A FAMILY business, specialising in cycles, guns, and fishing, is to close after nearly 70 years of trading.
KCSports has been in current owner Andrew Stemp’s family for 40 years.
“Before we moved to the Wokingham shop, my father, John Stemp, ran the business for 10 years from Slough, so we’ve been trading for 50 years,” he explained.
“But before us, the sports shop was run by Ken Berry for a couple of decades, so it’s been going for a long time.”
Located close to Wokingham Station, on Barkham Road, the business sells a wide range of specialist equipment for people interested in cycling, fishing, and gun sports.
“It has always been a sports shop with a bit of everything, but behind the store, where we have our workshop, there has also been in the past, a barbers, and a bakery.
“The workshop was a stable for the baker’s horse and cart that delivered loaves to customers.”
The shop, and with it, this piece of Wokingham’s history will transform in November, when the business ceases trading.
“The owners of the building have plans to turn the bakery behind the shop into a two bedroom house, and the store itself is set to become a massage parlour,” Mr Stemp said.
“We could have kept going for a good few years, as it’s a viable and successful business, but it’s time to go.
“We understand that what we pay in rent is less than what the owners will recuperate from the changes.”
Mr Stemp won’t be setting up shop somewhere else in the borough.
“It’s a lot of work, and we have to keep up with a lot of specialist knowledge,” he said.
“I’m not sure what we’ll do next, probably something different, and possibly on the South Coast.
“I’d like to thank all the many people who have supported KCSports over the years.
“It’s been a long time, and we’ve had a great many customers stepping over the threshold.”
The shop, at 24 to 26 Barkham Road, Wokingham, will cease trading on Thursday, November 30.
For information, visit: www.kcsport.webs.com
