Last week, I noted that I’d been the lucky recipient of some secondhand local history books. This week, I’ve decided to return from Walsall Wood and take a stroll to some of the more notable local emporia for the discerning shopper of years past. These fantastic pictures – apart from one, sent in by a kind reader – all come from Clarice Mayo and Geoff Harrington’s long sought-after work ‘Memories of old Brownhills’, published in 2001 by Walsall Local History Centre.
I pay tribute to Clarice & Geoff’s tireless work, and urge anyone who finds a copy of any of the excellent works on local history to buy them if they get the chance.
I don’t remember anything about this butcher or his shop, but he looks like a dapper, helpful shopkeeper. Taken from ‘Memories of old Brownhills’ by Clarice Mayo and Geoff Harrington.
Lote’s would still have been in existence when the authors published this book. Now gone, I recall the smell, darkness and red velvet of the shop he had in the High Street near the off license. I also remember that the proprietor had a unique way with customers and a hatred for digital watches.Taken from ‘Memories of old Brownhills’ by Clarice Mayo and Geoff Harrington.
I’ve heard mention of a barbershop on Lindon Road before – some folk talk fondly of Neville’s, but I’m not sure if this is it or not. I keep meaning to take a picture of the bomb tailfin sticking out of the gable of this building, placed there when the old shop was renovated after Maurice Baker, the electrician, gave it up in the late eighties. Taken from ‘Memories of old Brownhills’ by Clarice Mayo and Geoff Harrington.
I remember this shop as a chip shop really well. I can remember sitting on the inside cill of the big window waiting for chips as a little boy. After the shop closed, the building was painted in a bright colour – maybe red. Taken from ‘Memories of old Brownhills’ by Clarice Mayo and Geoff Harrington.
Now this is more my era. I’d forgotten Pricerite, which replaced George Mason, a kind of proto-Kwiksave. Range records, of course, formerly Chasmic, was an institution. The Golden Grill – a semi-american style cafe, was all red vinyl and squeezy sauce bottles, and Tandy was the source of materials and inspiration for much tech fiddling. Picture kindly mailed in by reader Dave, not sure of source.
