Running Errands In Market Street

A Memory of Polesworth.

One of the shops I remember well was Fosters. It was like a mini department store. We had some of our clothes from there. You could buy things and pay so much a week. It was how we lived then. It was quite normal for us. We had stuff either from shops like that or catalogues, "club books" we used to call them. My auntie Lottie in Station Road ran one and our next door neighbour, June. You could buy shoes, hats, dresses, fabric, ribbons, bed sheets, all sorts of stuff. My mam once said "go to Fosters and tell them to send you two frocks" - I got two frocks, one was white. Of course I couldn't have the white one, it would show the muck too much, so I had to have the yellow one. To this day I still love white clothes, probably because I was never allowed anything white except for white buckskin shoes. I can still smell the whitener we used on them. It would be applied, then the shoes would be left outside on top of the dustbin in the sunshine to dry. Ready for either a wedding, chapel, or a night out at the Legion or the TopClub.
At Christmas time I couldn't wait for Fosters to dress their windows. There was the loveliest little Santa and sleigh that would be in the window every year. I would go and look at it, it was so magical.
There was Mason's the butchers, I would watch them slicing the bacon in that very sharp bladed machine. Jackie Hills for shoe mending, fishing tackle and bait, I can still smell it. My dad used to send me there for ground bait and maggots. Sometimes when I got them home we would have maggot races along the hearth rug. Then there was Randalls grocery shop. It reminded me of a cowboy saloon with its balcony running around the upper floor. I can remember looking up at the counter and seeing the cheese being cut with the wire on the marble slab. There was a chemist. My dad would send me with a brown envelope , sealed up with money inside. I would hand over the envelope to the assistant, who would open it, read the note, then place something inside and seal it up again. He would hand it back and give me a lolly out of the jar. Curiosity got the better of me one day so I opened it. Inside was a packet of Durex! The packaging was maroon and grey. I didn't know what they were for quite some time. No wonder the assistant gave me a lolly. I expect he felt sorry for me having to run an errand for "Johnnies".
In the square were the Coffee Rooms. There was a high wall all around with scented roses climbing over it. Of course the wall is just about waist height now. They kept bees and made their own honey. They also used to sell honey lollies for tuppence. They were the most delicious little bucket shaped ice lollies. I have made some since. The flavour was just the same.
In Market street there was another large shop selling wallpaper and paint, its name escapes me at the moment, I think it was called Dolphin and Tomkinsons.