In my local neighbourhood shops was once an establishment called STANLEY'S STORES. It was a hardware store and contained a Post Office section, as well as selling a variety of household items. At the time of this trivial, self-indulgent reminiscence, it wasn't my local neighbourhood, but the one next to it. It had previously been the area in which I lived, but we'd moved in 1965 and weren't to return 'til '72, though that's neither here nor there, I suppose.
In this shop, tacked to the wall was a sign - the one you see above, in fact. I recognized the LAUREL & HARDY figures as being in the style of the LARRY HARMON cartoon show of the famous comedy duo, which was then on TV. It seemed likely that the sign's artist had copied them from the strip in TV COMIC, or the cover of the 45 rpm single of the theme tune (which I also had at the time, and now do again since first publishing this post).
Anyway, having noticed the sign on numerous occasions when accompanying my mother, I one day ventured to enquire whether I might have it. Much to my surprise, I was informed that I could, and that's how it came to be in my possession. I've owned it, at a guess, since around 1971 (perhaps even late '70 or early '72) and because the shop is long, long-gone, it's a nice reminder of a place that was once a familiar part of my young life.
I bought my WADE porcelain YOGI BEAR (which I still have) from the same shop, perhaps even on the exact same day, so that's two items which conjure up images of a long-vanished era on which I look back with some fondness. Do you have a similar link to your youth? Then tell your fellow Criv-ites all about it, why don'tcha? Go on!
(Originally posted Monday 2nd November 2015.)
Incidentally, regarding the wording on the sign, I've seen printed versions in shops, saying 'Nice to handle, nice to hold, but if you break them, consider them sold.'
2 comments:
In my home town there are a couple of arcades, one modern, one Victorian. In the Victorian one, there was a shop called Sherwood Miller's that ran from front to back on the left hand side as you went in. I remember it was in three sections and the windows at the side I would browse regularly. I would also walk in the front entrance and walk all the way through the shop looking at the various items for sale. It was essentially a toy shop and it was where I bought my set of Batmobile, Batcopter and Batboat. In January 1983 I went in armed with my birthday money and bought one of those sticky octopuses that you threw at a window and it trickled down the pane. On the same day I bought Men at Work, Down Under, I believe from Boots, who stocked albums and singles at the time. Boots is still there but Sherwood Miller's has long gone, replaced by The Works. On another occasion I believe I bought my Silly Putty from Sherwood Miller's as well.
Out of that list of goodies, M, are there any you still have today, or do they survive only in your memory? I still miss many shops that were around when I was young and that's one of the sad things about growing old - not just friends and relatives dying, but places ceasing to exist that once provided so much enjoyment to one's life. I've done quite well in replacing loads of comics and toys I used to have, but there's one thing I can't do, and that's replace shops and buildings that were once part of my everyday life, but are, alas, no longer.
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