History of Sheffield‘s Oldest Shop Published 2011 (124 pages)
This book tells the fascinating life stories of all the owners and occupiers of Sheffield’s oldest shop. It is a captivating collection of its many entrepreneurs, who arrived in Sheffield from all parts of the world: England, Scotland, Ireland, America, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand even New Guinea. Some were wealthy millionaires, others started with nothing. Set against the unfolding history of Kentish, this book begins with the first pioneer leader Robert Maley and his incredible mother and sister. Next comes American born Major Thomas J Clerke and his younger brother Lieut-Colonel Martyn Clerke, both of whom made an enormous contribution to Kentish. It relates how Lord Peter and Lady Beverley Murray along with ex-Premier of Queensland Sir Joh and Lady Flo Bjelke-Petersen with her Pumpkin Scone Shoppe received national publicity like no other restaurant in the whole of Australia. Most of the local staff, who have worked in Sheffield’s oldest shop over the years, are also mentioned. As are the personal stories of the some of the towns’s iconic tourist personalities: Martin Klussendorf with his horse and wagon, Mathew Simms with his badpipes, and Ludo Mineur with his alpacas.
