Sepia Saturday gives bloggers an opportunity to share their family history through photographs. When I saw this week's photo prompt, it conjured up a number of memories in my head:
- Shopping with my mother in the 1950's in the Home and Colonial Store in Blackpool, Lancashire; also a dark haberdashery store which intrigued me - all the walls were lined with drawers and cupboards, and the staff seemed to know where everything was; another fascination was the Co-op with the money travelling back and forth along wires in the little canisters above the counters.
A course I had to do at work on the dreaded ""Health and Safety". How many contraventions of current legislation and practices can you spot in the photo prompt? The assistant perched precariously on the ladder for a start.
My father account, written down in his "Early Life" - "Leaving school in 1926, I went to work in a grocer's shop where I had been the Saturday errand boy. I graduated to delivering bags of corn 80lbs plus, with the pony and trap - a Welsh cob called Tommy who was inclined to be lazy. At night I rode him bareback to a field." I cannot imagine my father on this job, as he never gave the slightest indication of any affinity or interest in horses. Perhaps this experience was enough!
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Unfortunately I have no photographs in my family history collection which reflect this theme, so am featuring instead recent happy holiday memories of shopping in Austria and Bavaria - with perhaps some ideas for brightening up our beleagured High Streets!
Copyright © 2012 · Susan Donaldson. All Rights Reserved
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Austria and Germany really do know how to decorate with folk art. It amazes me that the tradition has survived.
ReplyDeleteMy dad worked in a shop called Dick's Half Off" which has always made me laugh. My dad did not end up in retail.
You resemble my wife. Whenever we go abroad she shows a vivid interest in shops. However, I have to admit, her interest is not limited to other countries.
ReplyDeleteI also have to acknowledge that you have a keen eye for very nice and colorful shops! Just one question regarding the 4th picture. Is that the place where they make the famous Wiener Schnitzels?
Just kidding.
Oh, what a wonderful idea about studying the prompt picture for violations of health and safety procedures. That would make for some interesting discussion! But I have enjoyed the collection of memories and souvenir photos. Well done!
ReplyDeleteOh how interesting! Thanks you for taking me shopping too, what cool spots!
ReplyDeleteBut Sue you have no need of a photograph when you have such a wonderful word picture from your own father and your own vivid memories; it's what Sepia Saturday is all about.
ReplyDeleteWhat fun memories of you shopping with your mom! I love the one with the money in the canisters wizzing through the air on the wires.
ReplyDeleteAnd the photo of the bakery...how yummy!
Interesting how once was "normal" ie being up a ladder is now OH&S isn't it. I too remember those canisters with the money and receipts. How about the parcels wrapped in brown paper and string with a little loop for your finger.
ReplyDeleteI think European shops win hands-down over the more commercialised shops here or in UK. I was so tickled with the French shops with their emphasis on presentation indoors and outdoors and then also in the wrapping. Aaah.
Thank you to everyone for their kind comments to a posting I almost didn't write. I love the continental shops, too, they present such a cheery front.
ReplyDeletePeter - the food shop is a gorgeous Viennese style cafe in Bad Ischl, east of Salzburg, specialising in cakes - how could we resist that!