The Old Co-ops, the grocers and the little local corner shops

[PopT]

Does anyone have any memories of the old shops that were more than shops they were a part of everyday life in the old days.

 

They had different smells, foods and most of them had characters working in them as well as each shop having a character of its own.

 

In some, the range of products was staggering.

 

In most of them you could 'run up a bill' without any extra charge and often the relationship between customer and shopkeeper was special as they soon learned how to please by saving or buying in goods for the customer.

 

Have you any stories or memories of these, long gone places.

 

Happy Days!

[itsmewhy]

i remember when longley shopping centre was just that coop/ coopbutchers shop gilvrays butchers mrs hicks hardware shop 2 chippies and lots more its a lot lot different now happy days indeed.

[nanrobbo]

I remember Woodhouse co-op always reeked of 'off' bacon, strong cheese and kerosine. We had a couple of small beer-offs, one was Bernard Newbould's, a lovely bloke. When he served you he always said "And the next please." quite flummoxed me the first time I went into the shop, I only wanted a loaf!

[docmel]

Spent the first 25 years of my life living in 3 corner shops. Every time we moved it was because of compulsary purchase, but although they replaced the old buildings with new housing, they never replaced the shops.

 

They were run by my Nan who, looking back, (she has been dead 27 years now) was a hell of character, and must have been feared by some of the customers she 'served' - a true bossy matriarch if ever there was one - for those of you with long enough memories, think of a tiny Ena Sharples, including the hair net.

 

They were all grocery with alcohol licenses (to be consumed off the premises) so they were all 'beer offs', or corner shop, or named after the owner, in our case 'Nellie's'

 

The first shop I remember (mid 50's) had beer pumps and I vaguely recall the housewives coming in with all manner of receptacles to have a pint or two for 'the old man' waiting for him to come home.

 

That shop also served loose biscuits from a range of tins with glass tops arranged a bit like the pick and mix sweets nowadays. There was always a tin full of broken biscuits which were sold cheap/or given to kids if they looked like going a little stale.

 

We also sold butter 'loose' - it came in huge slabs and Dad used to portion it into 2 or 4 ounce packets using wooden pats - sugar was served the same way, but always in blue paper bags I recall - and of course sweets from large glass bottle - or the 'penny tray' where you could pick chews (black jacks) liqourice etc for a ha'penny or a penny.

 

 

My nan, who owned the shops, always ran 'clubs' eg christmas clubs, firework clubs. etc. - customers were given a card on which was entered the amount they were putting in each week, which they could obviously cash when the event they had been saving for came close .

 

The last shop we had which my Nan took over in the late 60's also used to deliver weekly orders on a saturday. My Dad and me spent all Saturday morning filling boxes with peoples orders and Saturday afternoons delivering them - mainly to the old or infirm who couldnt get out and about much although some of the orders were massive and delivered simply because people didnt have transport.

 

Nan did offer 'tick' ie credit, but this was very very stictly controlled - only to those who she knew really well and never beyond the next payday.

 

The shops all opened early (back in the 50's this was 6 o'clock to catch the workers - wanting their fags or 'somat for packin up' - and without exception did not close until 10:00 in the evening, seven days a week. the only exception being Sundays which, by law, meant Nan could only open licensing hours 12-2, 7-10.

 

It's testimony to another generation's work ethic that she ran those shops up until her early 80's when the family insisted she finally retire.

 

As to other shops I remember when I was young - the one that brings back the most memories for me for aromas was Melia's on the corner of Meadow Street and St Phillips road - incredible smell of meats - cooked and raw

[PopT]

Docmel

 

What memories you have, good on yer to share them.

 

Happy Days!

[last orders]

Docmel

you could almost have been describing my childhood.

I too was brought up in one "beer off" and one corner shop and my memories are almost identical to yours.

I recall the old ladies with a gill of beer and kids coming in with an empty bottle to be filled with beer for their parents, this bottle when filled had a paper sticker/seal placed over the stopper to show it had not been opened.

I was allowed to make myself the occasional shandy for myself from a very early age.

Must have been fairly close to your nans as we orginally were off St. Philips road on Fawcett Street.

[Wadsleyite]

I was born on Low Road, at Woodland View (just up the hill from Malin Bridge). The row of 12 houses - demolished in 1964 - was affectionately known as the “mucky dozen” and No 55 was Mrs Marsh’s shop. The kind-hearted Mary Marsh was a real character; a staunch Christian Scientist, she died aged 97 in 1975. She would sell you anything from Quaker oats to razor blades, from bundles of firewood to a pound of bananas, from Seidlitz powders to bottles of sterilised milk. She would allow short-term “tick” to people she knew. My godfather was a German p.o.w. from Lodge Moor camp (by the time I put in an appearance in 1948 he was a good friend of the family) and whenever I visited him in Stuttgart he would mention Mrs Marsh’s shop and how amazed he was at the range of goods that she sold. She opened long hours, but in case of urgent need you could also go to the back door when the shop was closed. Nearby on Stannington Road was Loosemore’s “beer off” shop where you could go for gill of beer or a drop of the hard stuff. Arnold Loosemore (son of a First World War V.C. hero of the same name) also sold hardware and bedding plants that he grew himself. All this seems a world away from how things are today.

[punctualP]

i remember when longley shopping centre was just that coop/ coopbutchers shop gilvrays butchers mrs hicks hardware shop 2 chippies and lots more its a lot lot different now happy days indeed.

 

Also in Longley shopping centre, does anyone remember Ken Fish barber shop.

He only had comb, scissors and mechanical shears which werent very good and would tear chunks of your hair out. I can still feel the pain when I think about it.

[sweetdexter]

Hi PopT,

Remember Mrs Yates sweet shop on Penistone Rd.

During the period of rationing she would make here own Easter Eggs by melting chocolate and using her own moulds, but only if you had enough coupons.

We had more coupons than money so we would give them to Mrs Yates in return for a bit of Marry-me-quick

[flyer]

but also remember the war rations for the O.A.Ps 2oz of everything tea butter, sugar etc the tiny little box that was pushed across the counter would not feed a mouse let alone a person for a week,we was a little better off coming from a lg family but even at that young age my heart would bleed for them.My bother & i knew where all the WILD chickens roosted so many the time we came home with a couple ,into the pot & no questions asked,with apple dumpling for pud yum yum .