What Shops Did Your Town Have in Your Day?

[marzjennings]

In our village there was nothing, not a single shop or pub for about a mile or so in any direction. I think after 50 years the village is still just the same with barely any new construction. So I have no memories of walking or even cycling past or to any shops until about 15 when we moved to bigger village that had a Spar, post office, couple of pubs, chippy, butchers, felt like moving to metropolis.

 

[Illaveago]

We lived at the edge of the town's parish boundary about 2 miles from the centre of the town . The nearest shops were about a mile away ,a district of the town called Lowden . It had a motorcycle shop /garage , several small shops selling groceries, a small shop which sold newspapers toys and sweets, 2 butchers, a fish and chip shop which also sold wet fish , a bakery which made bread, I think they only delivered bread, a small Post Office, gents hair dresser and a Co op store . It was within easy walking distance and quicker than going into town .

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Second hand furniture shop.

 

[Illaveago]

We once had a cattle market . It is where my dad bought a few chickens , 36! He didn't know that he was bidding on 4 cages .
On Friday evenings loads of cattle wagons would go down the GWR mainline pulled by steam engines .

 

[Dave7]

Another thing I miss, is the Sunday markets that used to be held usually on old airfields. There was a great one at Snetterton, but with the advancement of discount shops; Poundland, Costcutter, B & M etc., on the high street, they're now a thing of the past.

I agree..... there was a really good one next to Bootle docks. Loads of good stalls and heaving with people. Then suddenly it was gone.... I never found out why.

 

[yello]

I found out this morning that the tabac in our local village has closed. That's quite a blow for the community. It has a history of changing hands relatively frequently, it's just difficult to keep it as a going concern even though the commune helps out in some way (I believe). The young couple that ran it gave it a good go for a few years but I guess the inevitable caught up.

That leaves the (thriving) chemists, a flower shop (that also sells shotgun cartridges!), a small convenience store, a post office... and a shoe shop. The latter is a curiosity, a labour of love even. I'm not sure it stocks anything one could call 'fashion' (not with the last 10 years anyway) and I suspect will close definitively when the old lady running it passes away. I once bought a pair of slippers there but don't think I have ever seen anyone in there, let alone know anyone who has bought something.

In the early 1900s, it was a thriving market town. Seeing the pictures from back then shows it was a real commercial hub for the area. When we arrived in 2007, it had a pretty full weekly market. That went to fortnightly, then dwindled in sellers with now only a fruit & veg van, and a goats cheese seller.

 

[Tim Bennet.]

In the late sixties, there must have been a 'Cash & Carry' somewhere near Dover. Every few weeks Mum used to go and do the 'big shop'. I think technically she only had a trade card as she and other Mums made the hot Bovril at the sailing club, but used to add all our food to the club order.

But the thing I really remember is they used to give Green Shield Stamps and it was my job to stick them all in the books. Then there was the hours spent looking longingly in the Green Shield catalogue to see whether we would ever save up enough stamps for a new bike. We never did, as stupid parents kept frittering them away on toasters or a new gas poker.

 

[Rusty Nails]

Loads of small bike shops in Cardiff, including some that built bikes.

My favourite was Charlie Alexander's down the docks, before it became The Bay.

We even had one washing machine repair shop that had a sideline in frame building and resprays. Put a new top tube on my 50's Harry Rensch.

 

[Arrowfoot]

I not sure if I am imagining things as young kid but I recall cigarettes were sold by the stick from a can. The can was branded and you bought one or two sticks. For those who did not want to buy a pack.

 

[guitarpete247]

I not sure if I am imagining things as young kid but I recall cigarettes were sold by the stick from a can. The can was branded and you bought one or two sticks. For those who did not want to buy a pack.

My dad told you could buy one cigarette and two matches when he was a kid. He was born in 1934 and smoked from when he was 8 till he was 60.

 

[Ian H]

Loads of small bike shops in Cardiff, including some that built bikes.

My favourite was Charlie Alexander's down the docks, before it became The Bay.

We even had one washing machine repair shop that had a sideline in frame building and resprays. Put a new top tube on my 50's Harry Rensch.

https://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/classic_builders/cw-charlie-alexander/
My old mate had one of his track irons which she restored as a fixed-wheel (she was the first woman to ride Paris-Brest-Paris on fixed — and on that bike). She's now sold it to another friend, who is riding it and looking after it.

 

[Tail End Charlie]

My favourite shop whilst growing up was what we called the joke shop. I wasn't interested in the jokey stuff, but he also sold all sorts of chemicals. I was interested in chemistry and bought loads of little jars of chemicals, test tubes etc. He sold all the components for gunpowder (think of that now!) and other explosive type things - well they were when all mixed together. That said, it wasn't all bomb making, I learned loads and had some great times in my dad's garage -e.g. I recall making an acid/ alkali indicator from beetroot juice and growing crystals in silica gel.

 

[Blue Hills]

My favourite shop whilst growing up was what we called the joke shop. I wasn't interested in the jokey stuff, but he also sold all sorts of chemicals. I was interested in chemistry and bought loads of little jars of chemicals, test tubes etc. He sold all the components for gunpowder (think of that now!) and other explosive type things - well they were when all mixed together. That said, it wasn't all bomb making, I learned loads and had some great times in my dad's garage -e.g. I recall making an acid/ alkali indicator from beetroot juice and growing crystals in silica gel.

you the speccy kid here at 2:20?

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5gr8s-amHQ


(the running gag was that all his previous concoctions had failed)

 

[Tail End Charlie]

you the speccy kid here at 2:20?

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5gr8s-amHQ


(the running gag was that all his previous concoctions had failed)

Strangely enough I did wear specs (national health wire ones, I looked very much like the Milky Bar kid) from age 5 to 9 and got into chemistry after that. Thinking back the amazing thing was that the primary school let me bring my stuff in and experiment during the break times. I can remember this involved the use of a blowlamp on one occasion! totally unsupervised.

 

[Blue Hills]

Strangely enough I did wear specs (national health wire ones, I looked very much like the Milky Bar kid) from age 5 to 9 and got into chemistry after that. Thinking back the amazing thing was that the primary school let me bring my stuff in and experiment during the break times. I can remember this involved the use of a blowlamp on one occasion! totally unsupervised.

ah the days of kiddie shandy.