In Praise of the Local Shopkeeper Or Life Before the Shopping Centres (Part of Growing Up in the Bush Saga)
Whilst having a coffee break during our regular visit to Lakeside Shopping Centre, I found myself reflecting on the way life has changed since the 50’s and 60’s. In the 50’s, there were no shopping Centres such as Westfield, Lakeside and Bluewater with a multitude of shops located under one roof. No large DIY chains such as B & Q or IKEA type one stop retailers (most of these were not created until the late 60’s and later) and the small shop keeper reigned supreme. This was also assisted by the small number of people with cars and most trips to the shops involved a walk, a concept that today’s kids would find alien, or a 1d or 2d (in old money of course) ride on a bus or trolley bus.
Living in Kelmscott Gardens Council flats at the junction of Askew Road and Goldhawk Road, there was a valuable source of such small shops in Askew Road itself. Immediately across the road, the local Newsagents, Huxleys, became our second home and source of our estate-demolishing penny and tuppeny bangers, of the firework variety, in mid-October, and the usual delights of chews, sherbet, bubble gum and comics etc. These were the non-PC days when you could purchase such items as Black Jacks, Sambo Chewing Gum (liquorice flavoured) and marmalade jars would have a Golliwog on the side. Such were the times we lived in!
We alternated between this shop and the Off-Licence in Westville Road as to our source of a frozen Jubbly subject to word having got around that there were half-frozen ones available which was a great delicacy ! This shop was also the source of the local paper, the West London Observer, which gave us, along with the Evening News, Standard and Star, the London evening papers, our main source of everything QPR. I am indebted to Steve for reminding me that many local shops would also have fixture list posters, should we forget ! Some yards away and near the Goldhawk Road junction traffic lights was a second and ‘posh’ supplier of cigarettes and tobacco which was a sign of the times and a valuable source of discarded cigarette packets and sometimes with the cards within them which boosted our cigarette packet and flick card collection.
My earliest memories of trips down Askew Road usually involved being sent to the bakers near the Co-Op I think, to purchase a seeded bloomer loaf fresh from the oven. Unfortunately, the aroma of the fresh baked bread usually proved irresistible and much of the carefully wrapped loaf had bits pulled off the end before I reached home ! Curiously, I could not remember being sent to the Fish and Chip Shop, probably as my parents preferred much of the purchase to reach home safely !
The other gem in Askew Road was the corner situated toy shop, Standens. This was a regular haunt to spend ones limited pocket money on the latest fad such as Scoobidoo or lead toy soldiers. They had a Christmas Savings Club which enabled my less than affluent parents to provide me with a special Christmas present such as two layer Meccano, a Hornby Dublo train set (the original metal three rail system) and possibly my much prized Philips Kingfisher bike (which expanded my range and horizons greatly). I say possibly, as young Kerrins has reminded me that there was a nearby cycle shop called Hinds which I had forgotten about. Most of these items, if kept, would be worth a fortune now. I enjoyed speculating as to what my present that year would be and if the toy shop was visited with my mother, I ensured that she had suitable ideas by looking longingly at items out of reach of my pocket money.
These were the days when you had to make things work to entertain you by either playing games or assembling things such as Airfix plastic models of planes. Building kits were popular with two such kits coming to mind. One involved small stone-like bricks which were ‘cemented’ together much as a house is built and a Bakelite building system with ‘bricks’ slotted into thin rods inserted in a base. The names escapes me but feel free to remind me…no doubt Kerrins will be the first ! My need for train set bits and pieces and other modelling items also meant a longer trip by bus or bike to a strange model shop in the Turnham Green area. I say strange, because it had a sales counter to the street.
It was a reflection of the times or the way that I was brought up by my parents that whilst on a Saturday morning trip down Askew Road, I found a five pound note in the road, a fortune in those days of the late 50’s. I decided to take it to the somewhat Dickensian Askew Road Police Station and my honesty was rewarded three months later when I received a letter asking me to collect it ! The toy shop became a beneficiary of my good fortune, as did my parents.
As technology progressed, the second little gem appeared in the far reaches of Askew Road, but it was worth the walk, as this was a curious little shop near Becklow Gardens which sold some of the first portable radios. These were a valuable source of news on Rangers away trips and enabled covert listening to Radio Luxembourg under the bed sheets !
The main source of clothing involved a bus ride to King Street, Hammersmith for Marks & Spencers or the shirt shop in Shepherds Bush Market which also included a visit to W G Stores for records or the stamp dealer with his small table. I also visited the record stall for ex-juke box records with the black inserts to convert them for normal record players. Woolworths in King Street was also a valuable source of a multitude of items. In those days it was an antiquated collection of old timber desk-like displays, a far cry from the modern display stands that followed. I acquired a taste for their own brand of chocolate buttons, not to everyone’s taste bur somewhat addictive.
Our new found love of fishing also gave us a good excuse to walk to Uxbridge Road for our fishing tackle and bait from Mascalls (?). Long gone I understand, but at least it also brought us closer to the other love of our lives…following the R’s. On the subject of fish, I also used the Queensborough Fisheries in Goldhawk Road for tropical fish, an early but short lived hobby. When I started work in the City in 1963, my new found wealth also resulted in my shopping for upmarket clothes in Krantz, also in King Street. Otherwise, there was not the wonderful choice of clothing shops that we have today, although a greater outlay on a bus and/or tube ride, opened up the great delights of the West End and Oxford Street, but in the early days that ‘Promised Land’ seemed a million miles away and we mainly satisfied ourselves with our trusty local shops.
It would be interesting to have confirmation as to when these shops finally succumbed to the pressures of competition or merely faded away as society changed, so feel free to enlighten me ! They were all part of my early life and provided a valuable service.
Colin Woodley
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That brings back a lot of memories, thanks Colin. Remember all those especially Mascalls and the Queensborough Fisheries. Happy days. Anyone remember Mylos the ice cream place near the market in Goldhawk Road. Remember useekia(?)where you could buy all sorts of obscure nuts bolts etc. there was also a model shop opposite Mascalls
My Saturday job was in Days the greengrocers in Uxbridge Road just opposite Loftus Road and often saw players walking to the ground for the game. It was always a rush as I finished at 1 o’clock especially if it was 2 o’clock KO which wasnt uncommon in those days in mid winter.
I visited the Bush back in Feb and the only shop I saw from those days was Ellis’s pet store in the market. It was a real culture shock to see the changes. It was like being in a foreign land.
What a fantastic insight to your area in such an era. got me thinking now about my own when as a 5 year old you start to remember such things accordingly. 1965 rocked!
A truly wonderful walk down memory lane Colin. Great Stuff….and some fantastic pics to go with it. I could do with a frozen Jubbly right now during this heatwave.
Yes I always did admire your tropical fish collection set up round at your flat at Kelmscott. You had more success with your venture than I had with mine..I just could not keep the plant life alive back then…Today I am strictly a Goldfish man lol
Mascalls..or was it spelt Maskells? went “bust” sometime I believe in the early 1970’s not sure about the exact date. Rumour has it that old man Maskell gambled away all the revenue thus causing the business to fail.
Yes that old Askew Rd Police station…right out of an episode of Dixon of Dock Green wasn’t it. Long gone now replaced by a Library complex.
The old Standens Toy shop last time I looked was an empty premises..and subject of a murder crime scene last month. Hinds Cycle shop is now a cafe.
My dad still lives in the area so on my visits to him over recent decades I have observed the changes develop..but never the less looking back the mind does boggle!!
Thank you all for your kind comments. The bakelite building set was Bayko I have now manage to trace on the internet.
I still possess a rod from the fishing tackle shop(whatever it was called!!!)you will be pleased to know young Kerrins, and it has survived five house moves! I must dust it down as it has not been used in anger since 1973.
Would like to know what the other building set was called with the little bricks glued together with a paste that you could then use again after water was chucked on the latest creation.
I recall only two flavours of Jubblys at that time, orange and I think blackcurrant ? Choice of frozen or as a drink of course and often from a shop in Cobbold Road close to Wendell Park School.
Standens, yes, a great toyshop. I also remember one near the Bush Market…anyone know the name ?
There was a stall down the Market that sold loads of DC comics, Batman and Superman etc.
One of the last ports of call before heading home from Hammersmith would be a visit to the Lyons Corner Shop.
What a great memory jogger. I went to school in Rylett Road, St Stephens with its playground on what seemed then a very tall building . Not sure if it satill exists. My best emeories are of shepherds bush market with the “Shilling stall” always a good place to spend your pocket money. How about Horatios the shop which sold everything from clothes to materials to curtains. I worked there on a Saturday for £1 two and six . There was also a very good toy shop in the market which as a a child you could loose yourself in. Thanks for the memories.
Margaret Faley
Anyone remember the Bagwash at the back of Woolworths in Shepherds Bush Green, I used to have to go there with my Mum . What about swimming in Bloomfontein open air swimming Pool Those definately were the days.
Margaret Faley
Thanks for your comments Margaret.
I lived in Rylett Road in the 50’s and went to Wendell Park and Victoria before we moved up the Western Avenue. Where did you live ?
Steve I think that shop in Cobbold Rd you mentioned was called “Greens”.
It was owned by a Mr Donald Green who later changed his premises and for a while ran a newsagents shop in Askew Rd(across the Rd from the Sun Pub)
What a fantastic article. I lived in Willesden but I remember going to the shops with my Mum in Church Rd and going into the butchers, the Greengrocers (complete with sawdust) and the bakers where they all knew you and had time to chat unlike the unfriendly superstores you get today. Woolworths for the black or white plimsoles for PE and the Winfield trainer that had 2 stripes.
I also remember bringing the lemonade bottles back to the Off licence and getting a penny back and later the corona man coming round once a week to deliver cola, orangeade and cream soda.
Also pre McDonalds a trip to the Wimpey was a real treat.
Can you imagine anyone nowadays going into a Police Station to hand in Money that they found in the Street ! And people wonder why society has changed so much.
Once again my old mucca from my beloved Kelmscott Gardens (22 !) has astounded us with something so many of us seem to have mislaid today : Memory ! Colin Woodley, where do I begin? I won’t coz it’s bleedin 1.39 in the morning I’m burning light and Her Indoors thinks I’m safely tucked up in my 66 year old cot. Only another Kelmscotter (well, slightly around the corner in the Askew Road Mansions but still adventurous enough to be a Kelmscotter…Bernard “Kerrins” Lambert has the memory that defies ageing logic. Me? I only remember the best bits. I am indebted to another historian originally from Rylett Road, Mr. Steve Russell who added some fantastic images to an enthralling piece of writing and remembrance of the good times. The sight of that Jubbly…oh my God, that immeasurably tasteful mouth-watering little oddly-shaped cardboard box that dripped of orange and raspberry down your chin and on to the white shirt that had just been Friday night washed in the Wash in Kelmscott, ironed by my loving aunt Carol (Sears) 90 years old last June 17th and now living in West-by-Fleet..a long way from the old bus stop where we used get the trolley down Goldhawk Road,the thing was you just could not remove Jubbly stains from a crisp white shirt collar. I know that either Bernard or Colin will come to the rescue here but I recall when we met up in the “Connie” a couple of years ago before a QPR game I told them and Steve that once my mother (who reared me in Hampstead in the final year of the war, and should have probably remembered) my mother sent me on an errand to the little shop down Percy Road on a Sunday afternoon and I was to ask for a packet of custard, a box of Daz or maybe it was Persil and for a treat for going on the errand - a Jubbly. When I recited the verbal list of messages the old geezer behind the counter’s face went purple and a couple of women already at the counter looked at me aghast..the old geezer’s cheeks looked like they were about to explode as he said, “Washing powder on a Sunday? You want washing powder on a Sunday? Don’t you know that I’m not allowed sell it? Come back Monday, mate. You can have all the washing powder you want.” Does anyone remember that strange trading law? Or have I spent too long at the old acid and LSD, to say nothing of the dexys and leapers I took down the Goldhawk Social Club? Thanks Colin for a great trip once again down memory lane. Your correspondent Brian is quite right..can anyone imagine handing in money found in the street to a police station? I found a mountain bike once in 1961 when we lived for a while in Walham Grove, North End Road (my mum managed Hemmings Bakery shop there for a few years, 63 Walham Grove now a Chinese take-away). Like the good citizen like Colin I dutifully handed the bicycle into the Fulham police station and was told at the desk they would keep it for a few weeks and I was given a date to call back, and after saying several decades of the rosary and removing from under the mattress my favourite picture of “Lily” (a Soho dancer wearing nothing more than a full one-piece bathing costume at Ruislip Lido) which I used for obvious recreational purposes…the bike was duly handed back to me. So there is a God there after all. I mentioned Memory at the start of this response to Colin’s piece..Some weeks ago I was strolling (in the old days you did it going through Ravenscourt Park !) I was strolling down my computer when a flashing light suddenly appeared on my Dell screen warning me that I was about to run out of MEMORY !! Jesus, I ask you, how did we do it all in the old days? NO mobiles, NO e-mails, NO bloody iphones or whatever…Just plain ordinary MEMORY ! And what good memories they are. So thanks Colin for a wonderful trip and to Steve for providing the images.
Interesting comment Jack.
Yes I remember that strange Sunday trading law(if you could find a shop that was open!)
There were certain things the shopkeeper was not allowed to sell..and if he did break the law he always made sure the product was concealed in a big brown paper bag.
I must admit I was never a big fan of Sundays in the 1950’s(things improved a bit in the 60’s)..it seemed to me as a small child back then that most of the time all you were allowed to do was…Breathe lol
There used to be an amusement arcade in Shepherds Bush Market, plus a hardware shop.
One day (this would be the mid-60s) me & some mates realised we could buy a bag of washers from one & use them in the other (they were the same size as tanners). Got a fortune out of the one-armed bandits, until the manager sussed & chased us down the market.
Thanks for your response Irish and I hope you are keeping well. Must agree with the Sunday trading comments you could eat your Sunday lunch in the middle of Askew Road things were so quiet especially as cars were few in number. Young Kerrins I am a bit worried as to the nature of goods you were purchasing that needed to be in a plain brown paper bag!!
A couple of traders I have failed to mention were the much anticipated visit from Tony Bros ice cream van and the sunday visit from the seafood man with his hand cart covered in a white sheet with piles of different seafood.
Can still remember the sound of the ice cream van chimes which seemed to induce temporary deafness for my mother until my pleadings plucked her heart strings!
Also a mention should be made of the Marble Arch Stores near the market for car bits etc.
Irish, your mention of memory and phones also reminded me that most of us did not even have a house phone. Kids nowdays can’t seem to organise themselves a day or evening out because the ease with which you can contact anyone seems to produce chaos as plans change with monotonous regularity. It is a wonder they have the time to attend the event they discuss! In the 50’s and 60’s we agreed to go fishing or the Rs etc.and that was that..it happened with no drama,and, we had to carefully plan trains and buses to achieve such visits.
Colin.
Tony Bros (of Acton I think)..great ice cream.
The seafood man was a very welcome sight when he called round…There was indeed a fantastic variety of seafood on offer. Our family usually opted for the prawns and winkles.
Yes Sundays in the 1950’s were VERY quiet!
The old phone thing we were lucky enough to have one and I remember my Dad putting a lock on it!! Also neighbours knocking asking if they could give our number in case of emergency. And the phone being pride of place in the hall with its own table and a chair next to it.
Having no mobiles also made people turn up on time when you were going out otherwise you missed out.
An excellent read and being a son of a former local shopkeeper, (Reg’s corner of Thorpebank Road and Dunraven Road), I very much mourn the passing of these valuable establishments not only as a valuable service to the locals, especially the more elderly community, who relied on these shops for the provisions, and shopped most days for their needs, and certainly find it more difficult to get to the large supermarkets and shop once a week, which seems to be the requirement nowadays, but also they tended to be a font of knowledge for people as well. Sunday trading has got a lot to answer for as has the relaxing/abolition of the laws restricting who can sell what, (i.e. only newsagents could sell newspapers and magazines). Remember jubblies well, certainly orange and blackberry flavour and also seem to remember that there was a strawberry and lime flavour too. But, boy, could they damage your teeth if you dared to try to bit them! Stawberry mivvis and orange maids aswell, and of course the ’square cornet’ complete with a mini block of vanilla ice-cream. Bringing back your R-whites or Corona lemonade bottles meant that you got a deposit back and bags of sweets were just a pipedream, when you could have 2oz or 4oz straight from the jar. 4 black jacks or fruit salads for 1p, jelly dummies, shrimps, chocolate bananas and chocolate tools were all part of the sweet mixture. Classified papers on a Saturday evening added to the excited of a decent result. Something tells me that progress has made us go backwards.
Well we lived on High street harlesden and went down Scrubs Lane to the games.
Yes the fish shop where we ducked in when the Stukkas dive bombed the high street,
the Jubilee Clock and Park Parade which had a nice toy shop. I got a an LMS train set for christmas like the picture. 4-6-2 streamliner, collected train numbers bus numbers, You had little books. going down to St. Pancras was the best cos they had all the never seen LMS engines. Mr Tarn, the Dentist 662 664 trolleys, also in Park Parade lived Daphne Biggs her whole life and we used to drop her off on the way home on the fans club buses.
Petcheys fish and chips on Fortunegate Rd. Satterthwaites greengrocers in the footpath toward Leopold Rd. The tobacconist on Leopold Rd Star Ladeda he always said as he folded it and gave it to me to take home. Boring sundays too
going down to Hyde Park. But my comics. wow, Beano Dandy, Wizard, champion.
When younger Film fun Radio fun Knockout. So much more and so many memories from all these great posts.
I’ve just been reading through a 1949 home programme and in the centre pages and all around the team line-ups, are various adverts. One of which refers to ‘K’s Model Shop’ at, 197 Uxbridge Road and states that they were stockists of:Meccano, Trix, Hobbies Milbro.Leeds Model Co.,Hamblings and all “0″ and “00″ accessories plus aircraft, ship, galleon and race car parts.
As a boy growing up in the 50s I only remember the orange Jubbly but maybe the flavoured ones came later. As well as Black Jacks there were also Fruit Salads. The farthing coin was just going out of circulation but you could still buy four of these sweets for a penny. Also does anyone remember liquorice pipes, packs of sweet cigarettes and pouches of sweet tobacco? All very un p.c. these days.
The corner shop in Thorpebank Road had a Wrigleys chewing gum penny machine on the wall outside. With every fourth penny you got two packs instead of one. An arrow on the handle showed when you would get the extra pack.
I guess many of you still go to Cookes pie and mash shop in the Goldhawk Road near the market. But I remember going to the one that was in the Askew Road between Curwen Road and Starfield Road. Pie, mash and liquor was a shilling.
W. G. Stores was the favourite place for listening to new pop records. You told them at the counter what record you wanted to hear then went into a small soundproof booth to listen. The shop carried the same name for many years but changed to a hardware shop, and finally disappeared in recent times.
I still have my Meccano Set 5 bought for me one Christmas in a big toy store, near W. G. Stores.
In the 60s and 70s I used to buy old coins from the stamp stall. The younger man Tony left London and opened a shop in the sticks. I guess Bill, the older man, died.
Sunday trading was pretty strict when I was young and it was only newsagents who opened on Sunday mornings. A grocery shop opposite The Adelaide pub had a very large vending machine outside the shop so customers could still buy cartons of milk and orange when the shop was closed.
The only other way of getting food or drink on a Sunday was the pubs. But they only opened for a couple of hours at lunchtime and the evening hours were much shorter than weekdays. The Princess Victoria had a shell fish stall outside and The Conningham had a pie stall in the mews behind the pub.
How many of you remember the large Arrowroot biscuits, Smiths crisps with the little blue bag of salt, and small bottles of R. Whites lemonade?
And also in those days if you got caught short many of the pubs had unlocked outside toilets.
Yes Peter I recall a lot of that…in particular that Pie and Mash shop in the Askew Rd(it was right next to Standens the toy shop)
Thanks for your comments Peter and for updating me in respect of a couple of the traders. Yes I remember those milk carton machines which were less than reliable at times!
I have a couple of other articles in Steve’s locker of goodies that you may be interested in (if they see the light of day!!)