Originally Posted by susie123
Having been confined to bed for a bit, passed the time reading some of the threads on this site and thought it was about time to make a contribution.
I grew up in the 50s and 60s and lived at various times in Owen Street, Queens Road and Whalley Road. My earliest memory is of the Festival of Britain procession on Queens Road so that would have been 1951. My grandad had a stall on the fish market, a family business since the late 1800s, and I remember going down town with my cousin on Good Friday and taking him his lunch in a basket. That was when the fish market was still in a shed.
It's always struck me, looking back, how many small shops there were in the area where I lived. Starting at the Whalley Road end of Owen Street there was the off licence at the top of Milnshaw Lane (still there) and Thornber's chemists on the corner of Knowlmere Street. My second cousin worked there, very long hours, and I used to go behind the counter into the pharmacy area where they had all the little drawers and bottles on shelves. There were also some rooms behind the shop, in one of which was a fireplace with a real fire also a gas ring presumably to boil a kettle. That shop became Everitts supermarket. Ernie Everitt used to sell fruit and veg from an open sided van round that area before that.
Going along Owen Street, on the western corner with Haywood Road was Gregson's, grocers, pies and ?bread. I remember taking a jug there to get gravy. Next block along Owen Street, north side was Sagar's cake shop - wimberry pies oozing with juice, such a local thing, haven't seen one for years. Opposite was Mr Nicklin's, newsagent and sweets, no shop front, just a converted front room. Going up Haywood Road, on the west side about halfway to the hospital was Mr Chaffer's bakers, and opposite was Leighton's greengrocers and Thistlethwaite butchers. On the northeast corner of Haywood Road and Garden Street was a Co op though I don't know what it sold and I seem to remember it closing down.
On the next street Aitken Street about halfway up from Owen Street on the west side was Mrs Hogggarth's, grocer, again just a converted front room, and opposite was Miss Clarkson's sweetshop. Then on Marlborough Road north of Queens Road in the first block on the west side was Susie's chippy, just a range in her front room. Susie was a big blonde woman. I've just looked on Google maps and there is a Sue's chippy marked in the same spot! The last two shops I remember were Cameron's baker on the corner of Lime Road and Marlborough Road and a greengrocer next to it. Then another chippy on the corner of York Street opposite Mary Mag’sschool, still there, used to take a basin and get a mixture, chips and mushy peas. This is making me hungry! And I always remember the steamy smell of the Dot Laundry on back Owen Street by the railway embankment.
This seems to me quite a lot of shops, especially bakers, in a fairly small area. Were other areas of town similarly well serviced?
My first school was Central Prep aka Miss Caulfields – she lived a few doors along from us in Owen Street and had taught my dad when he was a lad. When I first went around 1950 the school was in the Oak Street Congregational Church buildings, then it moved to Hargreaves Street behind New Jerusalem Church. I used to go home for lunch which meant trekking from one end of town to the other in the middle of the day as well as at the beginning and end. Although several of us did it in a group I doubt it would be allowed now without supervision! I then went to the High School 1957-64 under Miss Horne's regime and remember all the teachers mentioned on the High School thread, mostly with affection.
I used to go to the Arcs on Knowlmere Street on a Saturday (that offy on Milnshaw Lane came in very handy for illicit drinking!) On Fridays it was Whalley Road Congregational Youth Club - we lived opposite it at the time. I remember getting ready to go there one Friday when we heard the news of JFK's assassination. I also remember going in a coach to the Cavern in Liverpool one afternoon to see a group from Accrington. Having checked the 60s group thread I guess that must have been the Scorchers. I also went to the Majestic ballroom (Con club) on occasion, used to love Lionel Morton and the Four Pennies, also saw the Merseybeats there. Also went to the Meccas at Blackburn and Burnley where I saw Freddie and the Dreamers. And I used to go to the folk club at the Stanley Supporters Club where they used to have some really big names. I still like folk music today and prefer to listen to those acts than any of the modern ones.
Looking back at all this I wonder how I had time to do any school work but I did get some A levels and in1964 went to college in the great metropolis of Preston leaving most of this heady social life behind. Then in 1968 I left Accy for good and have lived in all sorts of places since, from North Carolina to Morecambe, where I am now. I come back for the odd visit but to me the town ain't what it was and it makes me sad.
Sorry for rambling on but maybe some of this has stirred other folks' memories. I look forward to finding out.
All the best to whoever reads this
Sue
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