A man who spent years running a pet shop in Walthamstow has died.

William H Snoad, who used to own Palmerston Pet Store, died at the age of 94 last month.

His daughter Jackie Bailey told this paper her father was evacuated during the Second World War to a small village in Norfolk.

When he returned home, Jackie said his parents rented a shop on Palmerston Road and bought the freehold around a year later.

William was a “kind and generous person”, according to Jackie.

She said he “was popular with those that knew him, as was his mother, my grandmother before him”, who ran Palmerston Pet Store for much of her lifetime.

William was involved in the pet shop from around 14 until he married his second wife in 1960.

When his mother - who owned the shop - died in 1988, William returned to Palmerston to work most days until 2022.

Palmerston Pet Store in the late 1950sPalmerston Pet Store in the late 1950s (Image: Jackie Bailey)

“The impact (of the pet store) on the community, especially in its heyday was big and everyone would get their rabbits, kittens, hamsters, budgies and canaries from there," Jackie said.

"In fact, on Facebook there have been some lovely comments to my post regarding dad's passing from old customers sharing their fond memories.

“They stopped selling pets some years ago but continued with pet food and accessories in more recent years.

"My father stayed at the shop as it was all he knew, and he enjoyed the business and the daily interaction with customers.

"He had a lot of experience with pets over the years and just enjoyed giving advice and helping people."

As William grew older, Jackie said he became unable to travel to the shop from his home in Wood Green.

The shop closed earlier this year, marking what Jackie described as “the end of an era” for the community.

He died on October 17 at Candlewood House Care Home in Cricklewood.

William's funeral will be held at 1pm on November 15 at New Southgate Cemetery.