[wighty]

Apparently when my husband's family first bought the DIY come hardware shop that we now own, it still had the wire system running round the ceiling.   My FIL a couple of  years ago sold at auction the old counter which had lots of drawers in with ornate knobs and was glass fronted.  We still have the original till and a lot of metal signs advertising paraffin etc., that used to adorn the walls of the building. Over here there are several , how houses, that have protected sign writing on them advertising the wares of what used to be sold below.  We also have the original scales and the brass weights to go with them.

[Growster...]

Here they are!

Peter would sometimes have something expensive like an Atco motor mower outside as well!

It's now a private house, owned by some great friends, and is actually on the market...

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/138752003#/?channel=RES_BUY

[Aunt Sally]

I mourn the loss of ‘local’ shops Mr G. 

I remember when the first (small) supermarket opened near where I lived as a child in London. 

Before that we had local shops:  Brakes (Mr and Miss), the baker: Luckings, the greengrocer, Brambles, the grocers and dairy; Cartright’s, the newsagent, sweets and tobacconist; Hammonds, the iron monger and my best friend was the daughter of the licensed drinks shop, Hodder’s.

Supermarket’s have killed those and online shopping will kill the rest. 

[Growster...]

Many Happy Returns for yesterday, Aunty!

Yes, on 'The Moor' part of the village, when we moved here in 1977, we had Mozley's the ironmongers, Joan's Moor Stores, the Post office/greengrocers/stores, Piper's general store for just about everything that the ironmongers didn't sell, Wood's the butcher, a DIY shop, the village dairy, a TV shop(!), a jewellers, a Clarks shoe shop down the hill, a hairdressers, two pubs and a farm shop.

Now it's just the pub...:0(

[Goosegirl]

We had Howard and Bulloughs in Accrington where my auntie used to work - think of Are you being served type of department store, then in Lancaster we had Waring and Gillows of a similar ilk, Reddrops who sold dried fruit etc, Inmans the ironmongers, a stained glass maker/ repairer, and many others now sadly gone. It used to be a lovely experience to go shopping but now it's just coffee cafes, supermarkets, McDonald type places, and other boring eateries. All we have now of any worthwhile esteem is Banks Lyons who have two shops next to each other - one for footwear and one for jewellery, and Renee's for decent clothes, both from which I have made several very happy purchases.