A time-warp corner shop virtually unchanged since opening in 1923 is closing - leaving locals gutted.<br /><br />Moore and Toop opened first opened in 1923 - and still looks largely the same as it did back then.<br /><br />But Ernest Clothier, who became owner in 1969, has decided it's finally time to shut up shop.<br /><br />He described the sale of the property in Frome, Somerset, as the "end of an era".<br /><br />Ernest, 77, said: "Everybody's been saying, 'What are we going to do without you?'. Even people that don't shop here.<br /><br />"But I'm creeping towards 80 and I want to retire. Time is time, isn't it?"<br /><br />Moore and Toop sold agricultural supplies to farmers when it opened 100 years ago - and has not been repainted since.<br /><br />The original owner - referred to as "Mr Moore" by Ernest - then stepped down in the late 1960s.<br /><br />So Ernest and his late wife Mary took the job on.<br /><br />Despite growing up on a farm, Ernest had plenty to learn and had the extra pressure of being under the watchful eye of Mr Moore for the first six weeks.<br /><br />And he gave Ernest two options: perform well and the original 'Moore and Toop' shop-front sign could stay up, if not, it had to come down.<br /><br />Thankfully, Ernest passed the test and the sign remained firmly in place for another 54 years.<br /><br />Original advertising board from brands of the past remained on the walls throughout Ernest's tenancy.<br /><br />They have since been taken for auction in Chippenham, Wilts., where they are expected to fetch as much as £600 a piece.<br /><br />But, after becoming a staple of the town, Ernest has decided now is the time to retire and shut up shop as he "creeps towards 80".<br /><br />Ernest and his wife spent five decades supplying the local farming trade with seeds and supplies - with business booming up until the mid 1990s.<br /><br />Ernest also sold dog food, something he says was one of his bestsellers, often shifting over 400 bags.<br /><br />Historic brands like Entwhistles and Spratts are just some of the old companies that took up advertising space on Ernest's walls.<br /><br />The advertisements date from before World War Two and add to the historic feeling of the shop.<br /><br />The shop is also home to original Avery weighing scales - which Ernest claims are better than their modern electric counterparts.<br /><br />Asked if he ever though about modernising the place, Ernest said: "Not really, we were so busy we didn't even think about."<br /><br />Ernest will continue trading until the planned handover of the property on February 24 - marking the end of the Moore and Toop era.<br /><br />And he said: "I don't think anyone would want to carry the business on. We've got a warehouse as well so you'd need more space to store feed. The end of era really. <br /><br />"The gentleman that has bought the space said he just wants to make it better because it's never had any work on it - I'm not sure what he plans to do after."<br /><br />After 54 years of trading, Ernest said: "I will miss the people without a doubt but I'm sure I'll see most of them, if not all of them."
