Billys Greengrocer

A Memory of Heyside.

Billy's Greengorcer - a small shop on the corner of Hebron Street where you could buy fruit and veg, and almost anything else. In those years there was not an awful lot of choice.. two lots of potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, and lovely spring cabbage (although I hated anything green at that time). Billy Greenwood was a very enterprising older (at least he seemed very old, but probably only about 40 ) purveyor of goods. You could ask for almost anything, if he didn't have it stock he would somehow magically produce the item the next day.

Mrs Greenwood boiled beetroots in her tiny kitchen behind a heavy curtain that separated the shop from the living quarters. Her home boiled ham was second to none... Many times my mother would ask for 1/4 lb of boiled ham with some salad, and tomatoes and that was our Sunday tea for 4! No wonder there was never any question of being "overweight".

Further up the road was "Alfie's" sweet shop, complete with a small freezer for ice cream and "home made" ice lollies. The big attraction was the 1d tray full of tantalizing coloured papers full of Sherbets, Spanish sticks, Gob stoppers. I remember the little shop sold sweets from big jars. Alfie would take the jar down from the shelf and stick his hand into the sweets and weight 2 ounces of humbugs. I wonder what Health and Safety would have made of this method of selling? I don't think anyone buys 2 ounces of much nowadays.

As in any village there was always a "Fast Food" venue and Heyside was no different, the Chip Shop. There was a little sort of cafe behind the shop with a few tables, so we could buy and eat on the premises. The floor was slippery, and the tables were wooden, they had already seen better days all that long time ago. This was a place to meet and chat.

Heyside was a little village where the majority of the people rented their houses, and worked in the Mill....The Moss that is. The lamp lighter still did his rounds, lots of people wore clogs, and shawls, and I knew only one person who had a car. Transport was by bicycle or the number 3 Bus, and many a smoggy night it was on foot, down the "ginnel" to a Guide meeting.

Our playing field was just at the side of our house...a very "modern" semi detached with indoor plumbing (one of the fortunate ones was I). The air raid shelter which had served the people and children in our avenue during the Second World War was removed. Only the solid base remained which was very useful as an outdoor "stage" on which we performed dances and "plays".

Bonfire Night was a big occasion. My mother was one of the many industrious women who made pans of hot pot, parkin and treacle toffee for the big night. The menfolk started early on the 4th of November collecting skips from the Mill, piling them so high to make the most beautiful bonfire. To ensure that there was no pilfering from nearby marauding groups the menfolk would stay by the towering heap of wood all night. What a community spirit there was.
I must stop ...one memory leads to another... so I will leave with this.

My childhood in Heyside taught me many things, but the one aspect I learnt from living in that village was "Be the best you can be, for all things are possible if you really believe in yourself". All the places and names I have mentioned are long gone to make place for a re newed Heyside...only memories remain.

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