Smith's Shop in Chelmsford: A memory of Chelmsford

Smith's Shop In Chelmsford

A Memory of Chelmsford.

After watching an episode of Stephen Fry's QI this evening, one of his topics sent my thoughts back to a memory of my childhood in Chelmsford in the 1960's. Smith's shop in the High Street, opposite the then Bond's store.

I use to beetle my Mother to go in that shop, with the whizzy hanging canisters that flew across the ceiling from the various counters to the cash desk. Most seem to remember these type of systems as being a vacuum pipe system, but the ones in Smiths's used to hang from taut wires, and made a wonderful whizzing sound as they flew from the counters. Marvellous times!

Added 22 May 2015

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I remember those too. A cousin worked in the raised office and collected the money and returned the change if necessary in the canister. I vaguely remember another shop on the other side of the High Street having something similar.

By Delia Dyer on Fri Feb 1st 2019, at 5:12 pm

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I believe the other shop was on the High Street opposite where Springfield Road joined it. It was either called Luckin Smiths or Pope & Smiths. The customer's money was put into a brass canister and then whizzed of by a cable system to the cashiers point. Then the change would come back in the same way.

By cliffl on Tue Aug 6th 2019, at 8:49 am

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