Shopping in the 1950s
In the 1950s the village was well served with a sweet shop, general stores, a butcher, the post office, a shoe repair shop, a fresh produce stall, a haberdasher, a café, and a garage. The Co-op stood where Morrisons is today.
Mrs Timms Sweet Shop (Vine Cottage
‘‘The front door would creak open, setting off the attached bell. Mrs. Timms’ slow progress from her sitting room gave me time to ponder over the array or sweets..Wearing a wrap-around pinafore, her ample girth easily filled the narrow space between the counter and the shelves behind which held the numerous old traditional sweet jars.”
Fresh Produce from Mr and Mrs Yates at Garden Cottage
‘On the pavement a small table displayed (12lb chip) baskets of pears, apples, etc. …Through the gate, to the door, always open, …to the grey flagstoned living room, from where Mrs Yates sold fresh produce, a big set of scales on a table in the centre. All the vegetables and fruit were grown by the Yates’ family in the fields opposite (Ballards Close now) and in their adjoining walled garden’.
Arthur Roberts Shoe Repairer
On the high street ‘was Mr Arthur Roberts’ black timber building, where he repaired boots and shoes to a very high standard. His bike, propped outside, next to a snowberry bush, indicated that the shop was open. A line of shoes would await repairs, dirty and dusty. Each sole was hand cut, every stitch in a belt, strap or shoe, he did painstakingly.’
Mrs Glover’s Haberdashery
‘Next door to Arthur Roberts lived Mrs Glover and her son James (Jimmy). She was a quiet, refined lady who had a haberdashery shop in a room downstairs. It was handy to pop there for a yard of new hair ribbon, or elastic, buttons, etc.’
Ivy Cottage sold cigarettes.
‘At Ivy Cottage, Mrs Yardley sold cigarettes. As we got older a group of us would be sent on errands to get Woodbines or Senior Service. ‘
Rosamund’s garage
Opposite Milking Pail Lane “stood Rosamund’s Garage with workshop at the rear, later taken on by Peter Smith, and then Dave Struthers. The petrol pumps were on the edge of the pavement, no forecourts then! The Office was tucked in on the right, close to the alley there”.
Sherwin’s Café (the old Post Office)
‘People could enjoy a cup of tea and cakes, tables set out on the left of the shop. They sold all things useful, just like today’s shop, plus lovely ice cream cornets.’
Mobile Shops and tradesman
Wards Hardware lorry was crammed with wares ‘full size tin baths, for laundry or Friday night’s bath for kids…(and) brooms, mops, buckets, pegs, bluebags, blocks of scrubbing soap for general cleaning or Monday’s wash day’. Trevor the breadman delivered fresh bread ‘in his familiar snub-nosed van’. Many ‘looked forward to the arrival of Turners brown fish and chip van. The mouth-watering aroma was detected first, then we’d hear the hand bell rung ..’.
Dan the barber parked at the Kings Arms on a Friday in his caravan ‘fitted out with a barber’s chair and bench seat, where the men sat awaiting their short back and sides, Brylcream was extra, but the squib of men’s cologne was complimentary.’
Hannah Bayliss (next to the butchers) ‘had a 3-wheel cycle with a receptacle .., full of creamy milk from their own herd. An enamel jug would be dipped in and then the milk transferred to the customer’s earthenware bowl’.
The quoted memories of Mickleton in the 50s are by Pauline Stowe.
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