Memory Lane ….Shopping in Saul
During my childhood shopping in Saul village gave you a lovely choice of suppliers.
At Saul Farm was Cyril Rudge’s butchers shop long before he had the purpose build shop built along the High Street closer to the Cross.
Assisted by his sister Rosa it was sawdust heaven with everything scrubbed and hygienically clean as it should be. Opposite at Lion House was the blacksmith shop with its forge and visitors especially farmers taking bits of iron in to be bent and re-tempered. Opposite the Church was Saul Post office which was the front room of Mrs Annie Silvey’s home. In through the front door, turn right and the grille for the Post Office confronted you which was very similar to village post offices of today. But the rest of the room was a delight for how much could be neatly displayed. Tobacco of every variety and persuasion, Our school time favourite was Black Beauty Shag as you could say a naughty word and get away with it…although we did not know what it meant ! Sweets like you have always wanted and encouragement by Siccily (Spelling?) Franks who ably assisted Mrs Silvey. Then in the left hand corner of the room the Public call box. A coin operated telephone connected to Mrs Travell just a few houses along at Saul Exchange. “Please insert four pence” and you will get pips after three minutes The box was glazed so you may see if it was occupied and had doors with giant black loop handles giving access to the room for the public and to the house for the Postmistress.
Three doors up towards the Garage was the Supply Stores a purpose built double fronted shop which was probably clad in highly dangerous blue asbestos. But this was the domain of Miss Stella Gower. It was a no frills grocery store selling unexciting everyday food for the villagers. I always felt the layout needed revision as bread was here, butter was over there, jam was somewhere else and so on. But BUT she sold Lyons Maid Ice Cream.. this was big town stuff and for a few pence in those days you could come away with a wafer or cornet.
Silveys Garage…what an institution if you had a new bike or a new car then it came from Silveys…nowhere else. Radio Batteries, torch batteries, inner tubes brake cables . Anything transport it was available. Set in sections on the left side was the long storage garage For the taxis including the 7 seater Vauxhall FFH7 and cars in for long term repair. The Central double fronted garage had the office and shop on the left hand side with a front window full of goodies from rear lights to pocket knives. The similar area on the right was more of a store and not so attractive. The main workshop had a pit as well as a single ram hydraulic vehicle lift and central to everything was the famous tortoise stove which I think was waste oil burning. To the right of the garage was the Showroom pristine in layout with Morris advertising, and coconut matting. Every few weeks a new Morris Minor, Oxford or Isis would appear. I am reliably told by several sources that at that time Silvey’s did not do Hire Purchase. Cash or cheque only and when your cheque is cleared they would register it. Scandal if you car was left waiting there for a while because you Milk cheque had not arrived! Also in the Showroom was a small selection of bikes and if you really chatted them up nicely they would give you a Raleigh Catalogue. Three Petrol pumps grace the roadside in regular, and super only I do not see there was any call for Diesel at that time although they would have had a good trade in paraffin for lighting, cooking and heating.
Further along the High Street in a side building to The Hollies House was the shop belonging to Mr and Mrs Arthur Mathews with daughters Gloria and Carol. Arthur was an entrepreneur as he introduced Fish and Chips to Saul frying a few nights a week. You knew when this was because the smell wafted down to Saul Wood. He also toured the villages with a Karrier low platform Van professionally converted into a mobile shop. Arthur sold real Coca Cola in glass bottles which was a first for the area and started many on the addiction. I was given money for one birthday and spent a large portion of it on a full case of 24 from Arthur. His best ever sale but I did not get trade discount!
On the cross was theCo-op. The Cainscross and Ebley Co-operative Society. Saul’s Superstore Mr Alder, Lionel’s Dad was the manager welcoming everyone. Mr Smith who cycled around the regular customers picking up orders for delivery in a few days time in their Morris PV Van There were about three others in the shop including a couple of ladies. Don’t forget your Divi. As shareholders you owned the shop and allocated a share number or Divi Number. I believe my mother saved hers up all of the year then her Christmas shop was paid for out of the Divi as I believe did many others. And is it not time you had another Cat. The Coop had amazing Cat/Cats which bred on a regular timeframe so you better think about having another kitten. The Coop cats sat on the counter, purred and were stroked by everyone or curled up upon one of the sacks that graced the store in those days. Food Hygiene what’s That??
Up the Black road was a dual purpose venue an Off Licence and Bakery which to my memory was a hatch through which all commerce was conducted The Proprietor was a Mr Harris ..Baker Harris to give him his correct tittle who appeared as a white apparition covered in flour when baking. The off licence was a canvas bag job to go and get a few bottles of Forest Brown or stout for Grandma. He also sold cigarettes in ones. Two pence each and share them with about four of your mates if anyone had a match!
Finally a lovely store in an eight by ten garden shed halfway down Passage Road on the Right Hand Side. The emporium of Frank and Sylvia Chapman. The only evidence it existed was a stOKes ice cream sign stuck on the house wall. I may be doing them a disservice but Stokes Ice cream came from Wotton-Under-Edge and it did not travel well! Frank was the local Newsagents and delivered newspapers around the area in a grey Austin A35 van selling sticky cakes, sweets and a few tins of essentials whilst delivering the papers.