Meet Walter: A Grocer’s Story for a New Generation

Front cover of Walter's Story for Young Readers by Claire Greensit

Walter’s Story arrives on Thursday 22nd October—what would have been Walter’s 108th birthday—bringing more than fifty years of grocery history to life for young readers.

Walter West was born in Cudworth in 1918. He began working in the grocery trade in the early 1930s and retired in Ripon in 1983. Between those dates, the world on both sides of his shop counter changed enormously.

There were parcels to wrap, deliveries to make and the tricky business of cutting exactly the right amount of cheese. Then came war, ration books, changing money and customers who began choosing their own shopping from the shelves. There was even a robbery.

Walter’s Story follows those changes through the life of one ordinary man—my grandfather.

Illustrated spread showing young Walter learning to cut and weigh cheese at the grocery counter. — Learning the grocery trade: an illustrated spread from Walter’s Story.

History behind the counter

I wanted young readers to discover social history through a person they could get to know. Walter’s working life offers a way into questions about food, money, fairness and community. What happened when families could only buy small amounts of rationed food? How did a grocer remember what his customers needed? And how did it feel when skills learned over decades began to be replaced by new ways of shopping?

The book combines full-colour illustrations with genuine family photographs and archive documents. The illustrations reconstruct scenes from Walter’s life, while the original sources give readers opportunities to look closely at the evidence behind his story.

Genuine archive photographs of Walter behind the counter and the interior of his grocery shop. — Walter and his shop: genuine photographs from the family archive.

A young reader’s verdict

My nephew Felix helped test the books, taking his role as junior proofreader seriously. He spotted mistakes, commented on the pictures and told me what worked for him.

His verdict on Walter?

“Loved it” — Felix, Year 6 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

His favourite chapter was Changes. Having a young reader involved has been a valuable part of making these books: I wanted to hear what children actually noticed, enjoyed and wanted to know more about.

Illustrated spread from Changes showing Walter, Doris and toddler Trevor celebrating VE Day in Ripon. — Walter, Doris and toddler Trevor celebrate VE Day in Changes, Felix’s favourite chapter.

For home and the classroom

As a teacher and Walter’s granddaughter, I’ve brought together my teaching experience and family research to share his story with a new generation.

The book includes links to teaching notes and lesson plans, with opportunities to compare photographs, investigate everyday objects and explore how life has changed. It can be enjoyed as a story at home or used to begin conversations and enquiries in the classroom.

Available Thursday 22nd October

Walter’s Story is part of Things Left Behind for Young Readers, alongside Tommy’s Story and Ken’s Story.

I’ll be introducing Tommy and Ken over the next few days. For today, it’s Walter’s turn: a grocer whose ordinary working life has left us an extraordinary amount to explore.