‘This shop is our baby’

Feb 11 2008 by Katie Bodinger, South Wales Echo

A COUPLE whose shop was the hub of the community have been overwhelmed with messages of goodwill on their retirement.

Dilip and Sudha Suchak, known as Philip and Sue to customers, have sold their newsagents and general store in Colwinstone Street, Llandaff North, after 28 years.

Sudha, 55, said it had been heartbreaking to step down.

“I do miss it,” said Sudha, who was born in Kenya.

“We didn’t have children so I called the shop my baby. I said, ‘my daughter is 28 years old, I have got to marry her off now’.

“I searched for a good suitor for her.”

Dilip, 57, said: “Sudha is already talking about getting a part-time job. She has always been a workaholic.”

Dilip came to Cardiff from Tanzania to study engineering and qualified in 1972. He met Sudha in London and after their marriage, they moved to Llandaff North to set up shop in 1980.

During their time at Suchak Stores they worked 12 to 14-hour days. Sudha, known as The Boss, was always keen to open on bank holidays and early in the morning.

They often took separate holidays to keep the business running smoothly. They handed the business over to new owners in December 2007.

Dilip said: “We remember the children we served in our initial years of business have now got children of their own. We have had the opportunity of serving three and even four generations of local families.

“Our shop was like a meeting place for the elderly who could come and have a chat about the family or problems. The children used to love to come to their shop to get sweets on their way home from school.”

The couple, who recently moved to St Anthony Road, Heath, said they had received dozens of cards from customers saying how sorry they were to see them go.

“I want to say thanks from the bottom of my heart,” said Sudha.

katie.bodinger@mediawales.co.uk