Nostalgia

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Walter Moore baker and confectioner of 40 Manchester Old Road. Mr Moore was also an accomplished photographer, his pictures can be seen on display outside his shop. An advert in the window reads, 'Fry's chocolate.' J.S.Fry and Sons date back to the 1750's and is one of the oldest chocolate manufacturers
Walter Moore baker and confectioner of 40 Manchester Old Road. Mr Moore was also an accomplished photographer, his pictures can be seen on display outside his shop. An advert in the window reads, 'Fry's chocolate.' J.S.Fry and Sons date back to the 1750's and is one of the oldest chocolate manufacturers
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The shops of Christmas past

Harold Cunliffe
6/12/2007

SHORTLY the shops will be a hive of activity with Christmas only two weeks away. This week Bygone Days takes a nostalgic look back at the town centre shops in the late 1950s.

We have a great selection of photos taken from the roof of the Palace cinema. People of a certain age will remember walking around the shops in those pre-Arndale days. Shops in Market Place, Long Street and Manchester Old Road would illuminate the footpath on those dark wet afternoons on the run up to Christmas.

Most of the shops were privately owned by Middleton folk, providing a service and making a living, known personally by their customers. An example is, think of Horridge's and Joy Lucas comes to mind. Want a camera? Alan Halkyard.

I was reminded of one shop last week while in Cleveleys. At a church Christmas fair a woman at the book stall made mention to Middleton. I could not help myself enquiring if she lived in the town. She replied, "No, Heywood, but my aunt and uncle once ran the UCP shop in Middleton, they sold tripe, awful stuff, I couldn’t eat it." Small world.

The UCP shop can be seen on one of the images featured this week. At the time it was situated at Manchester New Road before moving to Market Place next to the Masons Arms pub.

Other names that may bring back memories are: Crown Paints, Meadow Dairy, Hames's cake shop, E.A.Thorpe, tobacconist. Johnstone Bros, travel. Pamela Peters and Yvette for ladies fashions. John Steeple, hardware. Paxman, opticians. Megerts, bakers. Mortons florist, and Middleton Paint and Wallpaper Stores owned by A Fox.

Have you any special memories of shopping in the town? How many Bygone shop names can you remember? Let us know, write in to our Fountain Street office.

Today we fill supermarket trolleys with our goods known as 'self service,' It is not that long ago that the housewife would queue to be personally served, known as 'counter service.' At Middleton Co-op each item would be hand written onto a receipt, a duplicate copy would be sent to the Co-op offices to be used to calculate the members’ 'divi.'

For most working class families Christmas was a time to indulge in confectionary that was not normally included in the shopping budget. Children would peer into the sweet shop window adding their favourite sweets to their Christmas wish list.

Next week we have two tins of an old favourite, Cadbury's Roses, up for grabs in our Xmas quiz. Roses were introduced back in 1937, and over the last 70 years has remained a best seller. Other names to come onto the market are: Dairy Box and Quality Street in 1936, Black Magic with its distinctive Art Deco style box in 1933. Chocolate bars have stood the test of time, Fruit and Nut and Flake 1920, Fry's five boys chocolate and Crunchie in 1929. 1916 witnessed a box of chocolates named, 'Milk Tray' and advertised as the, 'box for the pocket.'

Other sweets to come onto the market after the war following the lifting of sugar rationing were, Smarties, Milky Bar, Polo, Spangles and Rolo.

Invented by accident in 1899 were Bassetts Liquorice All-Sorts. Legend has it that a clumsy salesman knocked over his sample box. As a result each type of liquorice sweet lay in a heap on the counter. The shop owner immediately placed an order for the mixed selection which is still popular today.

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Most recent 2 of 2 user comments

   Lovely article. I have been lead to believe that my great grandfather owned a shop on Boarshaw Road (Market Street?) near Middleton town centre. His name was Wright and I am told was the first man to own a car in the town. Do you have any evidence of this?
Mark Garrett, Oldham
29/12/2007 at 10:23
   hi Harold, really enjoying all your articles in the guardian - remember us from BRF - retired now well and truly and loving every minute. Not had memories of middleton for past year - can i buy back copies do you know ??? sheila johnson
sheila johnson
16/12/2007 at 15:11
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