Stowmarket Shops In The 1970s

A Memory of Stowmarket.

When I was little, I remember Stowmarket as being full of interesting shops. There also was a good market on Thursdays and Saturdays. I remember the 50p stall!! My Dad knew the bloke who ran that. Mind you, my Dad knew everybody!! there was a toy stall run from a caravan, and an Indoor Market which has gone now. It was where the paved area leading from the town to Asda is (set back from the road), we used to go in there to buy all our sewing supplies from the haberdashery lady in there.
I remember the Shoppers Paradise store (now Argos) and opposite was Key Markets (now QD).
Of course the main shop was the big Woolworths in the town centre. We would go through all the albums and singles on a Saturday! Back then a single was about 89p!! Hicks stocked them too, they were a little bit dearer in there (£1.20 I think) but they used to get the ones in with picture sleeves, which I liked to collect!!
There was a shop called Pussycat Boutique, which is now the Heart Charity shop. It used to have lots of frilly undies etc in the window which used to make us kids laugh!!
I remember the big Hopgoods store (where the new Convenience shop is now, opposite the United Reformed Church) where all the ladies could buy underwear, coats and hats.
Le Beverley was a big store (on the Buttermarket) which was a ladies outfitter on the bottom floor, I think a hairdressers and a café on the other two floors. That was popular when ladies went out, did some shopping, had their hair done and then went 'to lunch' with their friends, all under one roof!! I remember it closing and now of course it is a thing of the past. There is still a café at the bottom though.
Simpsons Toy Shop was THE shop for us kids. And my Dad liked the wallpaper department they had!! They had a mynah bird in there which would say naughty things sometimes!!!
I don't live in Stowmarket now, but I believe The Card Shop is still there. When I was about 10 they had a draw for lots of toys. They had a 'Dulux Dog' toy I set my heart on!! My Dad worked for ICI all his life so we were very fond of him. Dad bought lots of tickets but I was heartbroken when I didn't win the dog. Poor Dad felt so vexed, he really hoped we would win!
Back then we spent a lot of time on our bikes. The Heathers upholstery shop used to be a bike shop. We often went there for bits and pieces.
Us kids didn't have phones or internet - I was lucky to have a record player of my own (plus a radio, and cassette player) but in the 1980s I got a CB Radio. The fun we had on that!! Better than texting!! And free (apart from a licence which was about a tenner a year). We used to go to The Breakers CB Club down at the Pickerel. Happy days!!!!