1960's/70's Shops Of Shepton

A Memory of Shepton Mallet.

The shop on the right is Hobleys' Ironmongers. As a youngster I would buy my fishing tackle, airgun pellets, & sheath-knives there. I would gave in awe at the new Diana & BSA airguns that they stocked - way beyond my pocket & paper round money, I had second - probably tenth! - hand items, purchased from 'Secondhand Joes shop' as it was known.
Seems strange nowadays that I could walk in & buy a 6" knife, in my school uniform, & no-one would turn a hair. My favourites were 'William Rogers', made in Sheffield. They had bone handles, & were beautifully made. They used to make commando knives during WW11, I believe.

At the time, Shepton Mallet had lots of independent shops. Many were lost when the town centre was modernised & pedestrianised. This was in the '70's.
Joe Cozens secondhand shop was where much of my money went. First on Britain's models, then on books (mainly Ian Fleming, Dennis Wheatly & Agatha Christie), airguns & ex chart singles, often with the centres missing - ex jukebox. Joe was a saturnine individual, with a cigarette permanently on the go.
I can recall both the top & bottom of Zion Hill having little 'open all hours' shops. At the bottom of the High Street was Amors pet & farm supply shop. There was Mrs Chalkers paper-shop, where both myself & my mum worked. Just up from there was Lewis's butchers & a greengrocers. My mother was friendly with the lady in the grocers, & would talk to her for ages. I'd go into the garden behind the shop, & give myself stomach ache eating quinces or crab apples off the trees. The couple who owned the shop owned, bred & showed Pyranean Mountain dogs & there were often two or three of these giant, friendly animals in the shop.

There was an old fashioned barbers, where I went for my fortnightly 'short back & sides', until at 14, I decided one summer holiday not to have my hair cut again. This resulted in an uncomfortable interview in the headmasters office at Whitstone School on my return to school.
A little way along the road from the Police Station, there was an arts & crafts shop. A florist at the top end of town run by a classmates mother - they looked so alike they could have been sisters. In the photo, you can just make out the Cenotaph at the top of town. There was a good coach service in those days, & here I would catch one to my brothers in Bournemouth, or my Aunts in London.