Shops of yore

Mick, you were most likely fitted out with your school uniform by my father in-law, Mr Cyril Roberts.

See thread "Christ Church / Greyfriars" Prof's post number 41. I frequented the photographic shop nearby in the mid 60's for my darkroom supplies!

Thanks, yes, that was it

Hi Mick, it was only the roof that was circular and it was called the 'Dome'

Mick. Here's what it looked like

Thanks Prof. Looking in the windows, it looks more than just a paper shop? Also, was that the original entrance into the car park?

We used to shop at the Co-op in Radford and we had a members' number we used to give (62320 I think). I don't remember what that earned us but it was obviously hard wired into my brain. They also used to deliver your order but I don't know if there was a charge. We also shopped at Perks in Jubilee Crescent and they had stamps too and my mum loved the dinner set she got from there. Do you remember the freebees that came with washing powder? We had all kinds of plastic flowers and I'm still using a small yellow plastic colander that my mum got for my wedding chest - actually an Ali Baba basket - in 1964.

Linda, so you had a Perks as well? There was one near us in Canley. I never knew of any other Perks. Part of a nationwide chain, I believe, a forerunner of VG, Mace and suchlike. A general food shop, small, before the march of the supermarkets. In later years it was owned privately by a couple who had previously run a newsagents. The husband was in there all day, smoking cigars, yes, wherever he was, even behind the bacon and cheese counter! He was a miserable sort who seemed to hate kids, probably most adults too, as if he were only there under sufferance, or his wife's thumb, as she was the business person who ruled the roost. He only seemed interested in rugby and the delivery of the pinks on Saturdays, not in serving food. You can imagine what this food shop smelt like as soon as you walked through the door. It smelt vile, like a mixture of stale tobacco, tar, nicotine and a liquid which these days would normally flow under gravity down a 32mm or 40mm diameter plastic waste pipe. We used to call it "the cigar-**** shop" as kids. This soon caught on, and all the kids in the neighbourhood called it the "cigar-**** shop". A title thoroughly deserved - from their comments, they'd all been in and witnessed the smell for themselves. Now here's a funny thing - I don't recall the shop ever being visited and done by the local council health inspectors. A bit like H&S, there was none in them there days. Mr H carried on smoking for a few years until he eventually retired.

There was also a Perks in Coundon, near the Rialto in the row of shops in Crampers Field. We had some cups and saucers which mum must have got points for or something. They used to sell things in blue bags like tea and sugar, in the days when you stood in a queue and asked for your shopping.

Hi Slim, are you referring to the Perks on Charter Ave next to the Half Sovereign pub?

Blimey, more Perks than I knew about - there must have been loads of them. There was an identical council owned block of 6 shops, with flats above, up Cannon Hill Rd almost opposite the crematorium, with said Perks.

As a little one, I can remember my mum talking about a Mr Perks. Does anyone know if he existed?

I think it was called Pearks rather than Perks. There might have been one on Daventry Road too. I used to love their luncheon meat. Does anyone remember Ladkins at the bottom of Westbury Road?

The Coundon one isn't listed on here, so perhaps it wan't open then, 1950 (advertising for staff in 1961).

The Charter Ave branch is not on that list either.