Good afternoon george.

You mentioned in a previous posting “ I apologise if this is boring” but please do not think for a second that any of your contributions are in anyway boring. Your postings on this forum are always informative and interesting and please continue to share with us your undoubted knowledge of Whaley Bridge both past and present.

I know for a fact that other forum members share my views and we very much look forward to your contributions. I'm aware that in the past you have had difficulties in posting some of your photo's but please do persevere as when you are eventually successful some of your photographs are absolutely fantastic.

Here's a puzzler for everyone, does anyone remember where  this seasonal window dressing was displayed in the late 50s early 60s?  I will just say it was Horwich End area.

shallcross attached the following image(s):

Can anyone identify this location ?  I know it is not the 1950's, it's probably long before and it might not be Whaley Bridge (could be New Mills).  Not much in the photo to help either !

parabuild attached the following image(s):

Thank you for your encourargement.

Some time ago Peartree crafts had a string of photos showing the shops on the east side of Market St. It was framed and the price was £35. I don't know if they still have it for sale or if the photos can be bought seperately. If it is too late to buy one Footsteps has a copy of it and you can look at it, you will find it on the wall behind the counter, you can look at this for no charge and also any other of the collection it has,

Now for more memories,

In the early 1930's the Crabtree family moved from the shop at George St. to carry on their grocery and greengrocery business at no.12 market St. (Leathems Soliciters now). Your father mey remember them Gnatalee, they continued through the 1950's into the sixties and if my memony is correct, I think Ernest told me it was 1969 when they changed to a launderette in the basement and snack bar on the ground floor. They continued until they retire in June1985 and I am trying to attach a photo of the last day. I find it is too many pixels so if you can help Norm I would be obliged, I don't have time to learn  how to do it myself and add information on this topic too.

george

File Attachment(s):

Ernest and Ernest and Margerat Crabtree June 1985.JPG (274kb) downloaded 44 time(s).

Ernest and Margaret Crabtree had a daughter, I can't remember her name, but she had a Shetland pony which she kept on the field opposite the council offices on Reservoir Road.

During the late 1940's into the 1950's a few shops changed owners.

Mortens butchery shop which was next door but one passed the Mechanics to the south was bought by Plants and became a furnishing shop.

Burgons left the shop now occupied by Blythe House charity and moved to the opposite side of Market St. using what are now both the pet and greengrocery shops. Previously there had been a house where a nurse lived.

 The Whaley Bridge and Buxton Co-op bought Burgons old shop and may have bought all the block from the old post office up to the old bank on the corner of Wharf Rd. However, it enabled the society to create a wine and spirit shop, then next door the furniture shop and then the shoe shop (which had previously been on Beech Rd). The Co-op drapery expanded to fill the space left by the shoe shop.

The Co-op also bought the row of three small shops now occupied Jenks opticans and Rowcliffs. Then they moved their tailoring shop into where the opticans is and a chemists into the remainder of the premises. Prevoiusly one of the three shops had been a chemists

Re-locating the furnishing and men's wear from the building next to the Co-op grocery on Buxton Rd. enabled them to expand their grocery shop and it opened as a self-service shop in early 1953.

Just to summarise the co-op now had a grocers, butchers, wine ,furniture, shoe, drapery, chemists and tailoring shop.

george

I can't ignore what to me became the most prestigious shop on the Whaley Bridge High St. Plants the furnishers.

 Chatting with one of Whaley Bridge's very old celebrities I have been getting some of the following information. Proir to 1932 Leonard Plant was to the right of what is now "Footsteps" selling furniture (and Harold Plant had the next shop going towards the bridge selling records), from here it moved to round Wharf Rd. on the right of the steps to reservoir Rd. and soon expanded into the premises on the left of the steps. In late 40's Plants came back on the high St. buying Mortens butchers shop which is now the one next to Gascoigne Halman and established the business which was to later take over the whole block. In the 1950's shops kept goods on the premises.The first 3piece suite we bought we tried out in Plants shop in the morning and we were sitting on it our lounge at the night of the same day, no waiting for a few weeks to it being delivered. They sold high quality furniture one couple I knew ( not from Whaley) moved to live in Poole Dorset, some time later wanting more furniture they toured the area to find the quality they were used to without success and came all the way back to W. B. and bought it from Plants who delivered it. This is one of many examples. 

george

Thanks for your photo R S-S I didn't know Plants furniture shop had been there, another piece to the jigsaw.

george

Hi mermaid, welcome on board, now you have logged on o.k. you will be in the swim of things.Please give my best wishes to "who cares".

More on shops in the 1950's,

On Buxton Rd. not far past the church charity shop was a sweet shop belonging to Mr.Moore his claim to fame (to me) was that if the scales were a ml. over he would cut one in half. I have seen him do it with caramels I don't know what he would do in the case of a hard boiled one. I some times went in to see if he was selling the halfs off cheaply.

Another feature in the 1950's was that some grocery shops sold broken biscuits cheaply, I have bought many a half pound for three and half pence at the co-op. If I was luckly and xxxxx xxxxxx served me he usually sold me almost threequarters of a pound and included a few full bisuits for the same price. Nowadays one of the largest grocers we all know sell them in packets at full price, such is progress.

george

Thank you G Jackson now I understand better.

The was an historic occasion to me, until two years ago I had been a "professional toffee eater". Now you youngsters don't think we could have as many as we wanted, money was a very scarce commodity then so in one sense they were rationed by price.

Yes I have seen the shop in Buxton you mention G.W. but didn't look too closely in case was tempted, I am trying to keep my weight down to help my mobility.

Thanks for your posting I am getting lonely on this thread.

george