Station Road

Station Road c1955
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This is a picture of Station Road with Snapes's hardware shop on the corner.  The petrol pump was no longer in use by then but the paraffin one was. Opposite Snapes's is Oak Meadow where we used to play on our bikes and climb trees.

Working back along behind the camera on the same side was the Elycian cinema. Lovely little picture house. I saw Where Eagles Dare,  Carry on Camping, the Jungle Book etc there. Also Kes (to my mum's horror). We had intermissions and ice cream and orange drinks sold by attendants with torches and a tray then.  

Further on just before the railway bridge is Pimlotts butchers with an abattoir at the back. Was still in use as I remember. Just past the railway bridge on the right was Williams & Deacons Bank on the corner of Mellor Road.  Further up Mellor Road was Churches grocers. Mum worked there for Mr Church. Also just past Churches was a sweet shop where we used to go.  The chap who ran it was a foreign gentleman possibly Polish or similar. I always remember choosing each sweet from the counter and he would repeat my "One of those" with "Vonne of sose".
I once put my old penny in the chewing gum machine outside his shop and it didn't work so I thumped it and down dropped a pocket full of pennies.  I promptly went in the shop and announced my little windfall and bought some sweets.  Poor old chap never said a word and let me make my purchases with my ill-gotten gains.  What a gent.
Bryan Baskerville.