George Robertson, 15 March 2005
Hi Jane
Found your website (very good) when searching for more information about 9 High Street. The site was very informative and changed our view of when No 9 ‘The Three Horseshoes‘ was built.
I enclose a photo which I took when we moved here in 1978. Mr Coles told us that the shop had been opened at the start of the First World War in 1914. It appeared to be more of a general store when we moved in with all sorts of things on sale from garden seeds to bicycle repair kits. Mr Coles also told us that there was a property at one time joining No.9 to No.7 (you can see this clearly on the end walls). This cottage was apparently used as a Dame School but we have been unable to find any further information about this.
Most of what we know about this house was gleaned from Vere and Dot Coles. My wife sat with Mr and Mrs Coles back in the 1980s and they told her lots of fascinating information about the house and the village. It was Vere who told us that the house was a pub and that what is now our kitchen was the beer store. The door into the kitchen is still the original extra wide opening to enable barrels to be rolled in! We have recently found this old photo (Corby Library Archives) taken in 1910. It is mainly of the Spread Eagle but you can see in the middle distance the pub sign outside our house.
Hope this is useful to you.
Many thanks
George Robertson
Cottingham
March 15, 2004