A Book For All The Family

A HERITAGE LOTTERY FUNDED PROJECTCompiled by Tony Highfield

Shops and Clubsof Darlaston Throughout

the Years

CONTENTS

WELCOME TO SHOPPING IN DARLASTON 1

Bedworth’s – Brenda and John Evans 2

My Days of Growing up in the 1950s on the Walsall Road – Alan Cotgrave 4

Darlaston Back in 1954 – Betty Dixon (née Horne) 5

Shopping in Darlaston Town Centre – Pauline Poole 7

The Story of Darlaston Shops – Bev. Parker 9

Shops in The Green – Betty Dixon (née Horne) 23

Middleton’s Fish Shop – Eileen Wood 39

Chips – Billy Winfindale 40

Working in Sketchley – Eileen Brimble 48

Shopping in King Street – Pauline Poole 57

Shops on Blockall – Maureen Clements (née Woodcock) 61

Eastern Styles – Talli Bungar (Shakuntala Devi Bungar) 62

Bakers of Darlaston Serving the Industrial Midlands – David Owen 65

Shopping in the Town – Talli Bungar (Shakuntala Devi Bungar) 78

Clemmys – Darlaston, How it all Started – Anita and Keith Middleton 87

SOCIAL CLUBS AND EVENTS

Company Clubs and Activities – Betty Dixon (née Horne) 88

Reuben’s Memories – Reuben Dixon 90

WELCOME TO SHOPPING IN DARLASTON

Darlaston once had a thriving shopping centre, full of busy shops, providing all kinds of products and services. Almost anything could be purchased locally, from foodstuffs to clothes, and things for the home. There were places to eat, chemists, barbers and photographers.

The town had a wonderful, vibrant atmosphere and was often full of happy shoppers, sometimes passing the time of day with friends and neighbours in King Street, Church Street, High Street or Pinfold Street.

This book records the growth of the shops from the 1940s to modern times, which includes the war years, times of prosperity, and times of austerity. The town centre changed dramatically during the redevelopment in the 1970s, and again in the early years of this century. Today it is only a shadow of its former self.

Hopefully the following pages will rekindle long lost memories for older generations, and introduce younger people to the wonderful town of yore.

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Asda Greeters Sue Harrison and Bev Taylor with Store Manager Marcelo

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BEDWORTH’S

Leonard Bedworth started up his business with a horse and cart from a warehouse on Darlaston road next door to the Kings Arms Pub which like every business at the time was hard work. Then he opened the shops in Kings Street which was a fruit & vegetable shop and a wet fish shop opposite the Lion Pub. Then they moved to the supermarket that used to belong to Littlewoods. They sold everything; grocery, soaps and powders, pet food, fruit, vegetables and fish. Over the road there was a flower shop that was run by Cynthia Bedworth, Leonard’s daughter. His sons Ken and Barry helped out in the shops.

I started working at Bedworths in 1958 aged 16 years old. I worked in the grocery when I started and I left Bedworth’s 34 years later. I was a manageress due to being promoted over time. John Evans also worked for Bedworth’s. All of the Bedworths used to live in Darlaston until Mr Bedworth’s marriage.

Bedworth’s shop opened 8am – 6pm so days were quite long. Working on the grocery stall I sold all kinds of fruit and vegetables and tinned produce. There was a café on the first floor open to the public which was the first café in Darlaston. I remember when I started there were about 30 staff members. Tony Highfield used to work on the delivery lorries and used to travel to Birmingham with Mr. Bedworth to collect the fruit and vegetables. The lorries had the Bedworth logo on the side. He would then park on King Street and deliver the goods to the stockroom. Tony remembered cleaning Mr. Bedworth’s Zodiac car prior to working on the lorries.

Mr Bedworth used to collect the earnings in a little brown bag at the end of the day and I remember one day when collecting his money he served a customer, put the bag full of money down and the customer accidentally took the brown bag believing it to be theirs! Luckily Darlaston Folk are good folk and the bag with money was returned.

I remember Bedworth’s put a float in the Darlaston Carnival and we had Christmas parties in the café in which you could bring your family. There was plenty of alcohol at those parties!

Leonard Bedworth’s sons decided to expand to other towns. They went to Tipton first but that didn’t last long. Then they decided to go to Cannock where they opened a supermarket which sold almost everything, meat and frozen goods

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Bedworth’s Shop in King Street

which you would need for your family shop. Barry, Len’s son, managed this store with his many staff.

The Bedworths then decided to open another shop in Sutton Coldfield town centre area and John moved with them because of the ambition and ideas shown. We then opened a shop at Four Oaks Mere Green, Chelmsley Wood then Castle Bromwich. These were very successful so they moved all the office staff to Mere Green over the top of the shop where half of the upper shop was the Lagonda restraint which they use to supply.

I have many fond memories of Bedworths and loved my time there.

Brenda and John Evans

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MY DAYS OF GROWING UP IN THE 1950s ON THE WALSALL ROAD

We lived towards the bottom end of the Walsall Road at James Bridge. I was one of the James Bridge kids of the fifties and there were a lot of us. My first recollection is of Mrs Humphries’ Sweet Shop which was directly opposite our house in Coppice Row which was a row of terraced houses between Short Street and Station Street. Just up the road opposite the Cellar Inn was Elwell’s paper shop run by Elsie Doris.

Further up the road directly opposite Park Lane was Johnson’s fish and chip shop. It was a lovely community chippy with Elsie frying the chips and George who was a chauffeur at F. H. Lloyds would stoke the fryer. Fritter and chips for 4 pence was a speciality. On a cold winter’s night you didn’t mind how long it took for them to be cooked as it was so cosy.

About 50 yards up the road was Blackham’s fruit and veg. I can remember Mr Blackham in his brown cow gown surrounded by his fruit and veg.

A little further up the road was an off-license where you could go and get your parents beer from the barrel. He would put a seal over the cork to remain intact before you got home. He also sold electrical items and conducted repairs.

Two doors away was Morris Corn Merchants. Mrs Morris would come out the back door down a passage. I can still see those multi coloured tiles in the passage. You would follow her into the front room where there was corn and seed to feed your chickens and rabbits. I remember the big old fashioned scales and everything kept in brown sacks. If you wanted straw she would have to go to the garage.

A little further up the road was another fruit and vegetable shop on the corner of Westbourne Road and it was Stackhouse’s Shop.

Another sweet shop was opposite Morris seed shop was Plant’s and I think they sold cigarettes and tobacco. Towards Salisbury Street was Wrights café. Round the corner into Salisbury Street was Greenwood’s coal yard.

Back into Walsall Road just below Cobden Street was another great chippy, today it is a Chinese Restaurant. Next door to the Fallings Heath Tavern was a gentleman who dealt in tin baths, mangles and general ware for the housewife

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and lawnmowers. On the corner of Cobden Street was Horton’s post office and general store which is still there today.

Over the road was the butchers which belonged to the Hadley’s whose son became an Olympic horse jumper and won a medal at the games.

There are more shops on the road but I’ll stop at Basses who made fine quality furniture and televisions. Our first television came from there. The model was His Masters Voice around 1955.

Alan Cotgrave

DARLASTON BACK IN 1954

As a young 14 year old girl back in 1954, l was allowed to have a part-time job and as my sister Brenda already had one in Littlewoods, Darlaston, I applied there where I was accepted but was only allowed to work four hours per week due to my age.

The Saturday in question arrived and at about 9.40 in the morning, off I went feeling very nervous as I had never done anything like this before. On arrival I was shown up a staircase which stood at the rear of the store where I was kitted out with an overall and given training on how to work the till and later took onto the shop floor where I was taken to a counter where I was to serve which was situated at the front of the store as you walked in. Needless to say it was very draughty with the comings and goings of customers. No overhead heaters like we have in our modern day stores.

On my first morning I was put on the handbags which turned out to be quite boring as people back in that day and age had other things more important to spend their hard earned money on therefore customers were very scarce. What I was wishing for was to be on the sweet counter just like my sister which always appeared to be busy. Having said that, I cherished the Four Shillings (20p in today’s money) which I was given in a little brown envelope at the end of my shift. After being there a few weeks, together with my sister, we joined their Netball team where we would go on to play other Littlewoods stores in competitions.

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Littlewoods Staff

The other store that remains vivid in my mind was Perks Grocery Store which stood directly opposite Littlewoods. This was where my mother had her weekly shopping from. Every week right from school it was my job to take the grocery list in for mother, who at the time had a full time job. There I would enter the shop and look along the counter where a variety of biscuits were set out in large square tins, this allowed customers to select a mixture of what they fancied. Mother usually had some on the list, maybe half a pound or a pound, whatever she was able to afford. There I would stand and choose a mixture from the tins to make either the weight of half a pound or a pound, needless to say it wasn’t very often that we had chocolate ones as they weighed far too heavy.

Then on the day requested, the order would be delivered, by usually a young boy on a bicycle which had a basket on the front that held the goods together with the bill which would be taken to the shop on Saturday to be paid. As workers at that time didn’t get their wages paid until finishing time on Friday.

I bet many of you reading this will have similar memories of either working or visiting the once very busy shops of Darlaston that have now gone forever.

Betty Dixon (née Horne)

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SHOPPING IN DARLASTON TOWN CENTRE

King Street down the years was the beating heart of Darlaston. It was where all the gossip of the town could be picked up in the many and varied shops which lined both sides of the street. Each shop had its own share of regulars but loyalty would go on the back burner if a shop further down the street was selling the same product a penny cheaper.

During the war years and right up until food came off ration in the early to mid-1950s (this was done in stages) there was favouritism in the food queues. Often you could hear the whispered words from the shop assistant to the favoured customer, in the butchers for instance. “I’ve got a nice bit of steak under the counter for you”. The phrase ‘under the counter’ became a catch-phrase with the comedians of the day. This practice became known as ‘the black market’ and was used as bargaining power in getting goods unlawfully amongst the wholesalers.

In my childhood memory, a neighbour who had been ‘up the town’ would call on each other to declare that Jowett’s or Bedworths, for instance, had had a delivery of fish or perhaps bananas and the neighbour on the receiving end of this ‘news’ would drop everything, grab her coat and be off like the wind up the town to join all the other hopefuls in the queue. It was nothing to stand in the queue for maybe up to two hours only to get to their turn to be told “sorry, it’s all gone!”

Everyone had to be registered with a particular butcher, baker and grocer during the war years but I think after 1945, although rationing went on into the fifties, people were free to shop where they chose.

My mother used to shop at Bakers for her bread, which was on the right-hand side of King Street going down towards Pinfold Street, at its junction with Church Street, Jowett’s for her fish, just inside High Street (Cock Street) again on the right, White’s the butchers back in King Street, just past the turning to High Street on the left Bayley’s cooked meat shop for corned beef, chawl, chicklings and their home made sausage rolls. A bit lower down was Perks’ shop which sold biscuits and some small items of grocery, both these shops were on the right. Milk was delivered to your door and the choice there was Midland Counties or the Co-op.

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Looking down King Street

Other popular shops in King Street were Wilkes the newsagents - later Parsons, Edwards the jewellers – later John Darby, Appleyards the haberdashery shop – the library is on the site now, Underwoods and Collins the shoe shops, Burtons the Tailors, with its youth club in the upstairs rooms, Robins the opticians, a Babywear Shop, the name of which escapes me, Midland Electricity Board shop (MEB), a Gas Board shop, Burtons the ironmongers, Kingston butchers and Raydar Gowns selling ladies’ dresses.

Back to High Street we had Jowett’s wet fish shop, on the right-hand side, with their grocers shop and separate greengrocery shop higher up on the same side. Next to that was McDougall’s haberdashery, which was in a part of the Bulls Head pub building, The Spinning Wheel selling wool and items related to knitting, a cake shop the name of which escapes me. On the opposite side was the Salvation Army Citadel. The whole of this Street is now occupied by an ASDA store but such was the variety of shops in the King Street area, it wasn’t necessary to go out of town to shop for anything in those days.

Pauline Poole

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THE STORY OF DARLASTON’S SHOPS

Shopping today is dominated by shopping centres, department stores, and supermarkets; all designed for convenience, with almost everything under one roof. Not that long ago things were very different. High streets were full of small shops, each dedicated to a specific range of products, sold by friendly staff, who offered a personal service.

Although most of the small shops have now gone, they are fondly remembered. What follows is the story of their growth, and ultimate decline, in Darlaston.

King Street, the town’s main street, possibly has early origins. In 1988 when some of the old shops on the western side of the street were demolished, the remains of old timber framed cottages were discovered beneath the modern facades, possibly dating to the 16th or 17th century. Unfortunately due to a misunderstanding, the buildings were demolished before they could be properly examined and dated.

The street was fully developed by the late 18th century, when it consisted of a mixture houses and workshops. The Poor Law Relief Rate Book of 1793 lists 66 buildings, 50 that were purely residential, and 16 which consisted of accommodation linked to a business of some kind, usually housed in a small workshop.

Almost all the items on sale would have be made locally, and purchased from the workshop in which they were made. Advertising wasn’t necessary because everyone was well known in the small community. People sold or exchanged products and services with each other, and with others living in the area. Many kept livestock, and grew their own food. They sold the surplus, or exchanged it for something else. An important part of the diet was bread, which would often be baked at home, using flour from the local miller, and ale-barm, a by-product of ale-making, available from most ale makers.

Locally made products would have included furniture, clothes, shoes, and household items such as pottery, pots and pans, plates, and utensils. Pottery was often baked in a kiln in the back yard, and various pieces were displayed and sold in the front room of the house. There were blacksmiths, coopers, farriers, and barbers, who not only cut hair, but served as dentists, surgeons and blood-letters.

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During the 18th century the more affluent shops began to have glazed windows made-up of small panes of glass. By the end of the century bow windows became popular, and in 1861when the excise duty on glass was abolished, shopkeepers were among the first to create large windows, in order to display more items.

By the early 19th century, King Street had become a busy and noisy shopping area. In 1828 the shopkeepers and tradesmen included:

1 - baker and flour seller 2 - butchers1 - corn seller 1 - clothes shop1 - shoe shop 1 - furniture shop1 - milliner and dress maker 1 - candle maker1 - basket maker 1 - file maker1 - gunlock maker 1 - nail seller4 - grocers 1 – surgeon1 – tailor 1 – hinge maker1 – blacksmith 1 - wheelwright2 - boot and shoe makers 1 - cooper1 - bit and stirrup maker 1 – hurdle maker1 - wood screw maker 2 – pattern ring makers

Because roads were poor, sometimes almost impassable, and most items for sale were locally made, there was only a small selection on offer, and little choice. This all changed with improvements to the roads, the building of the canal, and the coming of the railway.

In 1776 a turnpike trust was set up to raise money to build a new road through Moxley High Street to join the Wednesbury Road at its junction with Dangerfield Lane. This resulted in the building of Moxley Road, which allowed through traffic from Bilston and Wolverhampton.

Darlaston Road was built under the terms of a Turnpike Act of 1787. It allowed quick and easy travel to the High Bullen in Wednesbury, and from there to West Bromwich and Birmingham via Thomas Telford’s Holyhead Road. The route to Walsall was greatly improved in 1831 with the building of Bradford Street.

The opening of the Walsall Canal in 1809 allowed heavy goods to be easily transported from many parts of the country, and from many parts of the world due to the sea ports that were linked to the canals.

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On the 4th July, 1837 Darlaston’s links with the outside world greatly improved thanks to the opening of James Bridge Station on the Grand Junction Railway, which ran from Birmingham to Liverpool and Manchester. The following year saw the opening of the London and Birmingham Railway, and in 1863 the South Staffordshire Railway Company opened the Darlaston Branch that ran from James Bridge to Wednesbury, via Darlaston town centre, with a station in the cutting between Walsall Road, and Darlaston Road.

In the middle of the 19th century, shops were evolving to accommodate the wide range of products that were newly available. People’s expectations were changing. The railways and canals allowed industry to rapidly grow in the area. The population increased as people moved here to work in the factories, and more, and larger shops appeared. By the early years of the 19th century there were small workshops and shops in Church Street, Pinfold Street, and Cock Street.

People became more mobile in 1883 after the formation of the South Staffordshire & Birmingham Area Steam Tramway Company, which had a depot in Corns Street, off Birmingham Street. Cheap, convenient, and reliable travel to Wednesbury and Walsall was available for the first time. Ten years later the South Staffordshire Tramways Company Limited was formed to operate electric trams on around 23 miles of track which linked Darlaston, Wednesbury, West Bromwich, Handsworth, Great Bridge, Dudley Port, Dudley, Walsall, and Bloxwich. In the first year about 4,000,000 passengers were carried.

The trams, in their oak brown and cream livery were a familiar sight around the Bull Stake. Old photographs of the Bull Stake show large numbers of people either queuing to get on a tram, or alighting from a tram. This must have had an enormous impact on the shops in Darlaston, and greatly increased the passing trade. The shops were also helped by Darlaston’s market, which was established in Church Street in 1896. It occupied both sides of the street between Bilston Street and New Street. After 35 years it moved to New Street, and later to King Street, where it survived until the beginning of 2011.

Some shopkeepers became household names, none more so than Bob Smith, who founded one of the great institutions in Darlaston and was known and liked by all. His home and shop was in Favourite House, built in 1904 on the corner of Church Street and Bilston Street. It lived up to its name as one of Darlaston’s favourite

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shops, and included a showroom, a workshop, a warehouse, a hairdressing salon, a photographic studio, and a garage for his charabancs. He had a roof garden where he grew fruit, including strawberries and apples, and sold a wide range of items including toys, fancy goods, jewellery, hardware, and furniture. He also carried out clock and watch repairs, and ran a dolls hospital where he repaired children’s dolls.

He started an early form of interest free credit with his all-year round club which had over 2,000 members. Each of them paid a subscription of one or two pence a week, which mounted-up to pay for anything in the shop. Bob had two horse-drawn delivery vans, and two motor coaches, which were used for his ‘Favourite Motor Trip Club’. He ran day trips to such places as Bridgnorth and Bewdley, and also formed the ‘Pictureman’s Scout Troupe’, and ran the ‘Meccano and Hornby Train Club’. At Christmas he stood outside the shop dressed as Father Christmas selling penny dips.

Sadly his wife Sarah died in 1936, but luckily three of his sons and two of his daughters helped to run the business.

Bob, who was a councillor for many years representing the Green Ward, greatly enjoyed a game of cards or billiards at the nearby Conservative Club. In later years he was helped in the shop by his daughter May, and housekeeper Eliza Fellows. When Eliza died in 1955 he decided to retire. He was 85 years old. Unfortunately his retirement was short-lived. He died in 1956 and is buried at James Bridge Cemetery.

Another well known shopkeeper was William Walker Stanbury, who in the early 1900s purchased Poplar House at 31 King Street, one of the last remaining town houses there. He added a single story extension on the front, and opened his well known, and fondly remembered drapers, milliners, and gents outfitters shop. Mr. Stanbury became a prominent member of Darlaston Urban District Council and served on a number of council committees. He was also Chairman of Darlaston Tradesmen’s Association. His shop closed in the late 1960s, and was demolished in 1973 as part of the redevelopment that included the building of the first ASDA store.

One of the most successful of Darlaston’s shopkeepers in the 19th century was William Winn, who was born at Mere Green, Sutton Coldfield in 1838. After

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serving an apprenticeship at Mr. Overton’s grocers shop in Walsall, he opened a shop in Church Street, and another below where he lived in Pinfold Street, next to the Black Horse pub. William sold grocery, provisions, wines and spirits, was a pawnbroker, and became a member of the Local Board and the first Urban District Council in 1895.

He married Jane, and eventually moved to one of Darlastons most impressive Victorian houses, “Ilmington” in Crescent Road. The house was named after Jane’s birthplace, Ilmington in Warwickshire. They had three children, one son and two daughters.

William’s shop at 21 Pinfold Street was the first building in Darlaston to be lit by electricity. He purchased a dynamo and capitalised on it by advertising when the lights would be in operation. People came from all around the Black Country to view the spectacle, and he always had many bargains on hand to sell to visitors. The choir stalls and clergy desks at All Saints’ Church, Moxley were gifts from William, as were the trees that line Crescent Road. He married three times, and had three sons and two daughters. The sons were Martin, James Percy, and Harold. The youngest daughter was Mildred, the other was Jessica. Martin’s name is remembered because of the family’s other business, W. Martin Winn Limited, producers of nuts, bolts, studs, and bright drawn steel bars, at Station Works in Heath Road.

Darlaston’s shops were successful for many years. The last private house in King Street was occupied by Miss Bayley, who retired in the 1950s. Her family ran their well known pork butchers shop, next door to the house. The longest serving family of shopkeepers in the town was Jowetts, who sold fruit, fish and poultry, and later took over Adey’s the butchers. They opened their business in 1910, but prior to that their grandfather William Freeth had two pawnbrokers, jewellers, and shoe shops. One in Bilston Street, and another in High Street.

In the early 1970s Darlaston town centre changed beyond recognition with the building of St. Lawrence Way, the original ASDA store, and the new library. Many of the old shops were demolished, and the character of the town centre was transformed forever. People’s shopping habits were changing, most favouring the modern supermarkets.

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Looking up King Street from the Bull Stake

For years to come people will fondly remember the old shops such as Boynton’s the butchers; Underwood’s shoe shop; Burton’s the tailors; Howard Brothers for radios, televisions, and records; Bedworth’s greengrocers; Kingston’s the butchers; and Middleton’s for toys and records. Luckily the shops can be seen on many old photographs, and so will be viewed by younger and future generations, ensuring that they will never be forgotten.

Bev. Parker

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Middleton’s Toy Shop, The Bull Stake

J.T. Underwood’s Shoe Shop, King Street

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L. Porter & Son Ltd, Furniture, Carpets, Kitchen Furniture, Beds.Next door Woods T. V. & Radio Shop

John Adey Butchers, F. Lewis, Corn, Seed and Bulb Merchant,Boynton & Sons and J. & K. Butchers

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High Street

Perks’ Shop, King Street, prior to decimalisationThe currency change-over took place on 15th February, 1971

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King StreetDewhurst the Butchers, Phillips the Chemist,

Hollingsworth the Butcher, Firkins Cake Shop.

High Street

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Shops on The Leys

Church StreetWood’s Radios, S. Middleton, Vivo Self Service,

George Bennett Gents Hairdressers, Mary Jane Hairdressers

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Poole’s Wet Fish Shop, Lealan’s Grocers

Maud Croft’s Greengrocers, Myatts Cycle Shop.To the right once a family home became Floss Wallis’s Shop after hers was

demolished on the corner of Beard Street and The Green

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Parker’s Shop, Corner of Bell Street, Blockall

Stokes Butchers and Myatt’s Do-It-Yourself ShopMyatts replaced a small courtyard of four houses, Kath Small and

Pat Lynch lived in the houses in the small courtyard

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SHOPS IN THE GREEN

Many years ago, people unable to work, either through disabilities or maybe having had large families to support, turned their front rooms into small shops selling all manner of goods from cigarettes, sweets, pop, groceries and even down to mundane medical cures like liver pills, Aspros, bandages, plaster strips and cough mixtures.

People like the Dangerfields who were situated by the Boat Pub, Butlers opposite Garringtons, Spinks opposite Charles Richards, Joe Perry in Heath Road who only had one arm, Jenny Deans Hairdressers, Pages Barber Shop, Dowens in Aldridge Street, Masons Cigarette Shop that stood by the Why Not, Audrey Arnolds Hairdressers and Carpet Marys that stood on the corner of Horton Street, Mr. Jones the Shoe Repairer on the corner of Little Horton Street that was once a public house known as The Round Counter, Davis’s on The Green, Woods and Bayleys in Perry Street, Dummelows and Mr. Perrys the Glaziers in Booth Street. Seventeen in all trading from their small front rooms and all living in a much smaller room in the back. Often, these rooms would be divided by just a chenille curtain. Some of you reading this may know of others. You see the beauty of these small shops was that even when closed in the late evening you always had the opportunity to go round the back for anything you were desperate for as they would always accommodate you.

There were also many purpose built shops like John Emerys, Maud Crofts and Lealans who were all Greengrocers. Chambers, Winkles, Stokes were all Butchers Shops. Grocers like Floss Wallis, Hoggins, Lizzy Prices and Mrs. Smalls all situated on the Green. Cox’s in Horton Street, Mapleys on the corner of Richards Street, Jones’s that doubled as a Post Office, Sullivan’s Paper Shop, Beeches Confectioners, Owens Bloomers and the rear of Floss Wallis’s were all Bakers. Fresh bread and cakes would always be available, especially if you could afford them.

On The Green was Moores Chemist, Adey Small’s Haberdashery, Fishers The Hairdressers, Pooles Wet Fish Shop, Myatts DIY, Pages Electrical, Myatts Cycle Shop, Eatons Fancy Goods, Taylors and Rickuss’s Coal yards and two other Barber Shops, one in Booth Street and one on The Green, which names escape me, maybe someone out there may remember them.

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Mapley’s Corner Shop

Last but by no means least, Clancy’s Fish and Chip Shop which later became Hallorans. How could we forget them?

Just in the space of six hundred yards stood forty-eight shops, some survived up to the 1960s until the bulldozers moved in. I feel very privileged to have seventy-four years in The Green and have some wonderful memories of the shops and their owners.

Betty Dixon (née Horne)

The opening to the left was known as Fresh Herring Terrace where the Yorks, Moseleys, Biddlestones and Corns families lived. To the left of that farther down was Joe Perry’s shop that was once his living room and made into a small General Store.

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SHOPS IN THE GREEN

Shops on the right-hand side facing Blockall:

Dangerfields, by The Boat – GrocersButlers, Willenhall Road – GrocersSpinks, Bentley Road South – GrocersJones, The Green – Post Office and GrocersWoods, Perry Street – GrocersBayleys, Perry Street – GrocersSullivans, The Green – Paper shop and GrocersDummelows, Booth Street – GrocersBloomers, Booth Street – BakeryMr. Perrys, Booth Street – Glaziers Booth Street – Barbers ShopJohn Emerys, corner of Booth Street and The Green – Fruit and VegOwens, The Green – BakeryFloss Wallis, corner of Beard Street and The Green – Grocer and Seed Shop Bakery at the rearClanseys, The Green – Fish and Chip ShopEatons, The Green – Fancy goods, toys and Hardware StoreDavies, The Green – GrocersMyatts, The Green – Cycle ShopMaud Croft, The Green – Fruit and Veg.Mr. Jones, corner of Little Horton Street and The Green – Shoe RepairersLouise and Percy Cox, Horton Street – GrocersMarys, Horton Street – CarpetsChambers, The Green – ButchersMyatts, The Green – D.I.Y.Stokes, The Green – Butchers The Green – BarbersPooles, The Green – Wet Fish ShopLealans, The Green – GreengrocersMoores, The Green – Chemist Store RoomMoores, The Green – ChemistFishers, The Green – HairdressersAdey Smalls, The Green – Clothing and Wool ShopTaylors, The Green – Coal YardMrs. Smalls, The Green – Grocers

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Sullivan’s Shop, first kept by Jenny Sullivan and later on by her husbandLen Sullivan. The shop was at the top of Booth Street

Shops from Heath Road to Blockall:

Joe Perry, Heath Road – GrocersMapleys, corner of Richard Street and The Green – GrocersJenny Deans, The Green – HairdressersFred Winkle, The Green – ButchersBraches, the Green – Sweets and Ice-creamRickhuss’s, The Green – Coal YardPages Electric, Aldridge Street – Electrical GoodsDowens, Aldridge Street – GrocersPages, The Green – BarbersMrs. Hoggins, corner of George Street and The Green – GrocersMasons, The Green – TobacconistAudrey Arnold, The Green – HairdressersLizzie Price, corner of Foster Street and The Green – Grocers

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The Maypole, King Street

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James Bass’s Furniture Shop Walsall Road and next to it was the joinery works where they made some of the furniture that was sold in their shop

John McCartney’s Jewellery Shop, Ear Piercing and Watch Repairers King Street

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Mrs. Emma Mark with her son Bill outside their shop in Edward Streetoff the Walsall Road. Bill made his own ice-cream on the premises

during the summer. He also opened the shop in the late eveningto sell ham sandwiches to those on their way home from

the pub. Bill eventually went to Canada to live.

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Darlaston, early 1930s.Mr. & Mrs. Annis with daughter Hilda outside their corner shop

corner of Bell Street off to left top of Foster Street.Sold cigarettes, sweets etc.

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A Newsagents Shop on the corner of Cramp Hill and Bilston Street.This photograph probably dates from the time of the First World War,

1914-1918. The bulletin board’s headline states “The War”. A very popular shop by the look of the stone steps.

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W.H. Farquhar Shop in Pinfold Street

H.B. Marston, King Street.This shop was formerly Stevenson’s

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T.F. Simkin, Boot & Shoe Maker and Repairer22 King Street

Mr. Marston and Staff outside the shop in Church Street

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Hall’s Drapery, Catherine’s Cross, next door to Carless’sSweet and Tobacconist Shop

Topper’s Café and Sweet Shop in Pinfold Street, next door toAston Studios, later becoming Len Bayley Studios

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Looking down Blockall, Parker’s shop to the right, farther down The Olympia Cinema and The Dog and Pheasant

J. Bayley & Son, 45a King Street, Darlaston early 1900sA family run business for many years.

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Wallis’s Sweet Shop, 89 Pinfold Street

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Horse brasses made and sold at W. Woodhouse & Sons

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MIDDLETON’S FISH SHOP

L. & S. Middleton’s, Church Street, Darlaston, was established in 1959.

The original shop incorporated a fresh/wet fish shop, at the front of the chip shop. At that time fish purchased in the front of the shop could be cooked at the rear on request. The original building boasted a feature doorway which consisted of a large mirror with fishes swimming on it. When the shop was refurbished and the shop front replaced, the mirror was removed into the shop and can still be found on the wall today.

Over the last 20 years there have been many changes, Middleton’s expanded to incorporate its own wholesale catering cash and carry and later the restaurant into the rear of the shop.

During the early years, Darlaston was a thriving industrial area with a busy shopping centre. Trade was booming and Middletons had to employ staff just to cope with the demand of “works orders” and not just at lunch time, many firms worked shifts and overtime etc. The business expanded still further and shops were brought throughout the Black Country and “Middletons” became a household name.

As time went by and firms felt the recession in the 1970s one by one they disappeared, which had a large impact on Darlaston as a whole. Then when Asda moved into town Darlaston began to wither, small businesses fell under pressure from Asda and local unemployment. Middleton’s rose above this, mainly because one thing is true, people have to eat.

Middleton’s again expanded, moving its “Cash and Carry” to larger premises in Willenhall. The building which had housed the original “Cash and Carry” was gutted, refurbished and today is known as “Sprintz Health Club” which can be found at the rear of Middletons.

Since it was established Middleton’s have tried to keep up with modern tastes and trends by introducing new lines such as curries, spring rolls, the kebab machine selling kebab meat in several different versions from doners to burgers.

They have a choice of services, “eat in”, “take away”, suppers and delivery for special occasions, from special offers in the restaurant to children’s meals served in boxes.

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The future of Darlaston is unsure with Asda closed and small businesses struggling to make a living, but one thing we know, Middleton’s is one of the few businesses that have survived. It’s a name everyone can identify with, as one of the oldest businesses left to tell the tale.

Eileen Wood

CHIPS

My early recollections of the old Fish and Chip Shops was in the 1920s when we had very little money and fish and chips could be bought for 1.1/2 pence.

We would gather outside the shop when we were young waiting for the batter bits, free of charge. I could not imagine that happening today. In those days the fish and chip shop was a one woman business, the man usually worked. Later they were run by couples. The hours were long but they made a good living Mrs. Finch was our local fish and chip shop owner.

Mrs. Marsden kept The Hut, Charles Foster Street opposite Marsden Avenue. Youngs corner of Heathfield Lane, Labons Heathfield Lane, The Hut in Park Street, Crofts on the Leys, Mrs. Partridge Pinfold Street opposite the Regal Cinema, Arnolds Pinfold Street. Fishers Woods Bank between the gulley and The Three Fishes on the opposite side of the road, Hodsons Moxley, Smiths Walsall Road, Brays Church Street, now Middletons, Billy Wade Heathfield Lane, Jim Bradshaw Bell Street, Wolverhampton Street, and Rough Hay Road and finally Rutters Walsall Road opposite F. H. Lloyds.

Billy Winfindale

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Page’s Electrics Shop, Church Street

G.L. Bedworth & Sons Ltd., King Street

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Danny Grossman’s shop on the corner of King Street and High Street

The Wagon & Horses Pub and Pate’s Greengrocers, King Street

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Littlewood’s Stores, King Street

Burton’s Tailors, King Street

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Kingston the Butchers, King Street

Boots the Chemist and M & F Bliss Hardware Shop

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Allen’s Butchers, kept by Jack and Edith Allen, corner of King Edward Street and Pinfold Street, later becoming Pitcher’s Fishing Tackle Shop

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Hunt’s Fish and Chip Shop, Bell Street

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Mrs. Carless standing outside her shop on Catherine’s Cross

Mrs. Carless with a large selection of sweets

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WORKING IN SKETCHLEY

I used to live in Wednesfield and travelled to Sketchley to work by bus. Sketchley’s were very generous and paid for our bus fare when relieving other staff. I relieved at a small receiver shop in Darlaston at the Bull Stake and worked predominately at Wednesfield. We received clothes for cleaning and had to check the clothes before packing and sending to the factories for cleaning. I started working in Sketchley’s in 1975 and worked there for 17 years. We opened at 9am and closed at 5pm.

A receiver shop would gain clothes for cleaning from customers and we had to check the clothes before labelling them and sending to the factory in Leicestershire in bags for cleaning. Another factory shop later opened in Wednesbury. We kept clothes for 6 months if customers didn’t collect them. After 6 months a letter was sent to the customer. After a further 3 months we would send the clothes to head office and they were given to charity.

I remember checking through the clothes one day of a business man who dropped his suit off for cleaning. I collected his suit and gave him a ticket which he must show on collection. When checking his suit for damage / stains and any forgotten objects in the pockets I had a bit of a shock and discovered black suspenders!!! Due to company policy I had to give the clothes and anything that came with them back to the customer when they came to collect. Unfortunately for the business man it was his wife with the ticket who came to collect his suit! I remember the look on her face when she opened the bag and I can’t fathom repeating what she said! Unsurprisingly I never saw that customer again.

Another story I remember is of a male customer who arrived at our shop asking for clothes to be cleaned. Once he had been given his ticket and left I searched his clothes and found a beautiful gold sovereign ring in his pocket! The ring must have been worth a fortune! I decided to do the right thing and rang the gentleman up to collect his valuable object. I was visited by Head Office in my shop in Wednesfield and was given a £15 Sketchley’s honesty bonus. That was a lot of money in the 80s. Later I saw the mystery customer at a shop in Wolverhampton Lichfield Street, turns out the mysterious gentleman was a secret customer from head office! They were so delighted with my work and honesty they gave me that reward. I found many other unusual things in the pockets and lining of clothing including cannabis. We were also often checked by a security firm who would

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check the books and try to catch out employees! We didn’t know about the individuals until after they visited.

Sketchley’s was actually named after the location of the first shop, Sketchley’s in Leicestershire, not based on a person’s name like most other businesses. We used to also dye clothes but we had problems with shrinkage. You could smell the chemicals used on the clothes, mainly perchloroethylene. We did change to a chemical with no smell however this was dangerous as we couldn’t smell a leak. We used an electronic indicator to check for leaks and a light would go blue if there was a leak. Many chemicals were kept in safe places due to their danger so people couldn’t acquire them.

Sketchley’s has a couple of cleaning factories but would often purchase small shops to receive clothes. The shop eventually expanded to work in catering/vending machines. This business side failed but the cleaning side still made profit.

When I started at Sketchley’s you felt like a member of the family, a valued individual but later after changes in management later years were poor, you would often be threatened with shorter hours if you didn’t take the longer hours they demanded off you. We were often busy especially before Christmas.

My final story is one I remember fondly. I remember being visited monthly by a local homeless man, a short kind man, who would often bring his clothes to ours for cleaning. I would always serve him. Once we collected his clothes for cleaning and put them in a black bag with his label. When they were due to be collected I couldn’t find the clean clothes anywhere and contacted the factory to see if they had been cleaned. They hadn’t, they had accidentally been collected by the bin men and lost forever! When the homeless man came to collect his belongings I had to ask him to come back in a week while I sorted out the mess. (We pretended the cleaning was taking longer than usual). I contacted head office and asked if any staff members could spare clothes which they did. I remember when he collected his clothes many of them were too big for him! He believed they were still his and had stretched in the wash. Luckily though he loved the clothes saying we did a fantastic job and they seemed new and of a better quality! He even had to turn the arms up on his coat it was so long on him!

Eileen Brimble

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J.B. Jones, King Street

The Bull Stake

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Appleyard’s, King Street

Boynton’s Butchers, Pinfold Street

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Phillips Chemist, Hollingsworths Butchers and Firkins Cake Shop

Middleton’s Toy Shop and Sketchley Dry Cleaners

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Salisbury’s Sweet Shop, next door Salisbury’s Fashions and Drapery Shopand Crowther’s Cobblers

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Mitchell’s Radio, Cycles and Pram Shops

The Red Lion Pub, Adey’s Butchers and Fortnam Davies Florists, Church Street

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Boynton & Sons, The Bull Stake

Mitchells Number One Shop, 9 Pinfold Street, Boynton’s Butchers Next Door

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Eaton’s Butchers and Fosbrook’s Fashion Shop, Blockall

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SHOPPING IN KING STREET

King Street, from its junction with Pinfold Street to the start of Church Street was a street bustling with people, up until the slow decline of the factories which began in approximately the late 70s until their final closures in the early 80s. It was the main shopping street in the town, overflowing into Church Street at one end and Pinfold Street at the other.

There were four butchers shops and a cooked meat shop, two greengrocers, a shop which sold ‘modern’ tiled fire-grates, replacing the black-leaded grates in the many terraced houses which still abounded in Darlaston until the late 1950s, into the early 1960s, which later became George’s flower shop and is now the card shop – opposite Lloyds Bank, two shoe shops, a haberdashery shop, three chemists, an MEB - Midland Electricity Board (the Gas Board shop was in High Street - also known as Cock Street) where your bills could be paid and any problems reported. We had a Sketchley Dry Cleaners, Robbins Opticians, two cake shops, two wet fish shops, a newsagents, a furniture shop, a lady’s dress shop, two men’s outfitters and a baby wear shop, not forgetting two ironmongers in the days before the description DIY was coined and all of these businesses made a living and had their own share of regular customers.

To cater for the leisure side of life there were three pubs in the Street. The White Lion in the fold (at the junction with Church Street), The Dog and Partridge in the middle of the street and The Wagon and Horses, close to the junction with Pinfold Street.

During the Second World War, when food rationing began and up the end of rationing in the early to mid. 1950s, each family had to register with the food shops of their choice and could only spend their coupons at those chosen establishments. Taking into account the matter of rationing carrying on for some years after the end of hostilities, this meant that the housewives of the time got used to using ‘their’ shops and so it was guaranteed that, give or take the odd few, the customers stayed loyal to shopping there and the routine carried on after the end of rationing, thereby ensuring that none of these shops went out of business until the advent of the first ‘serve yourself’ shops began to appear in about 1958/1959. I’m sure many older people reading this will remember Danny Grossman opening the first of these ‘new’ shops on the corner of High Street and King Street.

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When Bedworths took over the shop in King Street, which had been Peacocks and then Littlewoods in previous years, they brought all their commodities under one roof and it was a pleasure to see the carefully presented display of apples, oranges, pears etc., piled up alongside each other on the counter, on the right-hand side of the shop with the fishmonger’s slab on the left as you entered the store. This was before it was allowed for the customer to serve themselves and the assistant would be standing behind the displays and so would proceed to put the requested amount of fruit into a brown paper bag, ready to give to the customer when the money was handed over - but - if you were canny enough, you would insist that they filled the bag with fruit from the display, not from the back – otherwise you would find when you got home and began to fill the fruit bowl, you had been served with a couple of, say, perfect apples but the rest would be bruised! Bruised fruit, broken biscuits or dented tins were sold off cheaply as a general rule.

My mother was registered with Perks for her general grocery, which included biscuits. These were not pre-packed then, this was for many years in the future, but were displayed in boxes, in a row and placed at an angle in front of the counter so that you could be given a paper bag and fill your own with your own choice of whole biscuits or buy a ready-filled bag of broken biscuits which were about half the price. If your mother had chosen to buy a bag of broken biscuits, oh! the joy if you found a piece of a chocolate biscuit amongst them!

Going back to general shopping and the chosen butcher’s shop now many is the time when a neighbour would come back from shopping and knock on the door to tell my mother that the shop had had a delivery of ‘nice’ meat and my mother would grab her hat and coat and make a dash ‘up the town’ to join the queue, only to be told when it was her turn to be served, “sorry, that was the last for today”. Another thing that happened was that the best cuts would be put ‘under the counter’ for the ‘we’s’, favourite customers, usually someone who could ‘pull a few strings in high places’ for the shop owner in some way or another and so the daily life in King Street went on.

Although it was only a narrow street, it was two-way traffic during these years but hardly anyone owned a car and the only traffic to worry about was the odd car or delivery van, sometimes on the odd occasion, a horse and cart, parked in the road, or the bicycles balanced on their pedals against the curb of the footpath.

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The owners would go off to do their shopping and the bikes would still be there when they came back.

All this, of course, is a far cry from today when the supermarkets such as ASDA are overflowing with food choices of all description. The branch of this huge store now stands on the very spot where most of the shops I have mentioned once stood.

Pauline Poole

Hobson’s Ironmongery StoresThe Bull Stake

OLD SHOPS OF THE TOWN

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MacMillan’s Drapers

George Mason’s Butchers

Garratt’s Shop, Pinfold Street

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SHOPS ON BLOCKALL

Even though Blockall only covered a small area which stood between The Green and Church Street we didn’t want for anything as far as shops were concerned. Born on Blockall in 1943 at number 53, just a little way up from the Olympia cinema living there together with my parents, Brothers Ken, Vincent and sister Gwen lived in a small terraced house which stood between Raynes Grocers and Nellie Rileys the Greengrocers. We had numerous shops in our little community, a garage, too cafés, Kellys and Pims, an Ice Cream Parlour and two Grocers one of which my mother was registered with as at that time during the war everyone had to be registered to a shop of their own liking so mother chose the one that stood across the road from where we lived which was the Co-Op. I always wondered why she never chose Raynes as it only stood next door. We also had a butchers where my Aunt Lizzie worked this was Eatons that stood a little higher up from Fosbrooks, a ladies and gents outfitters. Unfortunately, all my mother could ever do was like many other people in the area was to look on the window, as this was a very exclusive shop that only sold very expensive clothes. We had a sweet shop that was next to the Olympia cinema called Turners, Gills the shoe repairers, also Rayboulds Fish and Chip Shop, two Newsagents, Coopers that was next door to Fosbrooks and Parkers on the corner of Bell Street which also sold toys. I remember as a child of about seven or eight being sent to Parkers for my father’s cigarettes (Woodbines) these were what most of the people smoked in those days. I think they must have been the cheapest. Then children were able to go to the shops and buy cigarettes, imagine that in today’s day and age. There was also an Herbalists called Hedges on the corner of Little Cross Street and just below stood The Dog and Partridge known locally as The Wrexham, this was where my father on many evenings played the piano accompanied by the licensee’s daughter Shirley who would sing for the customers, and when he wasn’t playing there he would be entertaining in the Frying Pan. Whether or not he did this to help with the finances or just enjoyed doing it I’m not quite sure. I remember well living next door at number 53 next to Auntie Nellies, as we affectionately called her, who on birthdays and Christmas would give us a bag of fruit. I never quite knew whether it was fruit she couldn’t sell or whether it was fresh but we still enjoyed it. Like many other families of that era we weren’t particularly well off but mom and dad managed to get by and would always manage to find a three-penny bit (1.1/2p in today’s money) for our weekly treat to the Lymp for

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the Saturday afternoon showing. That was one of the few luxuries that mom and dad were able to afford having four of us kids.

At the age of five I started school at The Old Parish Church in School Street and later at the age of eleven attended Salisbury Secondary Modern where I made a whole lot of new friends. (What an experience that was). As time went by we moved to Yardley Street and later moved on to Berry Avenue. After demolishing the houses that we had lived in on Blockall and Bell Street, Flats were built at the back of Bell Street and that was where mother moved back to when father passed away. This was where she felt happiest as though she was back home. For a period of time I lived in Bowling Green Close in The Green. Today I live in a bungalow which stands on the site of the old Co-Operative Store. I feel I have travelled a full circle, and like mother, am back where I belong. (A TRUE DARLASTONIAN).

Maureen Clements (née Woodcock)

EASTERN STYLES

After becoming redundant from my job at Fastpack Ltd (previously part of Armstrong Atlas Darlaston) in year 2000 I decided it was time to fulfil my dream of running my own business. This was a very courageous step for me and was completely out of my comfort zone. But I was 40 years old and thought if I don’t do it now I never will…!! The phrase ‘Life begins at forty’ came to mind, this was a new start and a new beginning for me. I have always had an interest in fashion so, with the knowledge gained at a Small Business start-up course and with a loan of £1000 from Business Link Walsall I set up in business as ‘Eastern Styles’ located at 8b Pinfold Street Darlaston on 4th September, 2002. This shop was previously known as Swinton Insurance and next door on the left was World Wallet Travels at that time.

I rented the property, the room downstairs was the retail shop and later on the room upstairs became my workshop. Initially, my intention was to retail fabrics and later to import ready-made Indian styles. But business was very slow at the beginning and for someone who was used to keeping active I was looking for something extra to do. One day not long after, a customer bought some fabric and then asked if I knew anyone who would sew it for her. It was a simple style

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she wanted so I said that I would do it for her, not mentioning that I hadn’t sewn for nearly 10 years….!!

I had no intention of sewing garments when I first set up in business, mainly because I didn’t feel comfortable in charging people money for something I had always done for myself, family and friends. I was going to design and then have my designs imported ready-made from India. Besides once I had started working full-time and with 2 children to bring up, my sewing had been put to one side. But, since my teens I had always loved to sew, especially when it came to making my own styles. I remember when I was still at school my father asked me what I wanted to do as a future career and I said ‘fashion design’ and his reply was ‘What’s that?’. I think if I had said Doctor or lawyer he would have been extremely proud and given me every encouragement. But, he didn’t understand and in those days we never thought to go against our parents decisions.

Consequently, the customer was very happy with the results and she recommended me to others, from that moment on my confidence began to grow and grow within my work. I got my industrial sewing machine which had been in storage at my mother’s house and my Singer machine brought to the shop. I started taking orders producing ladies suits, majority of my customers were Indian and Pakistan ladies, but I also catered for women from other communities, providing an individual customer based service. In fact, this side of the business grew so much to the point that the production was higher than the retail side of the shop…!! The dressmaking was based at the back of the shop with a partition to separate the retail merchandise side. Once business started to grow I moved the dressmaking to the room upstairs of the property, this became my workshop. The partition was removed to increase the shop floor space.

At that time I didn’t have a laptop or computer at the shop, but the library (my favourite place in Darlaston before the Asda), was ideally located across the road from my shop. So every now and again I would pop over to the library to use their computers to check and send emails, keeping an eye on the shop for customers at the same time. Not only was this convenient for me but it also gave me a break and a reason to clear my head from the production side of my business to the familiarity of the library and its staff.

I was enjoying this stage in my life and I remembered thinking I would love to carry on with my business for as long as I possibly could. I loved what I was

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doing, no two days were the same, and I was taking on new challenges all the time in a positive way. A huge benefit was that I was my own boss and not answerable to anyone. I was meeting new people all the time and I had built up some good relationships with customers.

But, I was on my own trying to do everything myself. Staff came and went, good staff tended not to stay long, some were unreliable which made my job even harder to the point where I still ended up doing everything myself. I found that with third parties involved in the stitching side of the garments the quality started to drop to the point where the customer started to complain. ‘Hard to find good staff’ was so true in my case.

Unfortunately, I made a bad decision in choosing a supplier for ready-made suits from India whom I had set high hopes on; but who let me down and because of this I was limited in re-stocking my shop. I began to fall behind on the rent and the landlord started making noises of increasing the rent because he said I was using two rooms and not the one he had agreed on. Life was becoming very stressful, trying to juggle business with family life became really difficult because after all I still had two teenage children who also needed my attention and a husband who worked all the hours he could in his job.

In September 2005, after 3 years, I ceased trading as ‘Eastern Styles’ at 8b Pinfold Street, Darlaston. The positiveness to come out of this is that my confidences in my sewing skills have increased over the years; after all I am self-taught in this area. I carried on with my dressmaking working from home, today I still have clients gained at the shop who have remained loyal to me for over 10 years.

Talli Bungar (Shakuntala Devi Bungar)

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BAKERS OF DARLASTON SERVING THE INDUSTRIAL MIDLANDS

The firm of J. W. Baker and Co. Ltd., was founded in 1863 by Mr. John Willis Baker under the rather ponderous title of “Ironmonger and Dealer in Factory Stores and Mineral Oils”.

As a retail shop it was ideally situated, as the front of the premises was adjacent to the local tram terminus. Bakers also in those days manufactured riddles in work-shops in Victoria Road, Darlaston, and these were delivered to the various works by horse and cart.

One horse in particular became very well known locally, as when it heard the Willenhall to Bull Stake, Darlaston tram approaching, it automatically moved to the opposite side of the road to allow it to pass. One day there was a long ladder on the cart and in performing this manoeuvre the inevitable happened and Bakers were faced with replacing a plate glass window.

In 1898 the firm became a private Limited Company, with Mr. Baker and a Mr. Richard Bradshaw as Directors. In 1921, Mr. Baker’s interests were taken over by Mr. Bradshaw and the business continued to expand. By the 1930s the transport was augmented by the purchase of a lorry and this time a former employee recalls that work started at 8.30 a.m. and continued sometimes until 9 o’clock at night with the exception of early closing day.

After the war, in 1947, the business was acquired by Rogers and Jackson Ltd., and many improvements were made. The ground adjoining the rear of the premises was purchased and was used for accommodating stocks of sanitary ware and earthenware.

As the industrial areas immediately around the town expanded, most of the building land near to the town centre was being acquired by the large firms, and, consequently, as the houses were being demolished, people were being re-housed on the edge of the area. This meant that the town was not the big attraction as before, and in 1962 in view of the decreasing retail potential it was decided to concentrate on the merchanting side of the business.

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The area occupied by domestic appliances was fitted out with fixtures to carry stocks for the engineering and building industries, and the transport fleet was augmented to ensure a good delivery service.

Plans are now going ahead to re-develop the whole of the town centre of Darlaston and Bakers will be moving to a new site, more suitable for their merchanting business.

David Owen

J.W. Baker’s ironmongery store at Darlaston at the time of trams and cobbled

streets. The much enlarged premises of today are to be replaced by a new site

development.

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Bob Smith’s shop “Favourite House”

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SHOPS IN AND AROUND THE TOWN

Jowett’s Fruiterers and Fishmongers in the Coleman Centre

Clemmy’s Shop, King Street Avril Bolt, Keith and Anita Middleton, Gloria Saunders and Ann Peak

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Sheila, Pauline and Keith, Richards Shop, King Street

Richards, King Street

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Mick Lane

Mick’s Newsagent, King Street

Jill Gilbert Kerry Gilbert

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Jennie’s Florists, King Street

Darlaston Pets, King Street

Sun Shack (sunbeds, aqua massage & spray tan), King Street

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Pricewise Bargains, King Street

St. Giles Charity Shop, King Street

Nic’s Bargain Flowers & Hire Service, King Street

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Firkins Bakery Shop, King Street

Firkins Staff

Robert Cooper and Jenny, Cooper’s Mobile Shop outside Asda

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Sue and John Humpage Card & Gift Shop

Nicky Jones, sales assistant

Frank Timmins, Quicksnacks Sandwich Bar

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Talli, Best Choice, King Street Barry, Card Shop, King Street

Jean Flavell, Jean’s Cosmetics Teli, Clock and Watch Repairers

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Cooper’s Butchers Shop on the Walsall Road DarlastonPeter Lowe, Rob Edwards, Robert Cooper and Stan Cooper

Producing Home-made Black Country Recipes. Established 1984

Myatt’s Shop, Church Street

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SHOPPING IN THE TOWN

Our weekly grocery shopping trips were always on Saturday mornings without fail and we always said ‘going to Town’. We lived on School Street so we were only about 5 minutes’ walk from Darlaston Town Centre.

As children we used to take it in turns going shopping with mum, usually two of us at a time to help with interpreting and carrying the shopping bags back. There would always be disagreements between us in whose turn it was to go because none of us liked going shopping. When it was my turn to go with her we always walked down the road past St. Lawrence Church where there would be a wedding taking place nearly every Saturday and if I was lucky we would see the bride. To me as a child, she was like a fairy princess dressed in a beautiful ball gown. There used to be confetti everywhere on the ground, the church bells would be ringing loudly. We would stand by the wall waiting for her to come out. Because mum was always in a hurry to get back home before our papa came home from work at 1 p.m., she would try to hurry me along and I would always say ‘just another minute, let me see the princess’, I didn’t know the meaning of a wedding. If I was lucky I would see her and sometimes I couldn’t drag the waiting time any longer and run to catch up with mum and my brother. Over the years as I grew up, the weddings at the church became less and less to the point that it became rare to see a wedding taking place there.

Our first stop would always be ‘Blisses’ on King Street for household items and toiletries, and then further along King Street, into ‘Clemmys’ for clothing. This shop was run by two sisters and a man I’m assuming their father (by us and people we knew this shop was always referred to as ‘the girls shop’). Mum bought most of our clothing from here and this is where I got my first pair of jeans from when I was 10 years old and I loved them. If anyone in the family or close friends had a baby, mum used to gift the baby seven or more items of clothing (traditionally always an odd number never an even number of baby clothes) and all of these items were purchased at ‘Clemmys’. It was such a small shop the queues used to be outside and sometimes across the other side of the road and they always seemed to stock everything we wanted. The merchandise used to be in labelled boxes stacked high and low. Across the road from Clemmys was ‘Parsons Newsagent’, which is where I bought my first copy of ‘Jackie’ the magazine for girls, then later on ‘Blue Jeans’ magazine and my first books.

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Also this is where my brother Kundan had his first job doing newspaper rounds, delivering newspapers on his bike.

Walking further along King Street was ‘Burtons’, where my father would get his suits ordered from, they were fitted and tailor made. A time limit was given to when it would be ready and mum would pick it up, but this would usually be during the week. Then into ‘Bedworths’ for potatoes and onions based at the bottom of the market, back up the left side would be biscuits and then the fruit stall, mum would usually get apples and oranges. Later on, when Bedworths closed down fruit and vegetables were bought at ‘Jowetts’. We would then go into the VG Convenience store for the rest of our groceries (later its where ‘Ethel Austin’ used to be; today its ‘Cooltrader/Heron’) or we would go across the road into ‘Newmans’ where my brother Hari discovered they did Green Shield Stamps which were saving stamps which were stuck into a book, Hari got mum to shop there more often to get the stamps and he collected the books and ordered one or two items for the home or they were exchanged for shopping vouchers. I don’t think mum fully understood the benefits of the stamps because when I went with her she would shop in VG, she said it was cheaper than the store across the road. We would go into ‘Jowetts’ for fruit and vegetables if she didn’t get any at ‘Bedworths’ and sometimes chicken. On special occasions when we needed more than usual, we would buy chicken from the butchers in Blockall. Other meat such as sausages and bacon was bought from butchers in the town. We would then walk back home, up High Street past the Salvation Army Hut and the Cemetery, carrying bags which became heavier and heavier as we went along this was a job in itself especially in the winter months…!!

Milk was delivered every day on our doorstep. Pop such as cola and lemonade was delivered at home with 1p back for returned bottles and our father had beer delivered at home by ‘Davenports – Beer at Home’ which was six bottles, one bottle a day as he didn’t drink alcohol on Sundays and we didn’t cook or eat meat on Sundays either.

When I made the transition from primary school to secondary school in 1973 my parents purchased my new school uniform from ‘Fosbrooks’ in Blockall. My father looked at the long list of items from the school and told my mother I was to have everything that was on there. So my father took us to ‘Fosbrooks’ to get me kitted out in this new uniform and left me and mum there once he’d spoken to the lady in the shop. She was so helpful, she measured me and made me try on

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the uniforms until she was happy it was the right fittings, she even made me try on the games kit, which I must admit I did like, the navy blue P.E skirt which was a combination of a skirt and shorts in one and I had the green badge which meant I was in the Tudor House for sports. I had a navy pinafore dress with a yellow sash, white shirts, a navy tie with yellow strips that my father showed me how to tie, shoes, a brown leather satchel which I loved and even hockey boots which I never wore because no one else in my class did. I remember seeing the bill which came to over £75 and it was paid in two instalments. Even as a child I remember feeling this was a large amount and for my parents to be spending this much on just me made me feel very special. Obviously at the time I didn’t realise the significance of this school transition to them.

Friday evenings was fish and chip night, but mostly chips bought from ‘Middleton’ chippy on Church Street, they were the best chips around. Anything electrical or to do with DIY was bought from ‘Pages Electrical’ shop on the corner of Bilston Street/Church Street. Our first video player was bought from ‘Richards Radio & T.V. Services’ shop in Blockall by ‘Fosbrooks’, before the shop moved to King Street in the town. The video came with a remote control which was attached to a cable plugged into the video player….!! In King Street there used to be a ‘John Menzies’ store on the corner before ‘Jowetts’. ‘Menzies’ sold stationery, books, magazines and confectionery but the shop didn’t stay long in Darlaston. Later on, ‘Parsons Newsagents’ had moved across the other side of King Street. If we ran short of anything during the week mum would send one of my brother’s to the small shop in Dorsett Road next to the gully or to the shop on Willenhall Street.

When Asda came to Darlaston in 1976/77 it was a dream come true, everything under one roof…!!! I can remember when mum and I went on the Open Day, the day before Asda officially opened for business, we walked around the store and wow it was amazing. No more being dragged from one shop to another. Mom could go and do her shopping on her own if she wanted. But we still used to go around the usual shops in Town before going into Asda for our main shopping. Although, now we were teenagers the boys always got out of going, so it was always me and mom who did the weekly shopping on Saturday mornings now and I think our shopping bags had increased; so between us, we still had loads to carry back home. Luckily, that wasn’t for long as my father bought my first car in 1980, a blue Ford Cortina, when I was 18 years old.

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Our father didn’t drive so being the eldest I was the first one to learn to drive and have my own car in the family.

Talli Bungar (Shakuntala Devi Bungar)

Diane’s Florists, Wolverhampton Street Darlaston Builders Merchants

Billy Winfindale’s Cycle Shop,Wolverhampton Street

Tubsy Local Convenience Store,Dangerfield Lane

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Fat Fanny’s Café Jean’s Antique Centre & Alterations

Shops in Pinfold Street

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June Worrall, Middleton’s Fish Shop Julie, May Broome Hairdressers

Jennie, Jennie’s FloristsTony, Darlaston Carpets

Flower Care, Grace King, Arlene Cotterill John Allen, Newsagents, Bull Stake

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Melvyn, Seed & Corn Shop Mindful Gifts CIC, King Street

Wendy’s Hair Salon, Church StreetRichard, Kingston the Butchers

Eileen Wood, Middleton’s Fish Shop Pat Adams, Taylor’s Cake Shop

Terry Ratcliffe, Wednesbury Road Joseph Cownley, Pinfold Street

John Cownley, Pinfold Street

Sol Perager, 212 Barbers Shop John Norman, The Green Barber

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BARBERS OF DARLASTON

Lucie Lowe outside Lowes the Butchers, 1920s The same spot 80 years later

Asda Car Park

Asda Superstore, 1995

now Quicksnacks Sandwich Bar 2011

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CLEMMYS – DARLASTON. HOW IT ALL STARTED

Clemmy’s was opened in the town 48 years ago in 1967 by Jon and Marilyn Brett. Jon had a clothing warehouse and they realised that a shop would complement that business, as older readers will remember it was situated at No. 36 King Street and was called Clementines after Jon’s middle name. Marilyn’s sister, Anita Middleton, only 17 at the time, came in on Saturdays to help.

The work ethic from the outset was to sell good quality clothing as cheap as possible and the business soon began to thrive, so much so, that Anita began to work full time alongside her sister and on Fridays and Saturdays a queue began to form into King Street and round the corner.

In 1977 they moved to the other end of King Street when a modern unit became available between Firkins and The Heart of England Building Society and the name was updated to Clemmys.

Customers had been asking the shop to sell school uniforms for the local schools and a wider selection of children’s and ladies wear and they were now able to do this along with the introduction of wool. The expansion meant they were able to take on extra staff.

In 1988 Jon and Marilyn sold the business to Anita Middleton and her husband Keith. Not long afterwards they were able to acquire the premises previously occupied by the Building Society and they decided to expand the school-wear and wool departments. The shop now sells uniforms for many schools in the area and surrounding boroughs and has a very popular wool department used by customers from all over the Midlands.

Anita and Keith Middleton

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SOCIAL CLUBS AND EVENTS

COMPANY CLUBS AND ACTIVITIES

Back in the 1940s to the 1990s before the demise of most of the large companies in the UK all had their own in house clubs, whether they be sporting, horticultural or social. In the Darlaston area we had Rubery Owen, John Garrington, Guest Keen & Nettlefolds, F. H. Lloyd, Charles Richards and Wilkins & Mitchells. To deal with all these various activities a person would be employed by the company to oversee and help with fixtures whether they be inter-departmental or outside events such as Football, Cricket, Tennis, Table Tennis, Snooker and Bowls which all had leagues within the area.

As most companies had their own sports grounds, there were other things to be arranged such as the annual Sports Days with inter-departmental games where they would play against each other at football, cricket, the usual races, relays, egg and spoon race, sack races, beauty competitions and the company’s Fire Service always put on a good display to show how well trained they were should they ever be required during a real emergency.

Other annual events were the employees’ children’s Christmas party and Horticultural Shows where the dedicated keen gardeners would bring in their produce of vegetables and flowers and the ladies with their cakes, preserves, knitting and dressmaking skills, all standing proudly waiting for the judging to commence. After this had taken place the produce would be auctioned off with the proceeds going into the social fund which all employees paid into from their wages on a weekly basis. From this fund would be an annual outing for all employees to the seaside either by train or coach normally to Blackpool. Another event would be to dress up one of the companies lorries where a theme would be decided and entered into the towns carnival parade. This would stretch to over a mile long headed by the Carnival Queen, Maids of Honour, Floats and Bands galore beginning at Bush Park and after several miles the final destination of George Rose Park where awaiting them was Pat Collins Fair, Side Shows, Donkey Rides, Races, Candy Floss, Burger Bars, Ice Creams, dog shows & Balloon Races. This went on until well into the evening and what a wonderful day was had by all.

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Last but by no means least was the Saturday night social club that was run by a committee who would book the entertainment and organized the unforgettable Bingo Games and also once a year would organize probably the best event of the year “THE BIG DANCES” dancing to one of the big bands of the day like Joe Loss, Ray McVay & Ted Heath, just to mention a few, held either at Walsall Town Hall or the Civic Hall Wolverhampton, what memorable evenings they were.

Some of you will probably remember many other things, however these are my memories and maybe this will bring back some of yours.

Betty Dixon (née Horne)

The Inter-departmental Snooker WinnersDennis Jones presenting The Inter-departmental Snooker Winners Cup

at Garringtons Social Club to Reuben Dixon.Albert Cross and Bill Tinsley looking on.

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REUBEN’S MEMORIES

August 1953 was the year I left school and started work at Garringtons Ltd., Darlaston as a 15 year old apprentice. Looking back over the forty years I spent there, Garringtons, like all of the large companies in Darlaston, had a lot to offer its employees in the way of recreation both in and outside of the working day, such as Cricket, Tennis and Bowls which were played during the summer months and during winter there would be Football, Snooker, Crib, Dominos and Table Tennis. All of these were played in leagues and the competition was very fierce.

Most companies had a personnel officer whose job would be to organize most of the sporting fixtures besides the everyday problems within the factory. I was a keen sportsman and enjoyed playing football, cricket, snooker and table tennis for the company. We had two football teams in the Wolverhampton works league and a junior side in the Walsall Minor league and Garringtons were always a hard side to beat and won the division one league on several occasions. One of the highlights was playing in a final on the Wolves ground in 1957. Unfortunately we were beaten by E.C.C. Wolverhampton four goals to one. I also enjoyed playing cricket but the standard was very mediocre, however, I did get my name in the local paper on a couple of occasions for good bowling performances. Saturdays and Sundays were always looked forward to by the team when every other week a coach would arrive and off we would go to enjoy a match usually a few miles away to play various out of area village teams.

The Sports and Social Committee also did an excellent job over the years arranging entertainment on Saturday nights with live groups and singers. The highlight of the year was always the WORKS DANCE held either at the Civic in Wolverhampton or Walsall Town Hall dancing to all the top bands, the likes of Ted Heath, Joe Loss, Kenny Ball and his Jazz Men, Ray McVay and many others.

In later years after the works rebuilt the canteen area with a new concert room, they had some of the best entertainers in the country. One of the first was Joe Longthorn who was a friend of the entertainment secretary Bill Richards. Joe later became a famous T.V. personality and can still be seen still doing shows around to country. Others were Frank Carson, Billy Pearce, Bernard Manning, The Platters, The Seekers and too many to mention, but I bet some of you reading this will remember quite a few others. What happy days indeed.

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Unfortunately, it all came to an end in 1993 when Garringtons, then called United Engineering Forgings finally closed its doors. However, it is good to see that it is still standing and has not been bulldozed to the ground like the factory was. Now Darlaston All Active have taken over and is being run by Paul and Sharon Felton who are doing a great job, providing different events for the young, old and infirm, also venues for entertainment, weddings and many other functions.

What wonderful memories I have past and present.

Reuben Dixon

GARRINGTONS F.C. 1960

K. Harley, G. Pincher, W. Watston, J. James (Manager), T. Ashfield, H. Stokes, A. Dummerlow, N. Lowbridge, H. Marsden, R. Griffin,

B. Wilkinson, G. Moss, R. Dixon, F. Burns.

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GARRINGTONS CRICKET TEAM

Standing: N. Conn, A. Flannigan, J. Gutteridge, K. Jones, R. MillsSitting: J. Cotton, B. Hardwick, J. Picher, R. Fieldhouse, R. Dixon, T. Smith

Mrs. F. L. Owen inspecting the winning allotment, with the first prize winner, Mr. A. Webb, M. F. Tool Room. Second prize, Mr. A. Hurley, M. F. Department, Third prize, W. Hitchman, Motor Frame Tool Room, Staff.

David Owen

RUBERY OWEN – GARDENING AND ALLOTMENTS COMPETITION17th JULY, 1954

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Members of the All Active Centre Darlaston “Shops and Clubs Project” would like to thank all of the people who have helped and contributed

to the book “Shops and Clubs of Darlaston Through the Years”.

Darlaston LibraryExpress & Star

Paul FeltonPauline Highfield

Rubery OwenWalsall History Centre, Essex Street

Michelle WithnallBarry Woodberry

Wombourne Printers Ltd.

The Committee Members:Talli Bungar

Alan CotgraveBetty Dixon

Sharon FeltonTony HighfieldAnne MeanleyPauline Poole

Dominic PowisBetty Shaw

A Heritage Lottery Funding Project

2015

Lyne Hanson, Prabhdail Singh Badhan Sub-Postmaster,Kash Badhan, Jyoti Rana

Darlaston Post Office began life in a small shop at the top of King Street, sometime in the late eighteen hundreds. It was situated on the right-hand side, at the top of the street coming up from The Bull Stake, almost at the junction of King Street and Church Street.

With the introduction of the postal service, the business soon expanded and it became necessary to find larger premises and so it was moved into Victoria Road, where it is today, but not in the same building. The original post office on that site was on the edge of the footpath and was also the home of the postmaster and his family. My mother who was born in 1904 could well remember that building. She told me that throughout the 1920s and into the 1930s, it was possible to write a card on Christmas morning, pop it in the post box there and it would be delivered locally that afternoon. The stamp cost 1d. She had in her possession a Christmas card and envelope from that period which she had sent to someone on Kings Hill and the franked date clearly showed 25th December. Impossible to comprehend today.

Pauline Poole

Darlaston Post Office, Victoria Road