Milner’s Florist, Goole: The oldest flower shop in Yorkshire run by six family generations for almost 170 years
A sailor who was taken as a POW during the Second World War returned home to save his family business from extinction - and it’s still going strong after almost 170 years.
Milner’s Florist was founded in Goole in 1857 and has since built a reputation in the local community and further afield.
Joseph Milner set up the business and ran it until it was passed on to his grandson Arthur Milner Jr.
It is now run by sisters Samantha Stevens and Jessica Lucas, from Airmyn, who are the sixth generation to run the business.
Arthur took over the shop after returning from the Navy during the Second World War.
“Coming out of the war was very challenging for my granddad because he’d been in the Navy and then he was thrust into being a flower [business owner],” Ms Stevens said.
“I asked my dad about challenging times and he concurred that it was Arthur Milner Jr whose stewardship was a pivotal point in establishing Milner's success today.
“He'd been captured as a prisoner of war in the Battle of St Nazaire known as the Greatest raid.”
Arthur had brought the business to life when it looked like there was no one ready to take the reins.
“On his return home after the war the business was in very bad shape financially and structurally. With no one at the helm he stepped up to take the reins alongside his wife Mona,” Ms Stevens said.
“The large nine and a half acre nursery at Hook had to be sold to pay off debts and a smaller Nursery at Airmyn was purchased.
“Arthur and Mona worked very hard and lived frugally. Flowers were grown at the nursery and Arthur would take them to the shop on his bike.
“Their sheer hard work and commitment to their family business ensured it was left in good shape for future generations.”
Arthur eventually passed the shop onto Ms Stevens’ father Howard, 72, who still helps with the business alongside Ms Stevens, 48, and Ms Lucas, 45.
The shop, which was called the Airmyn Nursery when Arthut Jr took over, was very busy at the time with four staff and family members working on the land, growing vegetables, plants and flowers for the business.
“We grew peonies, sweet peas, dahlias, stocks, funnily everything that is in fashion now.” she said.
“It’s not just the oldest shop. It’s quite unique that there are actually six generations of family history there. It’s really quite special,” Ms Stevens said.
“It was in the 1940s when we moved to our current location. We were also a greengrocer as well and then we bought the two properties next door, so we’re quite a large property now.
“Goole is only a very small town and we’re quite well known now as a family. People will come in and will say, ‘you did my grandma’s wedding flowers’.
“There’s that real connection. We got quite a few gentlemen in the 1970s who said they used to be the errand boys for us on the bikes, so we have quite a nice connection with the community.”
“With Howard in semi-retirement we only have two large greenhouses now and no longer rely on growing our own cut flowers and plants, although he likes to keep his hand in and is renowned locally for his garden knowledge.”
Ms Stevens said the shop did close for a couple of months during the tough Covid lockdowns.
She said: “I came back behind closed doors and we actually realised what a vital service we were providing. It was a very strange time.
“It was so difficult knowing that people had to go to funerals and we just couldn’t offer that same level of service.
“It really tugged on our heartstrings when we knew someone who passed away and thought I really wish I was there to help them.”
The shop provides flowers for a wide range of special occasions including anniversaries, birthdays, weddings, funerals and one of their most popular holidays is Mother’s Day.
“The flowers bring so much joy,” Ms Stevens said.
“I make the flowers up but I rarely deliver, so I don’t see that part but our drivers come back and say, ‘they opened the door and they cried’ or ‘they were so happy they hugged’.
“One of our drivers [who recently left us] used to sing to people. If she knew it was their birthday, she would sing Happy Birthday.
“She was such a jolly, lively and well-known local person. I thought that is just so special, you don’t get other courier delivery drivers going to those lengths. It does brighten somebody’s day receiving a floral gift.
“[For Mother’s Day] we usually get to a point where we cannot take any more orders. It’s just crazy.
“There’s a large team of us and we are so lucky, we’re so close knit. But they work so hard, we’re up late at night. I’m so grateful to the team we’ve got because we couldn’t do it without them.”
Ms Stevens said it is the personal touch and close connection with their community that sets them apart from other florists.
She said: “One of our members of staff has been with us for over 40 years, she started when she was 16. We always laugh and say ‘don’t retire Janet’.
“We offer value for money and great customer service. It is hard, when you look around local high streets and see we’re losing quite a few shops.
“Flowers are a luxury, not an essential item, so we value people that come in and spend money with us.”
She said that floristry should be regulated amid a rise in people claiming to be florists online.
“Anybody these days can watch a YouTube video and decide that they’re a florist. It is tough,” she said.
“We like to forge links with horticultural colleges as well. We’ve got three students at the moment because I think it’s really important not to forget floristry skills. All of our florists are qualified.
“They’ve invested in their education. We’ve got quite a few students in York and we’ve got two young girls from Doncaster at the moment.
“We’re always keen for people to train properly. If everyone just learns from YouTube, all these valuable skills will be forgotten.
“There are probably a lot of floral arrangers about but floristry covers quite a lot of different things like wiring techniques, there’s lots to know. So it’s important that we make sure we’re investing in florists of the future.”