Web Page 30957 7th September 2023 First Picture: Skein of wool

Second Picture Typical greengrocery

Third Picture: The New Inn

Fourth Picture: Lights

Shopping Having read Richard, Griff's and Mary's memories about shopping it made me remember shopping with my parents. I remember going to Mrs Moffits wool shop with my mum. The shop consisted of a wood and glass porch attached to her hallway off of which was the front room stuffed high will bales and packets of wool, buttons and zips. Somehow Mrs Moffit always knew where mums wool was it was amazing. With all the wool in such a confined space the shop was always very warm and stuffy. Next door in the other side of the semi detached house was the workshop of Hiram Levy the Jewish Taylor. I remember my father taking me there to have my first suit made. Like next door all the bolts of cloth stacked high made for a warm and stuffy atmosphere. The place was very dusty and appeared to me to be in a total muddle. Hiram did make me a suit but I have to say I never liked it. Next door was Nappers the ironmonger where we bought our paraffin. I remember my mum handing over a paraffin can and it being filed using a hand pump connected to a large tank out the back. Further along the road was Mugfords the grocer and green grocer, my mother would never buy anything in there as she had convinced herself that between weighing up dirty potatoes and weighing up loose biscuits he never washed his hands. Strangely she never bought anything in the shop she was good friends with Mr Mugfords wife Mary. Further along was Streets the butcher a shop that had an enormous clock at the back of the clock but it was never right. My father always said that this clock ran on shirt buttons, whatever that meant. Then there was Harry Marchments butchers shop next to the Institute. Harry was a tall sandy haired man who for a long time tried to get me to become his apprentice. I never took him up on the offer. Actually, the shop is now a very nice coffee shop. On the other side of the Institute was Smeeds the wine merchants. Here the manager tried hard to persuade me to take up the wine trade. I cannot understand how this came about as far as a family we only used Smeeds at Christmas, all other wines and sherries were bought loose in Pinks. Over the road was the New Inn and I like many other young lads had their first experience of drinking in a pub. Then there was the chip shop run by |Fishy Francis and a little further down Chapman Laundry run by Barbara , this was the only laundry that could starch my Chefs hats to the required stiffness. to go to Her I remember visiting Trail the opticians, Sidney Slape the fishmonger, Mrs Brown in the Post Office plus also a walk along the Havant Road to go to Herbert’s market garden to buy tomatoes. But as a young lad my favourite shop was Wynns the toy and cycle shop which was situated in the building which was used as a British Restaurant during the second world war. Stay in touch Peter GSSEDITOR@gmail.com