Inside the Cornwall grocery shop where time has stood still since 1971

Frank Elliott closed the doors of his Cornish grocery store in 1971 as he did not want to embrace the new decimalisation of currency and measurements.

Now - 50 years on - the shop remains untouched, like time has stood still.

Rather than give up on pounds, shillings and pence - or swap pounds and ounces for metric weights - in 1971, Mr Elliot chose to close his shop entirely.

Mr Elliott, who was in his 70s, instead decided the grocery business should become a museum where future generations would learn what shopping used to look like before sell-by dates and plastic packaging.

In the shop, a packet of eight Lyons trifle sponges will forever cost one shilling and eleven-pence ha’penny.

On one shelf there is still threepence off a box of Pears transparent soap - and Stork margarine is on special offer for 1/6d (15p).

And in the shop where time stood still, Guinness will always be “good for you”.

After debates with the authorities over his plans, Frank got his wish on his death in 1995 by leaving the shop and the two floors of accommodation above it to conservation charity the Tamar Protection Society.

During its heyday, customers would sit on the chair beside the long polished wood counter, hand their list over to Frank and he would weigh out their butter, cheese or flour on his classic Avery scales.

He would happily slice them a quarter of roast ham or boiled tongue and wrap it in greaseproof paper.

Frank would pick the other items off the display shelves or dig them out from the store room at the back, tot up the prices by hand in his ledger with a pencil, and stash the cash in a spring-loaded wooden till.

If you could not carry all your shopping home yourself, Frank would arrange a home delivery on the shop bicycle.

After turning the closed sign on the shop door, Frank carried on living upstairs for another 24 years where he washed out all the tins and bottles he used and carefully resealed vacant cardboard packaging ready for display in his dream museum.

Mike Couch, vice chairman of the Tamar Protection Society, says the charity's small team of volunteers and trustees are working hard to fulfil Frank’s vision as the inheritors of his entire estate.

As well as the shop's contents, the trust continues to piece together, catalogue and display evidence of the fascinating experiences and keepsakes of Frank, his identical twin brother Harry and their younger sister Laura Sophia.

None of the siblings married or had children.

Elliott's shop is also open to schools and other organised groups by arrangement.