freda Slaymaker on the death of Fred Grain, and she in turn left it to her daughter Jill Slaymaker. They let it out to Basil J. Williams, who made several alterations to it and used it has a secondhand shop called the "Oxford Buy & Sell Store". When Basil left in the 1980s, No. 72A was sold to Richard Ford.
Richard Ford continued to run it as a secondhand shop until it closed on 16 December 2006.
There is currently a planning application (07/02480/FUL) to build a house at the end of its long back garden, which stretches to Norton Close.