Are You Being Served

A Memory of Hounslow.

I believe the Watney’s pub on the left of the picture was The Red Lion. In 1962 I was a lad of sixteen and worked at Blundells Shoe Shop. From the photograph this would have been behind the cameraman. I live in America now and pubic television show a lot of repeats of Are You Being Served, it reminds me of the time I was a shoe salesman in Hounslow. With the senior assistants getting first choice of the customers. The commission was 3d in the pound or one and a quarter percent, this was not very much. When a customer came in Mr Farthing, the manager would call “First forward” and Mrs Mills the first hand would step forward to serve them. I never got a chance until he called fourth forward. Blundell’s was an old fashioned shop even for those days with the entrance winding it’s way between the shop windows until you found the door on your right, some yards in from the pavement. I think the idea was to lure you in so the you found yourself inside without really realizing it.

Once inside you could not see the street as the window displays were boxed in, but had small doors so we could take a shoe from the window if needed. Shoes were kept in their boxes and on shelves as high as the ceiling on all the walls. Two lines of wooden chairs back to back ran down the centre of the shop. At the far end was a wood and glass kiosk, this held the till. Mr Farthing, was the only one allowed to take the money, unless he was away then it was Mrs Mills.
The mens shoes were at the front and women’s to the rear. I was told this was because men would be embarrassed to walk past the ladies as they tried on shoes. Customer was not allowed more than three pairs of shoes to choose from at any one time. If they wanted to see a fourth pair we were to put back the least suitable before fetching the next ones.

On delivery day every shoe had to be checked to see if a staple pin had been left in at the factory. This was done by feeling inside, this could be very painful at times. At Christmas time the shop would be decorated with the same bit of tinsel saved from last year, but it made the place feel festive. Across the road was a church that had no roof, but the vicar would play carols on a loud speaker and collect money this added to the Christmas spirit. You could hardly walk on the pavement as it was packed with shoppers. We were so busy, evan I would be serving four or five customers at once. This is where I shone as the older assistants couldn’t move as fast as me.

On quieter days we made tea in an outhouse down some steps at the back of the shop. It was too cold out there so we took our breaks in the shop. Behind the window was a corner out of sight from the customers, we would all squeeze in and the pecking order would be relaxed a bit. I would have been sent out to Guiltrows the bakers for every ones snacks. I would buy the lardy loaf as it was cheap and filled you up. In the winter I was always cold as the only heating came from two electric oil filled fires, by the time they wormed up it was time to go home. The toilet was another outbuilding at the back very cold and cobwebby.

Blundell’s was taken over by Shoefare, then a part of the Co-op group. Nothing changed but the name over the shop and the shoes were a bit more trendy. I went to Hounslow the last time I was in England, I found they had pedestrianized the High Street. Shoefare was still there, but with a new front and refitted. The doors, almost as wide as the shop and kept open all the time. Customers taking the shoes and trying them on without any assistant to help. Just one young girl to take the money. She saw me wondering around and asked if I needed help. I explained I used to work there when I was about her age. She was very polite and pleasant, probably the manageress, what Mr Farthing would have thought I do not know. Although back in 1962 it was a bit Dickensian, I was happy working there.