Derek & Maureen Woodbridge

also click Christine Langley (Maureen's sister an osteopath)

also click Hickmans Stores for the history of Hickmans Stores

Derek Woodbridge was elected ex-officio to the Village Hall Committee as the Booking Secretary in 1990

Derek Woodbridge was the Key-holder for the Village Hall Committee in 1996 and 1967

1988 Hallmark. Excerpt from a report by Peter Trotter on the village shop called Hickmans Stores. (click Peter & Lilian Trotter)

"A new innovation, in addition to video hire, is a splendid selection of wines, spirits and daily newspapers.

Derek & Maureen Woodbridge,the new owners, Maureen who after 13 years in the Health Service and husband Derek who gave up running a welding shop, fulfilled a long ambition to run their own business. After searching all over the country they found what they were looking for right under their noses in Lacey Green after a chance remark to the previous owners. The Woodbridges have lived in the village for 4 years and now manage the shop with the support of the entire family who assist with serving in the shop. They are totally involved in providing a service with Derek at time helping customers with "Do it yourself" problems.

The business is slowly improving, wines and newspapers providing the extra turnover to finance the many new ideas and plans they have for the shops future. We are indeed very fortunate to have such dedicated people in our midst - long may they continue.

If you accept the principle "use it or lose it'' the hard work and enterprise of the new owners deserves all the support we can give them. Where would we be without the village shop? Poorer as a community. Don't let it become a neglected asset - USE IT!"

Hallmark 1991. Clem Brown reports on meeting Derek and Maureen Woodbridge. (Note. This report has been edited to remove Clem's personal opinions)

Some things never change. What about the notices of local events, the "for sale" cards. Someone has to keep up with it all, and with Hickmans Stores of Lacey Green that "someone" happens to be Derek and Maureen Woodbridge, who took over from the Norris family three years ago.

This enterprising couple see the village shop as a focal point. I have rarely been in the shop without being greeted or exchanging a word of greeting with someone. All activity, you see, and most of it local. The shop takes bookings for the village hall, for instance, to foster local interests.

Derek and Maureen are fortyish, friendly, helpful and (well almost) workaholics. Both are natives of High Wycombe, where they met at a youth club in 1966. They married twenty years ago, and their 20th anniversary will be marked by Derek's next birthday. They seem to thrive on long hours, but it's hard work. Holidays are a problem, and in fact they have found only four weekends of real freedom since they took over the shop.

Retailing has to be learned and the Woodbridges have grasped it. At one time Derek's interests were very different. He dabbled in telephone sales, then took a college course in welding, leading to work with a company making specialised trailers, some of which were commissioned by British Caledonian. Meanwhile, Maureen was in office work, including a stint with the NHS. Then, having moved to Lacey Green, they met the previous owners of Hickmans. From that meeting, when Maureen's sister Christine was also involved, emerged the decision to take on the shop.

So we return to the focal point, the centre of hard but rewarding work. Derek and Maureen have fostered change and careful diversification, marked by news-agency development and association with wholesale suppliers. The stock of wines and other goodies has been extended. What next? It is obvious that the floor area of a shop determines what can be done, but I'm sure the Woodbridges will take the sensible course with local needs in mind. I wish them well and I do hope they can take a holiday. Surely, they have earned it!