‘1960s shopping
HISTORIAN MERVYN EDWARDS LOOKS BACK WITH JIM WORGAN, MEMBER OF THE NEWCASTLE CIVIC SOCIETY, AT THE CHANGING FACE OF THE TOWN
AS a Newcastilian, I have always nurtured a fervent interest in the history of my own patch and have sometimes been appalled by the seismic changes that have occurred through insensitive urban planning, rabid short-termism and an overweening disrespect for the centuries of history that the town claims to cherish.
Jim Worgan was born 81 years ago and is fond of saying that for the last 58 years he has lived on the periphery of the town.
As a member of Newcastle Civic Society from 2002 and later a driving force in the group prior to its regrettable demise, Jim is wellplaced to assess the Sturm und
Drang of re-invention, modernisation and perhaps capitulation that has been Newcastle’s story since the conclusion of World War Two.
“The first time I remember going to Newcastle was just after the Second World War, accompanied by my parents and sister,” Jim tells me. “This became a weekly event for a number of years as we undertook the weekly shopping.
“Although the rationing of various items was still in place – and this lasted partly until the 1950s – it was a vibrant and exciting town, full of people. I recall my mother telling me that bananas were going to be on sale again, and I was disappointed to see how small they were when I saw them. I was expecting them to be the size of a small marrow.”
The markets in Newcastle gave it a heady atmosphere, a smidgen of unpredictability and a touch of theatre.
Jim responds:“today, the openair market in Newcastle is a pale shadow of its former self, but I can remember when it was a bustling place extending from the Guildhall to Brassington’s, with traders travelling from a wide variety of areas including one from Leicester who sold shoes and another from Chester who sold soft furnishings.
“Who remembers the covered market that was housed in a large Victorian building with a crockery shop either side of the entrance on the site of the present Vue Cinema?
“The indoor and outdoor markets were at the heart of the town, and traders would often wait outside Woolworths for the arrival of the market manager to see if any stalls were available.
“I know of people who, on a Saturday, did not go into town until the late afternoon, when the market traders were packing up for the day. They did this to see if they could get a bargain – which the traders were happy to give because it reduced the amount of stock they had to take away.
“For many years, the outdoor market stalls were dismantled after each trading day for storage until re-erection. This, of course, was
when the A34 was still the main highway through the town and obviously care was needed, particularly on the western side of the market stalls.”
Surviving photographs say more than even Jim can about the hurlyburly of the High Street back in the day – astonishing images of heavy lorries and cars rumbling through the main street in hair-raising proximity to the good folk patronising the stalls on the Stones.
“Various local bus services passed through the town,” he adds, “as well as through Ironmarket and to a lesser degree, Merrial Street, both of which were through routes.
“The bus station was in Hassell Street at the back of which was Bow Street with its quaint black and white buildings.
“Crowds thronged the streets and care was required because of the through traffic. All this changed with the coming of the inner and outer ring roads and the pedestrianisation of various streets in the town – which has led to the greater use of the bus station.”
The shopping experience offered by Newcastle in the 1960s had a wonderful rawness about it created by heterogeneous sights and sounds. There was Ted Scally selling newspapers in Red Lion Square and advertising his wares at the top of his pipes.
Some readers will recall the whiff of greasy but cheap food from the Wimpy Bar in Hassell Street and the enticing aromas that wafted from Sidoli’s famous cafe in High Street.
“And who can forget the beautiful smell of ground coffee emanating from Blockley’s cafe,” says Jim. “As teenagers, my friends and I would visit most Saturday afternoons, apart from when Stoke City were playing at home.
“Other shops included Otet, Radio Rentals, Macfisheries, Redman’s, Home and Colonial, Brassington’s the grocer, and Hubank’s, together with the ironmongers George Hollis and Sons and Mellard’s - the latter being one of the few places in North Staffordshire to have a licence to sell explosives.
“Close by was Paulden’s, with both Henry White’s men’s and women’s shops, which had a long canopy extending to the edge of the pavement in Ironmarket.
“There was also Mandley and Unett’s, Baggaley’s printers, the Rainbow pub, the Midland Bank which became the HSBC, the National Provincial and Westminster banks, which merged to become Natwest on opposite sides of the High Street.
“I recall Child’s grocers, too. Just below was the Westminster Bank that sported a Royal Crest, now on display in the Brampton Museum.
“Just below was the King’s Head public house - another place which my mother told me to stay away from – whilst opposite was Bodley’s the wine merchant.
“Ironmarket had Jones, Moss and Company Limited, together with Burton’s and the Fifty Shilling Taylor’s, among others. There were four cinemas, namely the Rex, Rio, Savoy and Roxy, all long gone!”
Jim takes us back to 1963, and the opening of the Market Arcade, whose outlets he was very familiar with.
“Among its stalls,” he continues, “were Wareham’s of Nantwich who specialised in cheese. There was W S Brown and Sons and Statham the butcher.
“A variety of stalls sold clothes and handbags, whilst in the basement there was an Indian (or Chinese) restaurant together with a hairdressing salon operated by former Stoke City player Eddie Stuart. The Boss also opened a hairdressing salon which is still going in strong in Fogg Street, being run by his sons.”
Other elements of Newcastle have not been so lucky, and Jim is keen to mention the demolition of the old Castle Hotel, only the front of which survives and the demise of the Municipal Hall in Ironmarket.
“Another swathe of buildings that disappeared,” he asserts, “were from halfway down Merrial Street and up to and including the wonderful Hind’s Vaults as well as the Nell Gwynne Tea Room and the Trustee Savings Bank in Lad Lane. Included in this section were the Globe Commercial Hotel, the Central Hotel, Orridge’s (later Bookland), Sylvester’s music shop and a wonderful old cobbler’s shop where I used to purchase both leather and round rubber rings (for heels) when my father used to mend our shoes.
“One remarkable survivor is the present, black and white timbered Plant and Wilton butcher’s shop, which was restored in the nineteenth century. It was formerly the Golden Ball, built around 1600, and has a Civic Society blue plaque.”
Mr Worgan has been busy writing his own personal perspective of The Ancient Borough of Newcastleunder-lyme, now available online. It contains some interesting evaluations borne of much chin-rubbing and a long-time involvement with the Civic Society.
In considering the decline of the High Street, Jim cites the advent of supermarkets and out of town shopping facilities and more recently, the arrival of online shopping. He is optimistic about several town development projects presently being planned and holds a balanced view about how Newcastle might change to remain the same:
He says: “The Borough has gone through some turbulent times during its almost 850 years of history. Nevertheless, the traditions and trappings have been passed down from generation to generation and whilst in the modern climate these are too easy to forget about and dispense with, I firmly believe that it is essential that they continue to enable future generations to be proud of the past history of the Borough.”
Mervyn will present a Green Door history walk on Monday, 9th May, around Station Walks, Newcastle, starting promptly at 11 am. Meet to the side of the Borough Arms Hotel in King Street. Admission is £3, pay on the day.