Shopping With Grandma 1955

A Memory of Uxbridge.

The Old Market House in the 50's was a lively and central part of the daily shopping scene. There was a butcher (Dewhursts i think), a baker, several greengrocers, a fruiterer, a flower stand, an ironmongery stand and a man who sold cheap glass and crockery. The flagstones always seemed to be wet from frequent hosing. I lived with my Grandma (at this time an energetic 50 year old). Her one luxury was buying cut flowers and her favourites were (according to season of course) daffs, narcissi, Fresias, gladioli (!) and the big chinese crysanths ("mums") which were very common then but seem to have gone out of fashion these days. The choice of vegetables and salad stuff was strictly dictated by the seasons. We ate salad like mad all summer. Prices rose in the autumn and when the price of a lettuce rose above 8d ,and tomatoes 1 and tuppence a pound they were off the list as far as Grandma was concerned. Cucumbers simply were not available in the winter months, and the tomatoes came from Holland ("no taste" she said - and she was right!)
To add to the smells there was an old fashioned open front fishmonger just behind the market house in Windsor St. The fish laid out on a marble slab and by the pavement a barrel of live eels sliding and squirming around.
We bought bread at Keyworths which was on the corner of Cowley Rd and Rockhingham Rd. (They also had the best jam-filled doughnuts at tuppence halfpenny each), cheese cut with a wire from whole cheeses at the co-op in windsor street, crossing the road to Paines, the second dispensing chemist after Rainers, stopping at the chandlers (a term that doesnt exist now) which doubled as a pet supply store. It smelt of new rope, sawdust , dog biscuits and horsemeat of which there was always a lump under a fly cover on the counter. We bought offal and biscuits for our dog there. Or flower bulbs or veg seeds or chicken feed which stood in open sacks with a metal scoop. Another regular purchase there was Step Red which was like a bar of hard soap which turned slightly pasty when wetted. House steps were often stone or concrete and todays weather-proof paint did not exist for such purposes. So every monday it was down on hands and knees rubbing the step with this block til it came up bright red. It was then rubbed with a cloth to give it a nice shine. It was a point of pride back then to have white uncreased nets at the window and a clean bright step. ( For which reason we always had to enter via the back passage reserving the front door mainly for visitors).
We then progressed ,via the market house, to The Home and Colonial Stores (wonderful name) for bacon,ham and other cold meats. In most of these shops the assistants knew and addressed their regulars by name.
The purchase of the sunday joint was of course the single most expensive and important item on the weekly shopping list. It seemed to me that grandmas hatpin was placed with extra determination before sailing forth to do battle with the butcher! We always went to Nicholls in Rockingham Rd. If you have ever seen a victorian toy butcher shop then you have seen what Nicholls was like. A tall narrow brick building of 3 storeys, wooden shutters and rows of hooks hanging outside the shop window from which hung pheasants, rabbits, chickens and sides of pork. Inside the floor was covered with sawdust and there was a huge wooden chopping block standing to one side of the marble counter. Mr Nicholls was also the epitome of a storybook butcher. Apron to the floor, fat, rosy-cheeked and water-combed hair pasted flat and shiny under a straw boater. His assistant was George, also red-faced but i think this must have been blood pressure from the constant combat with customers such as Grandma who new exactly what she wanted and would not settle for anything less! Silverside of beef ,not too red, not too dark,with not too much fat. Joint after joint brought out and rejected until she was satisfied and heaven help him if it turned out tough!!
The last time i visited (almost 25 years ago)it was still standing but seemed to be deserted.
Of course by todays standards this was all very time consuming. Added to which there were frequent halts to chat with friends and neighbours to catch up on the latest news. So by the time we got home she was, as she said, "all behind with the cow's tail" and gasping for a cuppa before getting on with the rest of the days chores.
(a womans place in the 1950's was still firmly in the home I'm afraid!)