Mr Beeching, grocer, of the High-street, had a lady call in his shop the other morning, and she said she had an account she wanted to pay him. He looked the lady up and down, but failed to recognise her and when she placed the bill before him he discovered, to his great surprise, that he made it out 24 years ago!

The lady said the account had been carried about by her wherever she went, it being her intention to settle it whenever she came to Cuckfield. Mr Beeching was so pleased to receive the money that he has had nothing but kind things to say of the lady ever since. It would be a bad look-out for tradesmen, though, if all their patrons departed only to pay up 24 years later.

Sussex Express 24 August 1917

Shop photo from Wikimedia: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:W._Martyn_grocers_shop_interior_03.jpg

Contributed by Malcolm Davison.