Comments on: A Nation Of Shopkeepers by John Claridge

By: Philip Marriage

Philip Marriage — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 21:37:43 +0000

These are wonderful photos of past times – every one a classic.

Small point: the first photo (Ross Bakeries, Quaker Street) must be a little later than the captioned 1966 as the old Grey Eagle pub on the left is in the midst of being demolished (it was still there when I photographed this spot in the autumn of 1967 and the bakery still open). The pub was demolished around 1970 to allow the expansion of the Truman Brewery.

The ‘Bakers 1959’ shop is, I’m pretty sure, also the Ross Bakeries with Hope Street in the background.

By: George Williams

George Williams — Fri, 17 Jun 2016 16:05:15 +0000

The pictures look lonely but beautiful

By: mark bolton

mark bolton — Tue, 25 Nov 2014 08:09:52 +0000

brilliant work by an old master… I feel the need to shoot our ‘village’… (Clifton) , really a part of Bristol, because its all changing soooo quick…

By: ian silverton

ian silverton — Sun, 24 Aug 2014 17:49:28 +0000

Had a pair of mens shoes made at Fiorella Shoes, corner of Brick lane,or in it,they looked and lasted well, 12 pounds paid,thanks for the memiors,made me laugh.

By: Chris Love

Chris Love — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 13:26:59 +0000

An amazing look at an age that will never be again. Had to agree very strongly with John, many things were changed in the 1960’s but no one ever asked the people what they wanted, it just happened.
I live in Nottingham, and the buildings that were destroyed and memorable landmarks that were lost in the 60’s was criminal. Most of the buildings of character were replaced with faceless concrete monstrosities.
So thank you for sharing such wonderful photographs of a past of not so long ago.

By: frank hadley

frank hadley — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 11:45:08 +0000

living and going to school in the spitalfields area was great and i remember most of the little shops pictured, on sunday afternoon we would go to a little sweet shop near flower and dean st. which was run by a nice lady, to buy our treats for the evening, don’t let anyone fool you about penniless kids as we had way’s of making money by finding thing’s do depending on the time of year like bob-a-job any money over a bob we shared. penny for the guy, a great earner on friday’s outside aldgate east station. then there was carol singing outside pubs mainly in the city. not forgetting washing cars, also returning beer bottles to reclaim the deposit on the bottle. who needed pocket money? in the 50s. after all we were streetwise.

By: sheila butt

sheila butt — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 18:08:39 +0000

I lived in Quaker st all my life and when I started work in Great Eastern St I used to go into Ross the bakers every morning to get my cakes for tea break, brings back so many memories brilliant.
Thnkyou.

By: john edwards

john edwards — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 08:34:15 +0000

How we hated those little corner shops, the only one’s ever open on Sundays but still furtive in the nature of dancing with the devil by picking up a Screws of The World and 10 Woodbine oh! and a sherbert dip with liquorice straw from the lonely hutch of an outpost on the all seeing curtain twitching
street. Church bells ringing come all ye faithless – heads ringing from a night in the Greyhound [retired]
& Ashtray – Blue Lagoon now Glue Balloon….. the MOG – miserable old git of a shopkeeper hated because they charged a halfpenny more for rubbish – drip drip of miser’s geld ….. the sliced white loaf
whose only value was toasted under a hillock of baked beans or fishing, as it’s glutinous ‘sell in your gut’ ingredients would stick to your size 12 hook for hours …….
The amazing and, to me, macabre mainly jewish poulterer’s / butchers windows always conjure an
Alfred Hitchcock chill of fear and hilarity in one packet – the solitary or at most duet of naked hung
skinny birds – I hear the slide of Guillotine, the quartered bodies on spikes o’er London Bridge [ before our time okay but there still ] ‘It was the worst of times. It was the best of times’ . And you nailed it Johnny boyo.

By: jane osullivan

jane osullivan — Sat, 01 Sep 2012 19:49:56 +0000

you mention the East End Trades Guild Gentle Author ………….., well , would they be able to brainstorm something wonderful up with the esteemed Mr John Claridge and yourself to have a fundraiser , awareness promotion of some kind to help promote the guild ?
An exhibition of this important work ,made into a limited edition book , prints etc all going towards the guilds campaign.
To bring the past in to help the present , memories are being made now aren’t they ?
eg.Berthas wedding shop,people remembering those shops , people want to have meaningful places to shop, social places ,family places.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to continue this “venerable tradition of local shops”

By: Kay Stallard

Kay Stallard — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 06:11:14 +0000

Bertha ‘s in Petticoat Lane was my late mother in laws shop. She died last year.
My husband has many stories about the shop.
She started her business in £ 10 and sold to mostly African brides who would come over and buy their dresseses and about a dozen bridesmaids dresses!
My husband painted the shop pink for her and it appears in the Pet Shop boys video ‘west end boys’.
Fantastic photos, capturing a bygone age.