I was born and brought up in Hayes, and I am very grateful that Paynes gave me my first experience of work. I first started as a Saturday boy (plus school holidays etc) and found that I really enjoyed working for this interesting and diverse family business. When I decided to abandon my A Levels (much too boring), Paynes immediately offered me a full time role, and I started the same day!

This was the early 1970s and the upstairs area had just been re-modelled into a smart kitchen and bathroom showroom (run by Iris and Frank Parker) with the downstairs consisting of the classy china & glass section (I think this was originally the shop next door which had been knocked through) – As I recall, this was run by Geoff Payne’s wife and Mrs East.

The main shop was predominantly a hardware store, but it also sold an excellent range of tools (including specialist engineering products such as micrometers etc). A key cutting service was also available and I was taught this skill by Peter D (he had a Polish surname which I can’t remember) in his ‘cupboard’ under the stairs. Peter’s wife (sorry, I can’t remember her name either) was the secretary who looked after the pay etc. and had an office upstairs.
Old man Payne (CB) still worked on a part-time basis and seemed to really enjoy ‘keeping his hand in’ unpacking deliveries and packing screws etc.

The person who recruited me (and I worked most closely with) was Peter Groves who I really admired – Peter was keen to develop the kitchen and bathroom planning service to capture this emerging market, and he created model kitchens to demonstrate what was possible using modern products.

My time at Paynes coincided with the change to decimal currency and also included the 3 day week and regular power cuts – Paynes must have made good money at this time selling bundles of candles and hurricane lamps!

Other memories are of half day closing on Wednesdays, their Green Commer delivery van (with Derek driving) and the motor repair business at the back which shared some of the large warehouse space.

I had a couple of very happy years with Paynes before moving to a career with Post Office Telecommunication (where I stayed for 32 years).

I know that Paynes became a McDonalds restaurant, but does anybody know what happened to the business (did they move, or simply retire)?

Still got the stamps I nicked from upstairs, after Saturday morning pictures at the Ambasador? in the 40s feeling guilty now.

I remember Payne's and bought many things there in the 60's and early 70's. It was my favourite shop for buying special ornaments and vases. I don't know what happened to the business but remember they had another shop along the Uxbridge Road on the Craven Parad near Shakespeare Avenue.
It is interesting to read all the memories of someone who worked there for a while and also the mention of the change to decimal-currency. I remember what a big event that was and the initial nervousness of going shopping, knowing that pounds, shillings and pence had gone.
I'm not sure what year the power-cuts were going on in the early 70's but remember having to keep well stocked up with candles.
Payne's was in a convenient spot in Hayes Town near the crossing and bus-stop and I could never resist stopping to look in the window. The men who worked there wore brown overalls like they did in other hardware shops.

Yes, remember Paynes very well. My eldest brother worked there late 70s and early 80s and later when he set up a landscape gardening business used to go and do work occasionally for Mr Payne at his huge house out in the Chalfonts.

Before Paynes closed, signs appeared in the windows (possibly the upstairs windows) for a company calling itself "The Kitchen Company". I don't know if it was part of Paynes or something separate, but after Payes closed, a shop called The Kitchen Company opened in Uxbride, using the same singage.

You can see a few pix of Hayes Town my brother took while working at Payes in our photo albums and you can see the outside of Paynes in a couple of them. This was after the shop's redesign. I haven't yet come across any with it original look, which if I recall had the word "Paynes" in orange on a blue background. I'm hoping to find some showing that in the future hopefully.