The Village Shop

A Memory of Little Hallingbury.

I walked to and from school past the village shop known as "Greens". the walk to school was approximately three quarters of a mile which we often did unaccompanied. As we climbed the steep, to us, hill up to the village shop we would talk about what sweets we might buy. My pocket money at the time was a princely sum of 6d, and I would spend it in 2d at a time. My 2d would buy me a packet of refreshers, or polo fruits or quite a lot of fruit salad chews. In the shop was the post office and a typical village shop layout, with shelves behind the counter with items you had to ask for. Sweets were within easy reach, bags of potatoes to be weighed before purchase, and many everyday things, milk, butter, bread, washing powder, stationery, string, candles and fire lighters. Mr Green and his lady helpers served and chatted to all. They knew all the people in the village and called us by name, woe be tide any messing about as our parents would have been told.