Shops of yore

If the old Challenge cycle office block was the Repanco building then yes, that is where Parrott was located in the seventies. I think it was independent because a sign proclaiming "Parrott Electronics" was displayed on the wall or in one of the windows at the top of the steps into the building if I recall right.

The 1975 Telephone Directory lists: Parrot Electronic Products Ltd, 203 Foleshill Road

Thank you DH and MR . I seem to remember seeing the sign in a window in the building at some time. Nice to know the memory is still working

Just delving through the Forum and came across the messages relating to the Kudos sweet shop on Hearsall Lane. Gosh that brought back memories of a bygone age. Having lived in Broomfield Rd for the first 11 years of my life and spending a lot of time on the common, as kids with the few pennies we had between us, a trip to the 'best sweet shop ever' was a must after a kick about. We would come out with our pockets bulging, desperate to eat every last delicious morsel before we got home. Because of the length of time we spent selecting our treats, teatime would be upon us, inevitably we would be late, looking very innocent but not wanting anything else to eat. Then sitting at the table, our tummies full, parents becoming frustrated as there was a hot meal, which could not be wasted. 'You'll sit there until you eat that my boy' shortly followed by, 'whatever you don't eat, you will have for breakfast', which of course never did happen, but no way did you want to tempt fate.

The Kudos, Billybobs, was that the one at the traffic lights opposite the Common - used to sell beautiful ice cream. Also do you remember a chemist Tomlinsons used to be halfway down the road that ran down from the Common to Allesley Old Road?

Yes, Roger, that's the one, apart from the sweets I remember the 'Jubblies' in the summer which seemed huge and after reading Billybobs recollections I couldn't have put it better myself, having spent the first ten years of my life living in Kirby Road. Same conversation at the dinner table I can recall!

Go to post 556 on this thread, you'll find a photograph of the shop

I seem to recall they were on the corner of Allesley Old Road and Queensland Avenue, rather than halfway down

Roger, funny enough, at that age chemists were not top of my radar, albeit I recall after going to see the doc's (top of Kensington Rd) we then went to a chemist not too far away, but I would think that would have probably been in Earlsdon. Midland Red, Queensland Ave and beyond was not on my "patch" so I bow to your knowledge

There was a chemist in Hearsall Lane a few doors down from the corner shop.

Tomlinsons was on the corner of Queensland Ave and Allesley Old Rd. On the opposite corner was Hawthorne the newsagent.

Dutchman, I'm in admiration of your recall. Vaguely in that mind of mine, digging very deep, I think I can recall a chemist nearby. Being a lot closer to the docs, then no doubt that was where we would have obtained the meds. I am trying to recall if a trip to the chemist also took in the Kudos, but that is detail too far.

That particular chemist stuck in my memory Billybobs but there was another shop further down Hearsall Lane on the corner of Sovereign Road which I can't remember at all. I think it was florist's or similar but am probably mistaken. Today it is a barber's shop.

Speaking of Sovereign Road, further down at the crossroads with Melbourne Road there was a Butcher's (Billy Nicholl's as I recall) who used to hang sides of Beef on hooks in the doorway to chop them down the middle! Now apparently called 'Knightime Heating Solutions'. That was one corner of Sovereign Road, on the other same side was Ernie Hawthorne, the Newsagents, where my comics and sweets came from (I wonder if he was a relation to the one 'argon' mentions above) ? Next door on Melbourne Road itself was a Hardware Store . Both shops now seem to be incorporated into one 'Costcutter'. I forget what was on the opposite corner, but the remaining one had a Cobblers with a Bakery next door (again on Melbourne Road itself). Both now appear to be a single house as does the corner I forget.