this is a great bit of history provided by an old member,
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when I was a kid in the 1950s you got your:
meat from Ralph and Luke Asquiths. They had these pint mugs that they supped as they were serving you a quarter tea and a quarter whisky, as the day wore on they'd have more and more platers on their fingers. Their shop became John Hills-John was their apprentice. But this wasn't their first shop. Originally it was on the other side of the road. The shop which became John Hills was Timothy White and taylor's Chemists.
you got your groceries from the co-op(divi number 6134). I always tried to get served by Allan tennant's sister. They used to make their own sugar bags out of blue paper and there were sides of bacon hanging from the ceiling
newspapers and toys were from Dransfields, their shop was knocked down to make way for the precinct and they moved to the current one.
fruit and veg was from Derry's or walt Booth's grand dad's shop, or Evan's in the lane.
hardware and fishing tackle was from haikings in the lane.
haberdashery was from Miss Cliff's
You could have a bet at eigher Ken varley's on Green Lane or Charlie rayboild's on Station lane-both were members of the BPA.
clothes were from Mynetts
haircuts were eithe from geortge 'The Butcher' Bell("I don't do 'em in their pit muck) on Green lane, the rather more swish 'Smithies in the lane-he looked like Bob Monkhouse and carried on like teasy weassy-the Rovers players went there), or the more down to earth Sammy Lowe's (what shift's thi father on?). he used to singe peoples' hair with a naked flame: awesome.
Electrical good were from jacksons who also had the radio relay.
Off Licences were Tommy Keenan's of Cooks.
there what more could you need?
much appreciated, that was me in another incarnation.
