Granville and Arkwright eat your heart out. Best friends Simon Jones, of Charlton-on-Otmoor, and Richard Tyack, of Forest Hill, have given up high-flying jobs to run a grocery shop.

The pair, who went to Abingdon School, have harboured dreams of going into business together since their schooldays.

Now they have left the nine-to-five rat-race and hung their business suits in the wardrobe to run the East-West Provisions convenience store in Woodstock Road.

And they say they have never been happier. Simon, 33, gave up the position of assistant bursar at St Anne's College after five years, together with his home in Bevington Road, Oxford, which came with it.

His job involved looking after 135 staff and the day-to-day running of the college, which accommodates 600 students.

Richard, also 33, walked away from a lucrative career in marketing. He had earned £40,000 as marketing manager with pharmaceuticals company Warner Lambert before moving to an equally lucrative job as communications executive for Headington marketing firm A C Nielsen.

The pair face an uncertain income from their modest corner shop, but say they are in charge of their own lives. Simon says: "I did it partly for the comedy value. We saw it advertised on the Internet and decided to buy it.

"When I got my last pay cheque from St Anne's, I thought: 'I'm losing my pension, my house, health insurance, regular pay cheque, sick pay and holiday pay.'

"The hardest thing has been learning how to use the price gun!

"But I'm getting to know the price of every item.

"I never thought I would end up as a shopkeeper. Apparently I'm Granville, the dogsbody, while Richard is Mr Arkwright. I don't mind being teased. We've ordered brown coats so we look the part." Despite sacrificing the luxuries that came with their promising corporate careers, both men insist their new lifestyle is worth it.

Richard, whose profession took him all over the world, insists he has no regrets.

He says: "I am giving up commuting, working to a fixed regime of 8am to 6pm five days a week, not being my own boss, and not being appreciated. Now if we want to change the way we work, we can.

"The worst thing is having to get up at 5.30am for the milk, fresh bread, fruit and vegetable deliveries. But I don't regret it. I am more in the real world now than when I was stuck in an office. It's made us more a part of the community. "We expect to work as hard, but our lives will be more flexible. We hope it will bring us more fun and a better lifestyle."

He adds: "I don't know yet how much money I will earn. I will certainly miss the security of knowing that money is paid into my account each month.

"But I am more excited about this project and the new lifestyle than I am upset about the loss of the money."

Friends and family have supported the unusual move - and some are even jealous. Friend Jonathan Marah said: "Many of us wish we had the courage to do what they have done. Most people want to do something different for themselves, but few have the ideas."

Story date: Saturday 08 April

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.