ST GEORGE’S LADIES GROUP

Open All Hours

Steve Harris was given a warm welcome when he came to talk to us about Open All Hours. Over the years he has given us a number of talks and has become a firm favourite with the Ladies Group.

Everyone's thoughts turned to the popular television programme Open All Hours featuring the little corner shop and starring Ronnie Barker and David Jason. In the twenties Steve's parents opened a little shop that sold everything from groceries to paraffin which was open from 8am morning until 6pm and as late as 10pm on Saturdays. These days we are accustomed to groceries being pre-packed but in those days things like sugar, tea and dried fruits came loose and were kept in canisters or wooden drawers at the back of the shop. On the counter there was a large set of scales and the various weights, and sugar and tea were weighed up on these and put into strong blue paper bags. There were no bacon slicers so this had to be cut by hand. In those days people were poor as the wages were low and women had difficulty in eking out their money and would buy only the essential things they needed for that week. Shopkeepers wanted to keep their customers happy and small amounts such as 4oz of tea or sugar would be weighed up.

Women would make out a weekly order, Steve remembered one customer always wrote hers on the back of a used envelope, and put it in one day and have it delivered in a cardboard box by the delivery boy on his bike the next day. Groceries were always paid for one week in arrears. Once a year there was a cycle race for the delivery boys on their bikes and we saw a slide of these teenagers hurtling round a corner on their machines.

Milk was sold by the milkman who had a horse to pull his cart on which were large metal milk churns and various size measuring ladles with which to measure out the milk into the customers' jugs. The horse got to know the round so well he would automatically stop at each customers' house. As there were no refrigerators the milk was kept in the cellar as this was the coolest place in the house.

In those days only the rich could afford holidays and most people did not have a holiday and those that did usually went to stay with a relative.

These little corner shops have virtually disappeared but Steve has occasionally come across one and only recently found a little sweet shop that keeps sweets in large glass jars and weighs up the sweets to the customer's requirement.

This talk was a nostalgic glimpse into the past and brought back many memories to quite a number of the ladies in the group.

Dickensian Singers

There was a large audience when the Dickensian Singers came once again to entertain us, and although depleted in numbers due to illness, they put on an excellent show. We heard songs from My Fair Lady, The King and I and many others and were treated to solos and a duet all ably accompanied by the lady pianist. They sang popular Christmas songs and carols and invited the audience to join in and the lively compere kept everyone amused with his jokes and chat between songs. It was a lovely evening and everyone enjoyed singing all the well known melodies.

Margaret Deal