Shops of yore

One shop which sticks in the memory is Timothy White's (chemist) on the left towards the top of Trinity St before New Buildings. It was on a split level because of the slope and the assistants put money into small containers which then whizzed off along rails across the ceiling to the backroom payment office and came back with change.

YOU SHOULD TRY THEIR SAUSAGES ! Eh, Philip ?

Hi Midland Red, Hi all Trying to do my Churchill "O'h yes, o'h yes".

What are you two on about?

Refer to this !

Where was Lipton's in the 60's? Was it in the corner of Shelton Square, or was that something else?

Stumbled on Charles Ager's site which features this excellent little history page: Charles Ager Website

Hi & thank you Neils Yard My mum started work at Agers in 1926, where she trained as a boot maker. She qualified as a surgical boot maker with them at their address of No6 Smithford St. After the war, she had her own business as well as a shop in White St.

My wife's first job when she left school in 1962 was at Agers in Corporation Street. She worked there for about a year as an assistant, but left because of the poor wages of £1.12s.6d a week.

In fairness to Ager's I have to ask if that was full-time or part-time?

Full time Dutchman, my wife was 15 when she left school in 1962. The pay was very poor, even for a school leaver. Oh, and she informs me that was for all day Saturday too, half day Thursday. She left there to go to the GEC in Spon Street for a proper wage.

Thanks for clarifying that It sounds very low even by retail standards of the day.

When I started work at Timpson's in 1969 I earned £4 7s 6d a week as a full-time shop assistant

The pay at Agers is £6.98 ph. I know as I only left there last October after 4 years. Yes we had to work all day Saturday and were not allowed to take holidays during school breaks (as this is their busiest time, and you are informed that before you start working there) but the place was lovely to work at and the staff friendly. The Harts (descendants of Charles Ager) are really nice and treat their staff well.

As we already have a 'Shops of the Future', I have started a 'Shops of the Past'. I and most of the members of this fantastic site will remember shops like Mattersons, City Pram, Exchange and Mart, Barnbys the toy shop, to name but a few. Mattersons sold just about anything you wanted, from a nut and bolt to a new fireplace. Funny roof lining inside, looked like cardboard if I remember. City Pram, I got my first real push bike from them. Their warehouse was in Watch Close. I had a payment book that I had to pay each month for the bike. Exchange and Mart, funny little shop really. Low roof and small doorway. Had a good selection of Hornby railway stuff. Barnbys, what a shop. Prams and dolls as you went in, then upstairs was like heaven to a young boy. Train sets, Scalextrics, kites and Airfix models. What a place. Note from TonyS: Moved here from duplicate thread Click here for photos of Exchange & Mart