Oval Shops

[keith lockey]

Here are some photos of the oval shops in front of Kelso gardens - opposite Foundry House. (Which stands on our old playing field)

The shops in photo 3 are going to be pulled down soon - so we have heard.

Can anyone remember the shops from the sixties and seventies?

There was Strakers on the corner...further down a barbers, Doreen's wool shop, a co-op!!!. Then across that gap was Dennis's, Christines chiropodists....Routledge the butchers, the newspaper shop, last owned by Colin Mole and the rest is lost to history.

During the course of time there have been a green grocers, video shop, pet shop, fish and chip shop and who knows what else.

Please help lads and lasses, cos I've got a bad doze of nostalgia.

[tonyg]

kramers ladies clothes shop

[Pete]

Keith I am not sure about the late sixties or seventies as I left Bedlington in Feb 1966

Picture one from left to right; the first shop was George Swann's. Next shop was the Chemist can't remember the name of the people that owned it followed by the Barbers. Not sure if the next shop was a wool shop originally. The Co op. owned the double shop at the end of the first row.

Picture three from left to right: the first shop was Dobson's it was similar to George Swann's, as your post already says the next shop was Christine Henderson's the Chiropodist, this was followed by Wakes the Butcher. The next shop was Mr Bedanell's news paper shop but he did sell other things as well, the last shop was a Draper's as far as I remember. The time period that I am referring to would be in the early fifties when they were first built.

Edited February 1, 2013 by Pete

[Pete]

kramers ladies clothes shop

Tony was that next to the co op

[keith lockey]

The wool shop was Doreen's - Mr Blythman took over when his wife, Doreen, died. My bro says there was a drapers but I can't remember. He also mentioned a chemist but I can't recall that either. He did say one of the shops had a weighing machine out front where you could get yourself weighed.

Here's another shot of the first row - with the gable ends out of shot.

Edited February 1, 2013 by keith lockey

[tonyg]

the coop had two shops there groceries and next door the butcher

[keith lockey]

the coop had two shops there groceries and next door the butcher

That's right, Tonyg. It was the two with the blue shutters on the end of first row. The guy used to wear a brown 'Awkright' work coat.

[tonyg]

no next to the paper shop

[keith lockey]

PS. If you look at this photo you will see a bloke in a red car glaring at me. I didn't notice him when I took the photo - not until he drove passed me and gave me the evil eye. I thought he was going to get out of the car!! But the barbers was in one of those green door shops.

Edited February 1, 2013 by keith lockey

[keith lockey]

no next to the paper shop

Might be, but I remember one was on the corner of the first row. I recall that because my mam sent be to get some brussel sprouts there and i got the amount mixed up. The guy sent me back home to bring a note!!!

[tonyg]

councillor george todd used to work in the coop at the oval

[Maggie/915]

There was a pie shop, the hot mince pies were good.

November 5th bonfires were good in this neck of the woods.

Someone even took the wood from a telegraph pole.

The top was left intact just on the ground.

[Maggie/915]

By the way it was not me.

[Keith Scantlebury]

There was the motorbike shop and the music shop at the end of the first row. Arthur Routledge was a one time butcher as well (after Wakes) Everybody is also forgetting the Drs. Surgery sandwiched between the shops and the houses in the 3rd pic. Drs Ivory and Brown before they legged it to Guidepost.

[tonyg]

you are wrong after wakes it was soulsbys and then don lynns .as my mother in law worked for both of them

[Maggie/915]

Thanks tonyg I thought it was Don Lynn's but was not sure.

Thought it could have been Lewins

[Keith Scantlebury]

you are wrong after wakes it was soulsbys and then don lynns .as my mother in law worked for both of them

Arthur Routledge was the butcher at the oval for many years 150% certain. He was our butcher and a family friend. Don and Jean Lynn were both also family friends. Don was a particularly close friend of my dads. Authur Routledge would often deliver the meat himself and continued to do so after my dad died, making sure my mother was ok. When he retired My mother then used Bobby Cowell at the station, we still do.

[tonyg]

yes routledge was the butcher after soulsbys and lynns

[keith lockey]

yes routledge was the butcher after soulsbys and lynns

I bumped into Alan Routledge the other day in Tescos. I was telling him about the shops. One of the other shops I remember was Mick's Video shop in the first row - where the Co-op shop was. But am I right in thinking the Perry's had a greengrocers in that row. Keith was in my class at school but I never see him or Dave now.

Edited February 6, 2013 by keith lockey

[tonyg]

i no alan very well

[tonyg]

mick murrey had the video shop played golf with him on occasions

[Symptoms]

Does Alan Routledge have a brother Michael? I went to school with a Micky Routledge ... he'd be 61ish now.

[Keith Scantlebury]

Keith lives at Kitty Brewster and Dave has that big house at what was Wades. Dave had the shop down there for while as well as the mobile green grocers.

[keith lockey]

Keith lives at Kitty Brewster and Dave has that big house at what was Wades. Dave had the shop down there for while as well as the mobile green grocers.

I saw Dave come out of that drive the other week so that explains it. But tell me more about this music shop, Keith, neither me nor my bro can remember it. Was it instruments or vinyl records?

[Keith Scantlebury]

Instruments. It wasn't there very long as far as I can remember. They sold all sorts including piano's , drums, guitars as well as sheet music. I can't remember if it was before or after the Motorbike shop (after I think) It was the shop on the opposite corner to Denis's. (what was the co-op)

Edited February 8, 2013 by keith