shops you remember as a kid

karlypants wrote:

Breadman wrote:Rothwells?

That rings a bell.

Was that a bakers?

Now I think about it, I think that Rothwells was the shop next door to the bakers.

There were only two shops on the block.

Going to have to drive past next time I go and see my Dad because he lives just down Church Rd.

Bulloughs opposite old market hall and then Browserie in the old Co op in Bridge Street were great for listening records prior to purchase.
There were two young girls, older than I was though, that used to work in Bulloughs. We used to go in and ask for the rudest Zappa records to be played and check out their embarrassed response!
Later came Tracks and Derek Guest, both great selection ns of music and you could sell any shite you didn't want at Guests. Spent many hours in the above, remember it like yesterday.
On Bradshawgate there was Albert Wards and Harold Windetts, both sports shops, Windetts did games and model railway stuff if I remember correctly.
Pubs: King Bill a bit further up from Wards towards the Swan, where all the local slappers used to pick up their business. Wheatsheaf, Lower Nags Head under where Marks is now, Wheatsheaf, Saddle, Boars Head......Nothing lasts forever!!!
Ooooops forgot the Trotters with the Thursday night two bob strip, silly me!?!

Gibson's Sports (next to Sweeten's) on Deansgate with its sloping floor and low ceiling down into the back room where the football boots and cricket stuff were.

Spent a fortune in there as a teenager.

Is it still there?

The Model Shop on Halliwell Rd.

Airfix kits and model railway stuff.

Long gone now.....

Harry's Handy Shop on Church Rd, opposite Ken Legg's (who still goes fishing with my Dad) and next to Neville's Barbers.

Wonderful "hardware" smell in that place, in a time when "hardware" meant nails and paraffin, as opposed to computer keyboards and stuff.

Our old hardware used to sell you 2 screws if that's all you needed. No need to buy a pkt of 20.
Always had the smell of firelighters & mop heads.

boltonbonce wrote:Our old hardware used to sell you 2 screws if that's all you needed. No need to buy a pkt of 20.
Always had the smell of firelighters & mop heads.

Harry was the same.

He used to charge about 3p for picture hooks.

Lovely bloke.

I briefly managed one of the shops in the original post having made the mistake of getting a job in retail in the 70s (F*** that!) but long before that there were some great shops in Bolton. As a kid my mum used to drag us round town shopping and bribe us with an ice cream float from Tognarelli's on Deansgate although she later became good friends with the Sabini's on on Churchgate. There was also a little Italian caff behind Whitakers too. The Queen's and ABC cinemas were good as a kid (as was the Odeon) and in the 60s I'd wag off school go to the snooker hall off Deansgate. When I was a bit older I'd go to the "Club" in Wood St where you could drink all day before the licensing laws were relaxed.

The Indespension building on Belomont Road was the first I worked in. They rented an office out to a small graphic design group called FSM Graphics who I did a YTS with and they ultimately gave me a job. Top chippy across the road at the time… Sues? which I spent most of my YTS in, ordering everyones lunch… then back to brewing up again.

Breadman wrote:Harry's Handy Shop on Church Rd, opposite Ken Legg's (who still goes fishing with my Dad) and next to Neville's Barbers.

Wonderful "hardware" smell in that place, in a time when "hardware" meant nails and paraffin, as opposed to computer keyboards and stuff.

 i remember Nevilles barber shop, he was a bit odd! Also remember the hardware shop and Mollie Benthams across the road.

There used to be shop at the top of Halliwell Rd that sold single fags to the kids when i was at Smithills, i bet Breaders was a customer 

another place i remember fondly was the Rileys snooker hall on Brownlow Fold precinct, the co-op, chippy and newagents as well. My Gran lived in the sheltered flats nearby so spent a lot of time over there.

Brownlow Way precinct I knew it as.

The Spinners was the first pub I had a legal drink in (although I had been drinking in pubs since I was sixteen).

I actually worked behind the bar at the Spinners for a short while too some time later.

There was a Casino just higher up than the pub too, although I only ever went in it a few times.

It faced Roocrofts toffee works where they made them little black sweets in small tin boxes called Tics if anyone remembers them?

Played at Riley's a few times though!

Does anybody else form our neck of the woods (Sluffy, Mr Pig, Doffy, HP, etc) remember having to go down to the GPO on Tennyson St to post a letter if it was important and you'd missed the last tea-time collection?
 
I can remember my Mum saying "It's got to go tonight!" to my Dad and him then grumbling about having to drive "all the way down Elgin St" to post said letter.

Different world back then.

And I'm only talking thirty odd years ago.

I remember that well

Sorry, Magoo - forgot you were one of us.

You'll live.....

Yes, I do too.

Had to walk up to there more than a few times to post a letter for my mam or dad.

It was the main sorting office and the post box there was emptied frequently throughout the late evening.

Found this bag lurking about so took a photo of it today for you all...

Cheers Kp, you need to get out more