Kettering Industrial Cooperative Society

Kettering Library holds a history of the Society and a run of Society magazines full of information, including articles about 19th century Kettering based on Society members and memories.  There is also a lot of material about individuals, so if you have the patience this would be a great source of information for family history research involving co-op members.

KICS's head office was, I believe, at the top of King Street Kettering. There were lots of KICS grocery branches throughout the town and surrounding villages. Members of the Society (which was a limited company) held shares and each member had a share pass book with a National Membership Number. Each transaction was registered and a dividend (divi) given, I think, yearly. I have a share pass book in the name of my aunt which has the sum of £3 9s 6d showing as a balance. I assume that KICS does no longer exist and the divi has long since vanished into the ether!!!!

I have been examining the society's Magazine, with a view to conducting some oral history research.

Following my previous comment about the divi, I contacted Co-op head office and I have now, as my aunt's executor, received the balance of her divi to close her account. Wow!

I was born in Kettering in 1961, and I seem to remember my dad playing football for KICS. And in 1968 or 1969 the club made it to a cup final which was played in London!

Does anyone remember that, as it is a very fond yet distant memory. We all went down to London on the coach, very exciting. Dad was Fred Cheetham, used to work for the Co-op Insurance.

I worked for the KICS initially at Newland Street butchery in 1958 - 1960, boning joints and helping with Hams, Roast Pork and Roast Beef joints for the local KICS butchers.  After approx 6 months was transferred to the Kingsley Avenue shop and then to the Tresham Street shop to pluck, clean and truss chickens and game.  Part of my job on a Saturday was to deliver the ordered meats and to help with this I sliced the cooked meats.  During the Christmas period, my main job was to make ready Game and Turkeys, for delivery in the last few days before Christmas.  There are no KICS Butchers left in the town from its hayday of around 10.

I joined the Co-op as an errand boy when I was 14 1959 at Victoria St store. I then went full time a year later and worked in almost every store in the Kettering and Corby area.  I ended up as manager of the Cottingham shop which had a staff quota of one, ME! I worked there till I was 20 when I left to join Sainsbury's.  Any one might remember Ray Goode who worked at the Broadway store in Kettering where we met and are still best mates to this day.  He was best man at my wedding. 

Peter Bye... Is Ray Goode related to Pip and Dave Goode?

I recall going with my mum to pick up her divi, possibly 1953 ish. We joined long queues leading to different coded tables probably according to location of customer or similar. This was at the Central Hall in Montagu St. I remember the divi then was 9d. for every £1 spent. We must have done well because we called in at the Labour Tea rooms (?) an upstairs tea room in Newland St. for a cup of tea and a cake.