Shops I Have Loved...

A Memory of Gosforth.

I grew up in Bath Terrace in the early 1960s and the photo of Wilkinsons brought back memories of its pre-supermarket days of high dark wood counters, butter in barrels and the smell of roasting coffee. Pumphreys with the pastel coloured sugars and exotic coffee beans, Moods where I bought a first gift for my mother of a tiny china cat in a woven basket (I still have it), Thorpes the hardware shop which I think is still there....I have the family's first electric Xmas tree lights we bought from there! They still work and have never needed a new bulb! Paradise slices from Robson and Porteous, wonderful creamcakes and Shrewsbury biscuits from the delectable Smythes, sweets and the first soft ("Tastee-Freez") ice cream from Hennells, Arkles the butchers where huge knives were wielded so noisily on the wooded butcher's block that my little brother and I were scared to go in. Henderson's the greengrocer, the Royalty cinema of course endlessly playing the Shadows' "Wonderful Land" between items. The Toddle Inn cafe where we had our first tastes of Pepsi Cola and the coffee machine made loud splurging noises. Woolworths where my fascination for all things gardening was born, with Cuthberts seeds and roses, and shiny red covered notebooks for 6 old pence. My mother would also buy beautiful clothes for us from a little old lady called Miss something or other who owned a little baby linen shop, Baby Time I think. We loved Central Park, and the little hall there was hired for my grandparents' golden wedding celebrations in 1966. Happy days indeed!