Sadly missed? Blasts from the past - A reminder of Stafford's past

[db]

Continental Model magazine

A fiver to the first person who googles that!

 

[Gramaisc]

Alright, it's Continental Modeller, actually, but that just didn't fit so well with my little 'joke'. I presume that DB has already received his fiver!

 

[Florence]

Continental Model magazine

A fiver to the first person who googles that!

http://www.airplanemodelworks.com/images/medium/boeing-737-700-continental-model-plane_m.jpg

Your fiver sir

 

[basil]

Tom, who used to flog the 'Sentinel' somewhere around where Mr Sizzle flogs his hot delights....

 

[Gramaisc]

Rumbelows and Rediffusion - where were they? One was near the Bear and one was around where Boots Opticians is now. Radio Rentals was, I believe, where Café Nerro is now.

 

[wmrcomputers]

Rumbelows and Rediffusion - where were they? One was near the Bear and one was around where Boots Opticians is now. Radio Rentals was, I believe, where Café Nerro is now.

Radio Rentals. My oh my! There's one I forgot. I remember buying an ex-rental 19" tv set from them for about £89. It was a complete pile of s#@t and yet the best bargain I had that particular year. lol. Who ever thought you'd pick up a brand new 28" widescreen (not that we'd have known what that was) brand new for another tenner in the years to come.

Although I do remember a mate of mine saying, and I quote "One day you'll be able to buy just the glass bit without the case on the back!"

 

[Gramaisc]

And there was the MEB shop nextdoor, where you had to wade through half an acre of white cuboid shapes to pay your bill every three months - before the days of Direct Debit. One of my friends had a dispute with the Gas Board over the late supply of a spare part and they wouldn't give him the phone number of the shop in the High House so that he could check if it was in without going all the way down the town once a week. They would only give him the number of the Stoke shop, which was no use, as they denied all knowledge of what went on in Stafford. So we arranged to go in mob-handed and distract all the staff, whilst I went round the counter to write down the number off the dial of the phone. It worked a treat, except that the phone had the number of the shop in Stoke on it. Who would have expected such a standard of counter-espionage tactics?

 

[John Marwood]

Resales? Did somebody mention Resales?

Or did I forget my ear trumpet again?

Pardon?

 

[Gramaisc]

Resales? Did somebody mention Resales?

You can use the Search facility on the menu above ^ and it will show you that I have indeed mentioned Resales, although your input with regard to its actual location(s) would be welcome.

 

[John Marwood]

Oh

I see

I think that was the nicest telling off I have ever had

Well

My memory of Resales is that it was about where JC computing is now, but a little further onto the ring road.

I know when I returned back into the UK it was gone.

Seem to remember the Unicorn was handily around the corner, and once you had made your 20 shillings from the Etch o 'Sketch ( Irish computer game )sale, you were then set up for a session on the Joules with Brian and Pauline.

I better not mention the parrot at the Pitcher Bank pet shop then had I?

 

[Mrs M]

Resales? Did somebody mention Resales?

You can use the Search facility on the menu above ^ and it will show you that I have indeed mentioned Resales, although your input with regard to its actual location(s) would be welcome.

I can remember Resales being where J C Computing is. I also remember it somewhere by the colonade, but originally it was on Oxford Gardens where the bed shop is. The guy who had that then went on to run the video shop on the Weston rd, where the chemist is now. There was also a chemist there years ago.

Off onto another subject, The Dog and Partrige on the walls there was one of the pubs I used to frequent, it was just like stepping into someones living room, lol, especially with its cosy open fire.

There was the old chinese laundry (where the police station is now) my mum used to always get my dads (removable) collars cleaned and starched there, they were removable collars (he was in the fire service).


Does anyone remember Snapes sweet shop on the corner of Smallman St and Cambridge St. Mrs Snape was a little old woman with glasses, she always wore her hair net an a pinny. She also used to stand and pick her nose all the time,yuk. After that it became a dress shop called.......wait for it, 'Colleens Gay Wear', after a few years she moved to the centre of the Island in town and opened a shop called 'Safari'. Across the road, on Cambridge St was a grocers shop run by Anthony Brown. We used to just call it 'Browns'. Colleen went on to write songs, I think maybe on the religious side. There is a bit in the Newsletter this week under 1979.

What about Groucotts garden shop opposite the four crosses on the Marston Rd. Mr Groucott
worked in there and was unfortunate to have bigger boobs than most women so he dressed like a woman but his mannerisms were unmistakeable of a man, and he always wore a hair net, had ladies flowery apron on and always had a fag in his mouth.

In Rowley St was Charlile Cotterils and I think this shop was the first grocers shop to open on a Sunday in the town, I think it closed about 2pm. The shop was always busy with people getting their veggies that they forgot to get on a Saturday (and paying twice as much).

 

[Gramaisc]

I think that was the nicest telling off I have ever had

Not a telling-off - merely introducing you to the finer points of the on-board technology.

 

[Gramaisc]

What about Groucotts garden shop opposite the four crosses on the Marston Rd.

Was there not a Groucotts' Chip Shop on Eastgate Street in the '70s?

I do remember when what is now the bookies opposite the Four Crosses was the Co-op Funeral Services - before they moved out to the Queensville roundabout.

 

[Mrs M]

There was a groucotts chippy (right opposite police station) and it had a place to sit down next door. Nice chips too, my friends mum worked there, in fact she's on my facebook.

Me and my sister used to go swimming (at the old Brine Baths) every Wednesday, make our way to the chippy and then catch the S93 or S96 at Pitcher Bank and go home.

 

[Gramaisc]

I was in digs on Porlock Avenue when I first arrived here and we had Groucotts' fish and chips every Saturday lunchtime - they were fairly good, as I remember.

 

[Mrs M]

I'm not sure but I think it was the seating area next door that became a pet shop??

 

[Gramaisc]

Mr Groucott worked in there and was unfortunate to have bigger boobs than most women so he dressed like a woman but his mannerisms were unmistakeable of a man, and he always wore a hair net, had ladies flowery apron on and always had a fag in his mouth.

How distressed are you going to be if nobody else can remember this?!

 

[John Marwood]

Sun Smithfield market had a good range of fresh meat if I recall, ( behind the red/yellow - delete as applicable - pub once know as The Sun ) Some of it was so fresh it used to go on a tour of the town

I think alternate weeks was the fresh meat market and the other week was the dead stuff

I put in an offer for a 1939 Plymouth motor car once but was well beaten, but did manage to purchase a Eumig 8mm clockwork cine camera for 2 guineas . It still works ( Austrian )

Lots of blooded white coats in the bar on the Wednesdays as farmers came in with their rewards

 

[basil]

The old fella flogging matches (i think) outside the pitcher house, was he blind?.....

 

[Mrs M]

I remember the old fella selling the Express and Star outside the postoffice and his laborador always carried a little basket with dairy milk in it. He may have been blind.

He always used to sell 'the pink' on Saturdays.