By Amanda Chambers, Heritage Consultant

With Christmas just around the corner let’s take a look into the archive for some wonderful stories from the past.

Over the years O&C Butcher built a reputation for seasonal window displays and Christmas was no exception. But newspaper adverts were also placed in the local press to encourage sales and seasonal offers.

It was clear O&C Butcher would go that extra mile to ensure gifts were available ‘right up to the last minute’ and Christmas Eve in 1967 was no exception when two unexpected VIP customers arrived at the store, right on closing time…

Derek Cook, former Managing Director of O&C Butcher recalls:

“It was 5.30pm and we were about to shut up the shop when world famous cellist Mstislav
Rostropovich and his wife the renowned soprano Galina Vishnevskaya - who were friends and
musical collaborators of Aldeburgh residents Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears - came to the
door.

They had arrived from their homeland in Russia for Christmas in Aldeburgh and presumably had
not had time to buy presents.

Of course we couldn’t turn them away, even though it was closing time and my wife Catherine
was waiting for us with our children so we could drive to Essex for a family Christmas.

The Rostropoviches selected their items - much time was spent helping Galina with presents in
the Ladies Department - and then everything was gift wrapped.

There wasn’t a phone at home so I couldn’t reassure my wife, so when we finally arrived at the
house at around 8pm she assumed we had been having a festive drink in the pub!”

Did you know?

From the 1940s-1960s O&C Butcher also owned a clothing store in Sudbury, Suffolk - look out for more in a future blog post!

Images:

1. A rare Christmas press cutting from O&C Butcher’s Sudbury store. Date unknown but likely
   between the 1940s - 1960s - (Photo credit: O&C Butcher Archive)
2. Mstislav Rostropovich and Galina Vishnevskaya in 1965 - (Photo credit: Library of Congress
   Prints and Photographs Division, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA)

Don't forget you can shop for gifts right up until the last minute because we'll be open in Aldeburgh on Christmas Eve until 4pm. You can also order for Christmas delivery on our website up until 3pm on Friday 20th December.