One of my earliest memories is playing “shops” with my grandad when I was five. After leaving school at 15 I worked in a fruit shop, but I had no ambition to run my own shop. Things were different back then – you had your family and you raised them. My husband Eric and I had an arable farm in Goulceby, in the Lincolnshire Wolds, but we wanted to do something different. There was a shop for sale in the nearby village of Donington on Bain. We had a look and bought it within three months. That was January 1973. It came with a house next door, which was very run-down. Our children were small – David was two and Jackie was 11 months old – so they stayed with their grandparents while it was decorated. We were a bit fresh at shopkeeping; we’d never done it before. Eric often didn’t know what the customers were asking for, but he soon learned. People’s shopping habits have changed over the years. We used to sell a lot of paraffin, as everyone had stoves for their outside toilets and little greenhouses. There was nothing else to heat them with. Then it was Calor gas for the heaters people kept in the kitchen. Now it’s all logs and coal for burning. More people shop online, but they still come here for things missing from their order, or if they want a pound of tomatoes but only a single one has turned up on their doorstep. I sell most things – paintbrushes, turps, tennis balls, groceries and jigsaws. If we haven’t got something, I can order it. When potatoes were scarce a few years ago, everyone bought pasta instead and that has carried on, as it’s easier to cook – you don’t have to peel or chop it. I’ve kept up with technology and have a card reader, but the shop itself hasn’t changed much. There are new shelves and a new floor – the old wooden one was uneven and creaked. Now it’s concrete. The customers didn’t like it at first, but they soon got used to it. Eric passed away 16 years ago, so my family help me out sometimes, but I’ve never considered getting rid of the shop. I love it all – talking to the customers, getting what they want. I’m generally not happy if I’m not behind the counter, although I also enjoy gardening, jigsaws and watching snooker. The only day I don’t open is Christmas Day. We were busy during lockdown, but I reduced my hours – customers were getting their shopping during the day, so I used the evenings to get ready for the next day and have a rest. Now, as I’m getting older, it’s open from 7am to 6pm on weekdays, instead of closing at 8.30pm. I open until 2pm at weekends. Some people call me Arkwright, after the shop owner in Open All Hours, but I don’t mind. There are customers who come in two or three times a day, and we see several generations of some families. There was one lady who came in for a cup of tea every day, but she died a couple of years ago. Customers often tell me their problems and I offer advice if I can. You can tell by the weather how busy it’s going to be. On wet days there are very few people about, and when it’s snowy everyone wants bread and milk, as they’re worried about being snowed in. We’re on the Viking Way, so we get a lot of walkers. When it’s hot, everyone buys cold drinks and ice-cream. It was the 50th anniversary of the shop on 13 January this year. I wanted to do something special, so we had drinks and nibbles with customers, and I’ve written a book about my time in the shop. Eric kept a diary when we first came, and last year I wrote down some of my memories, too. It’s called Just Ask Jenny, as I’m always the first port of call when anyone wants to know anything. It’s got a few snippets about what’s happened over the years and some photos. Lots of other village shops have closed since I’ve been here, so I must be doing something right. This shop has been my life. I never imagined I’d still be here after 50 years, but I love it and the people – it’s what keeps me going. I’ve got no intention of retiring. As told to Kate Chapman