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Obituary: Robert Little operated jewellers shops in Elgin and Turriff

Robert Little.

Robert Little, who operated jewellers shops in Elgin and Turriff, has died aged 75.

His career in business in Elgin began in 1960 and Robert, known as Robbie, played an active role until his death.

The two Little the Jewellers premises, at High Street and Commerce Street, Elgin, remain in family hands after more than 60 years. The Turriff branch was sold in 1970.

Outside work Robbie was a dedicated golfer, snooker player and a follower of Elgin City FC. The club held a minute’s silence in his honour.

Robbie’s roots were in Barrhead, Glasgow. He was the first child of John and Hazel Little and his father worked in Robbie’s grandfather’s jeweller’s shop.

Robert Little’s grandfather’s shop in Glasgow.

From an early age, Robbie, his sister Yvonne and brother Andrew were immersed in the jewellery business where Robbie worked on Saturdays.

When he left school he combined an apprenticeship as a watch technician with work in his grandfather’s shop.

Travels

His father John, known as JAB, travelled around Scotland selling jewellery on behalf of his father’s business and particularly enjoyed visits to Moray.

Robbie son, Scott said: “He commented that if a shop he sold to, Jimmy Shand’s shop in Commerce Street in Elgin, ever came up for sale he would buy it.

“Well, of course, it did come up for sale in time, in 1960 and John bought the Commerce Street shop and changed the name to Little the Jewellers. The was the start of a long business presence in the town.”

Independence

John took on a second shop in Turriff and Robbie was sent to run it and was left to make business decisions.

He met his future wife, Maureen Johnston of Lossiemouth, at the wedding of a friend and the couple married in Elgin in 1968.

They set up home in Turriff where first son Scott was born followed by daughter Karen.

The shop was sold in Turriff in 1970 and the family returned to Elgin, where Craig was born.

Business acumen

When his father took on the High Street shop, Robbie was left to run the Commerce Street store. Robbie made such a such success of his shop that his father asked him to run Little the Jewellers in High Street.

He continued to expand the business and taught daughter Karen the skills to allow her to eventually take over the firm.

Robbie and Maureen had 36 happy years of marriage before her death in 2004, a loss he felt profoundly.

He took great joy in his family and family occasions such as a three-generation golf match at St Andrews with son Scott and grandson, Scott.

Karen took over the day-to-day running of the business and brought her niece Sian into the firm, the fourth generation of the family in business in Elgin.

You can read the family’s announcement here.