In 1871, Thomas Mussell, a grocer, is recorded at the Sun Inn, Hulverstone. It wasn’t until 1881 that there was a mention of any sort of shop in Brook, or Mottistone. The Hayters’ shop was in the front room of No 1 Old Myrtle Cottage, left, run by John Hayter, a widower aged 76.

By 1891 it was run by John’s daughter Elizabeth. Many still remember her and that she had a ‘flexible’ pricing system depending whether you: be a reglar or a popper–inner. She was also known for putting a finger on the scales to make things weigh more.

The Hayter family were still trading in the early 1930s. In An Eventful Life, Robert Cassell mentions a shop at Hulverstone situated behind The Elms in the 1860s and 70s and run by a Mrs Willington.

In 1933 Bert and Margaret Morris saw an opportunity and opened a shop at Hanover (see Hanover Stores and Tea Rooms).

Before the war there were also tea shops down on the cliff top at Brook, one was run by Harry Barnes and his wife and one by Charlie and Julia Bennett, supported mainly by visitors. When the war came, it came to an end as no one was allowed onto the beach at that time. Rita Whitewood also ran a small tea and beachware shop at Compton in one of the beach huts. Many people today will remember the Munts’ shop in the 1960s at Compton car park, which sold beach equipment and ice creams and each winter moved a little nearer to the cliff edge.