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

[nanrobbo]

So do I remember my Woodhouse Co-op number 78978. When I left England in '74 I still had 7/6 in my co-op book, wonder if I could still claim it 33years on?

[thai]

What year would that be Thai, Krazy Kuts? I remember them now as two separate shops; the Co-Op and then G&B above it nearer Netheredge Road.

 

Does anyone remember Beck's Stores - a provisions and off-licence on Netheredge Road, certainly in the 50's and early 60's? Bob Beck was the owner, he had a swelling on his forehead. His assistants were adult twins whose name was Newbould, one of them called Eric. The shop was just above Nether Edge dance hall, on the opposite side of the road, in the days when there was a bowling green adjacent to the Brincliffe Oaks Hotel - replaced by apartments in the late 60's.

Itwould have been 69,then moved to larger co-op at the bottom of Ecallsall Rd .Dont remember Becks stores though.

[Banksia]

I started work in 1960 at the co.op on Bramley Park Road Handsworth and we had to remember the price of everything that we sold. No cash registers or anything to do the addition for you just a piece of paper and a pencil that used to turn purple when you licked it or which turned your overalls purple when you left it in the pocket when you washed them.We used to get sacks of sugar to weigh into bags butter to cut into 4 or 8 oz blocks, and we had to bone and slice bacon as required. no wonder when I got home on a friday night I was shattered as the bacon slicer was kept in a room upstairs and everybody used to have bacon on fridays ready for the weekend.

 

Like yourself, I started work at the co-op in 1959 when we had to use our brain power. I'm sure you remember not only the sacks of sugar which we had to weigh but also the oatmeal, sago and sultanas even baking soda sometimes. Of course lard came in big blocks as well as the hundredweight casks of butter which all had to be weighed, sometimes into 2 ounces pieces for the old age pensioners. The old people were treated with respect and were walked home by the young workers if the need was there. We made our own bags from greasproof paper to weigh an ounce of tobacco or yeast.

Last but certainly not least, there were the cash carrierers that zoomed around above our heads all day long, sometimes containing unmentionables as a joke.

[thai]

What about the massive infrastructure of wholesalers that supported all the little shops. The two that spring to mind are Nichols (?) and John Wraggs. Wraggs used to occupy a huge site near Devonshire Green. They supplied eggs, bacon etc., much of which was produced in the surrouding district and collected by them. The Nichol's building still stands on West Bar, I don't think anything remains of Wraggs. An army of reps would call on all the little shops and take their orders.

 

The abolition of RPM, really sounded the death knell for the corner shop and all that went with it.

Wraggs is still going but its just the factorywhere they prepare the bacon,dont do eggs anymore.

[chrisnew]

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!

 

Just found this - remember the old Co-op. Bernard (Dad) would be pleased to have been remembered so fondly.

[brian1941]

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!

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Hiya PopT, I like the things you mentioned and yes they were

the good old days, them corner shops were great.

I remember when i was growing up and my mum sent me to the

corner shop i use to like them sayings, On the tick --

Never never and pay on the Dot.

Donkey stone was a thing we had on our weekly order, mum always

did the front and back steps. Loverly Memories could talk

for hours. :hihi:

[raymondo1952]

Remember the small Co op on Attercliffe Common near top of Bakers Street and one top of Stovin Road all selling brown flower and real best butter from the tub

[maxofe]

hi folks.

 

when i stayed with my grandparents, on blackstock road, we used to go in to a fruit and veg shop near the library, which i think was called Hartleys? they sold sweets too if i remember rightly? anyway i can still smell that shop, it was lovely.

[helbco]

there was an amazing corner shop on the corner of Wolsely and Stavely Roads in Abbeydale. Was it called Shephards? I remember buying little cone shaped bags of sweets or tiny biscuits from there. It had bare floor boards and sold pretty much everything you could think of.

 

Also remember going to the S & E Co-Op with Mum at the bottom of Ecclesall to buy milk tokens and watching in amazing as the sales barrels wizzed across the ceiling!

 

Also remember Gowers on Abbeydale Road in the mid 60s - one of the first 'walk about' stores preceding supermarkets. Huge piles of butter on the counter, cheese and fresh bread. What happened to Gowers?