Remembering the local shops around Glebe Avenue
We have been living on Glebe Avenue since 1963. At the time, there were shops on nearly all the corners and only three cars in the street when we moved in.
Jennerways
At one end of the road was a telephone box outside a sweet shop called Jennerways, he sold a few papers and had a load of jar sweets that you could buy a quarter of. Crazy old bloke, who hated kids, we did bait him a bit though... But I do wonder if he was in the right job.
Wavy Line
At the other end of Glebe, on the right-hand side there was a grocery store, we called it the Wavy Line. You could get anything from cigarettes, cornflakes, and tinned food to crusty bread and sandwiches, all made fresh. It was an old-fashioned grocer, they had a bacon slicer too, but it was a small shop. Had everything on shelves on the walls, and was run by Mrs Ellis.
Hardware Store
On the corner by the post box was a hardware store, the name escapes me, but it smelt of paraffin and you could buy anything from hammers and paintbrushes to pegs, metal dustbins, and paraffin of course.
Jack Farnes Butchers
Opposite the hardware store was a butcher shop, owned by Jack Farnes, and was a proper old-school butcher`s shop, with sawdust on the floor and all the turkeys hanging up at Christmas. Jack was a character as was Sid, the other butcher. They were always laughing and joking as butchers did. great days. #pramlife
Knitting/wool shop
There was another shop on the other corner by can never remember it being open as a shop, but have been informed it was a knitting/wool shop..
We had a phone box at one end of the road and a postbox at the other.
My Mum, when she had decided to get a phone connected, didn`t tell anyone. Had the telephone installed and waited till we were all in the house, then ran down to the phone box to dial our new number. It took a while for us to work out what it was. but what a surprise!!!
The crossroads of Bank and Oakwood Avenue had 4 shops too.
Tanners the sweetshop
Tanners the sweetshop. Bought my first model there, a Frog Fairey Gannet.
Normans Greengrocers
A Greengrocers, run by Norman and his wife Carol, was on the corner of Bank Avenue.
Bank Stores
Bank Stores was another Grocers, run by Mrs Buckleigh.
Hairdressers
Hairdressers on the corner of Oakwood Avenue, I know nothing about it, but it was the last of all the shops to close.
Sadly over the years they all disappeared, after local factories were closed and sold for housing, and with the advent of the supermarkets, more people owning cars and no longer shopping locally, they are now all converted to flats.