Grandad Frank Hayes was born in 1923 and opened his first fish and chip business at the age of 26 at 1 Caroline Street, Edgley, Stockport in 1949. The price of a portion of fish & chips in 1949 was 5 old pence.

A few years later he bought the house next door number at 1A Caroline Street and extended into it to provide a dining area.

His first cooking range was coal (nuts) fired until approximately 12 month later when he had it converted to gas by Malinson of Oldham at a cost of £100.

Grandad Franks’ first fish & chip shop at 1 & 1A Caroline Street was a successful business for 19 years until the shop had to be demolished due to road improvement by Stockport Borough Council.

In 1968 he worked as a relief fryer for Thompson’s of Middleton, Manchester who had a chain of 15 shops across a large area extending from Kingsway Parrs-wood, Knutsford, Heywood, to Bury near Manchester. Grandad Frank was appointed Relief Manager for the Thompson chain until Thompson himself offered him the Conran Street, Harpurhey, Manchester business in the group to run as a franchise business. In 1972 at the request of Mr Thompson he transferred to the groups Fish and Chip shop at Langley, Middleton.

Grandad Frank then left the Thompson group in 1977 and bought his own fish and chip shop in Briercliffe Road, Burnley, Lancashire.  The shop which he named “The Dolphin Fish and Chip Shop” was a very successful business where he remained until he retired at the age of 65 year old.  His wife Diana took over the business with grandad active in the business for a further 2 years until the shop was sold in 1989.

Not surprisingly grandad with his vast experience in the industry and his appreciation of changes that have taken place in the social and traditional family habits of the area’s population over many decades retains a constant interest in the welfare and ideas of today’s “fish fryers”. Indeed his wife says even today at the age of 86 years old he cannot pass a fish and chip shop without looking through the window to see the layouts of the shop and the products they offer.