Cranford Shops

A Memory of Cranford.

My mum (Win) worked in Parsons the hardware shop and also the grocers. I remember helping out a couple of times with grocery deliveries by riding the big black bicycle with a large basket on the front which was stacked with cardboard boxes. Very heavy to ride! My mum used to cut bacon on their big slicer and customers asked for a special cut number for the thickness they liked. I learned to cut big drums of cheese with a lethal looking wire, I was only about 11 at the time. The owners of the grocery were Mr & Mrs Riddle (Dilys & Jim). There was the little bakery owned by the Leake brothers, I used to love being sent out for a loaf of fresh baked bread, you could see it coming out of the oven and the smell was amazing.