A Very Cold Bottom!! 1973/4

A Memory of Pontefract.

I was born in Pontefract. Christened and Married, as were my parents, in All Saints Church in Pontefract by the Reverand Fawkes, now diseased.
I went to Chequerfield infants then Willow park junior school and Pontefract and district Girls High school( the brown knicker school) I would catch a bus into town, strangely enough from the very bus stop I live directly next to now,and then walk up to England's. I remember sitting on the stone windowsill with my back to the huge glass window to wait for the next bus to come which would take me to the Parkside and High school. England's was a hardware shop - nut and bolts etc. If you could see under the upvc now covering and protecting those stone sills , where I remember getting a very cold bottom, the name will still be there. As it is now you will be looking at WHSmith facing the buttercross. In the days before pedestrianisation the bus came straight up from the bus station doing a slight left past The Town Hall and up towards the Market place passing the Market hall to my bus stop opposite The Buttercross outside England's hardware and ironmongers. Then a right turn down Beastfair and on towards Pontefract Park.


Added 11 March 2017

#375514

Comments & Feedback

England's was fantastic. It looked smallish from outside but inside went on for miles. The shop was a proper '4 candles' hardware shop with wooden floorboards that sold everything and was staffed by a refined old lady (Mrs England?) and a couple of old blokes. I was a joiner I loved it when they said 'just follow me'... they'd take you through a door into this massive magic cavern filled with stuff from decades that was randomly stacked on the floor and on home made shelves and they knew where everything was. Massive pity when that went. B&Q is so sad in comparison.
I agree whole heartedly! I can't remember exactly when it was turned onto WH Smith's but I remember going onto England's with my father. The two Ronnie and their four candles is exactly right and really made me smile to think of it that way! Thank you
Fork handles/four candles The two Ronnies!!
Yes, this was exactly England’s in Pontefract
What about Woolwich or Woolys as they used to call it. I remember working there on a Saturday when still a school. I remember buying perfume from there it used to be in a clue container - I think it might have been called Coty (something) Woolwichs used to be so busy - located on the corner of the main street and now of course it is gone. I remember England the hard ware shop - my Grandad used to go there for his bits and pieces. You cannot buy one nail now - and everything is so packaged. I am sure things like nails went into paper bags.

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