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Co.Op.number.

R

Rod

Guest
Can any of you remember your Co-Op numbers? I am sure ours was 288038, woe betide you if you got it wrong when paying for things you had done errands for.
 
Co-OP

our mom's number was 223353 the name of the co-op milkman was Joe he brought the milk and collected the money in his brown leather satchel (you could not do this today) and his horse just followed him around it knew where it was going with out been told I wonder if this is the same horse as John KC was on about
 
Co-op

My number was 386787 and I had the same co-op milkman Joe as John H
I also had bread and coal delivered when I lived in Burlington Street. I bought some groceries from the shop next to the Stork pub in Newtown Row. and also had a bedroom suite from the main High Street, Co-op in town.

My son Michael had his first hair cut at the Co-op in High Street, and I have a certificate to prove it. I didn't take him again though because he screamed and wriggled and thoroughly embarassed me.

My mother's number was 110443 and this was written in indelible pencil on
the backdoor post, she was a great believer in the co-op and had bread, milk and coal, and also used their laundry service as my father hated wet washing hanging around, the laundry came back so stiff you had to almost prise it apart and the buttons on my dad's shirts were often broken and guess who had to sew them back on.

My mother also had co-op checks if you had a £10 check you repaid it at ten shillings old money per week for 20 weeks, then another one was taken out, mom used these to buy towels, bed linen, curtains etc., we used to go to the drapers shop on Aston Cross to make the repayments.

The divi was quite generous for a long time it was one shilling ad tuppence in the pound. I think you could draw your divi twice a year from
the fifth floor at the main shop in High Street, my mother saved enough to pay for my wedding reception - at Burlington Street School.
 
post subject . CO-OP

From Mick Windsor Our moms number was 270032
whoe betide us if we forgot it .When ileft school in 62 i went to work for
CO-OP grocery at Branch 69 Lichfield Rd Aston anyone recall it
anyone who came in and didnot have a number i would use moms
if the manager was not around mom used to ask each day if i had got her any extra divi
 
Little boxes

I used to love going to the Co Op "wiv me mom" they sold little boxes of chocolate covered raisins which I loved.

The Co Op was a fine institution now sadly gone due to the rise of the vast Hypermarket chains. The personal service, and name terms now a thing of the past. The managers of these shops each had their own little empire, and minions over whom they ruled. My brother started work in such a shop at Spring Hill and worked his way up from assistant, to Manager. From what I understand the Co Op looked after their employees back then, and helped out in times of personal need. You worked for them, all your working life, again a thing of the past I think?

Does anyone remember Co Op Cheques? Mom had one each year to pay for clothes and presents at Xmas Time. Mr Cumberland, would call on Mondays I think, to collect a weekly payment. The Cheque I think was in the form of a book of little stamps? I can remember being taken round the different departments on a couple of occasions, and getting to try on a new Mac? 8)
 
Co-op

I worked for the co-op grocery starting a branch 43 which was at Aston Cross then moving up the road to the Park Rd. branch, where i became assistant manager then onto 87 branch at Witton Rd.I meet my wife of 37 years at Ason Cross, and she went on to work at High St. I believe that the death of the co-op as we knew it was due to the stopage of the Divi
 
Divi

I live in a town that has a CoOp which still has the old DIVI. In Tamworth we have both a department store, and a supermarket in the town centre, when shopping your asked for your share number. The supermarket must still make a good profit, its usually bursting with customers. They are predominantly elderly shoppers? possibly with no transport, car etc of their own. The store has a delivery service? I dont think its particularly cheap to use though?
We prefer like most to visit our local ASDA, SAINSBURYS or MORRISSONS because they provide goods cheaper than the CoOp. I dont honestly think its the demise of the DIVI in most societies, which caused it's downfall, I should imagine it's the ability of the big chains to buy enormous quantities of food etc and sell it cheaper than the CoOps. We also have an out of town CoOp, I think it survives on passing trade though? It used to be well patronised but with the coming of the larger stores, it has become a bit of a ghost town.
 
co-op greengrocery

I worked for the B.C.S. greengrocery as a mobile shop manager,after training at various branches. My shop was a low loader truck fitted out with a roof with shoot for potatoes,and room to carry boxes of eggs, bananas and any thing else that was needed to replenish the stock on the chassis which was fitted out with shelves to display our stock. I had an assistant called Mac (Iwonder if he is still around?)
This going back to the 1940/1950's. Happy as the day was long. Rain or shine we would travel our route, Normal working hours about 65-70 per week. Never a moan from either of us.
Our routine was Monday Half day, Morning spent on paper work and tidying van replenish our stock ready for Tuesday- start work 7-00am collect goods, from warehouse including fresh fish, That would be a no-no today. set off on our round Starting by standing in the yard at Quinton Shops for the morning and round the streets in the afternoon. Back to depot about 5-30 to 6pm Catch tram home to Stechford. this was repeated on Thursday's and Saturday. Wednesday and Friday same routine in morning, then off to start in Acocks Green and finishing in Solihill.

Imagine the winter of 1947 out in the cold standing around waiting for customers. Serving wet fresh fish from the back of the lorry. Filleting plaice, herrings and cod. Skinning rabbits, dressing poultry, then when it rained emptying your wellies before going to catch your tram and all for £9 per week. AH HAPPY DAYS.


Back to Co-Op numbers my mothers was 2690, my grand mothers was 0108 and ours was 48485. Incidentally the Co-op is making a come back up here in Warrington and surrounding districts, I am pleased to say.
 
Co-OP

"ELEVEN, TWENTY, EIGHTY-SEVEN! and don't forget to tell it to Stan the milkman when he comes. And tell him to stop that ruddy 'oss rummaging in the pigbin. But if it drops a load, get the bucket and spade before Joe Newal gets to it."

Stan the (ex)-milkman was still using the Handsworth Horicultural Club well into the late eighties. I never knew his surname and can't recall what his horse was named but I s'pose it probably died when pushed into early retirement by a three-wheeled electric float.
 
CO OP

111766 DIVI NUMBER :)
THE MILKMANS HORSE WAS CALLED WANG AND HE WAS SHOT OUTSIDE MY MOMS HOUSE, WHEN HE PANICKED AND BROKE HIS LEG. :cry:
THEY NEVER SHOT THE REPLACEMENT MILK CART WHEN IT'S BATTERY WENT FLAT :?
 
Co-OP

155562 :eek: When we had our groceries delivered on a Friday afternoon we used to help Mum check that all the items were there by ticking them off in a little blue book (i think) and then use the box to push each other up and down the lino in the hall it kept us happy for ages till it fell to pieces :lol: Paul do you remermber my Dad he drank in the HHC untill the late eighties his name was Ivor Rees?
 
Co-OP

I know it's shameful. but I can't remember me number. Every time I try Brian's service number pops up.

My dad hated the co-op. I don't think he ever set foot in one mind,
he was just an awkward watsit. Mom would come in with the shopping and he would wait for her to unpack it, then we waited for him to say it -
'You know I hate that bloody co op bacon.' :D
 
Numbers...

:D My mom shopped at the Co-Op on Gt lister St and under no circumstances would she ever tell anyone except the manager of the shop her number, as I've said befor she trusted no one, but no one. Think she thought someone would try and pinch her 'Divvy' if they ever got hold of the number.
My brother-in-law worked at the Co-Op Funeral directers on the corner of Vauxhall Rd, or there-abouts for a number years,(he has some stories to tell about that if only I could get him on 'The Site'). :lol:

Postscript
Kandor can tell you what I say about my mom and her trusting no one with anything that is ' hers '. She can be really possessive of her property even at 85yrs. :lol:
 
co op

Tis true about the milkmans horse.
A gang of blokes with a lorry arrived and put canvas curtains round him so no one would see what they were up to. As all this was taking place outside our house I rushed upstairs and from the front bedroom window I could see what was going on. :shock:
It didn't take very long,they fired the gun, the horse never stood up and said "YOU SHOT ME YOU DIRTY RAT" like James Cagney did.
He just sort of twitched and that was it. :cry:
The lorry had a mechanical winch on the back and they lifted the poor old horse onto the back and away they went.
:( I used to recount the tale to my mates for weeks after that, it kept me in sweets. :wink:
 
Co-op

ONE-SIX-SEVEN-THREE-O......."and don't you dare forget it when you pay the milkman or baker when I'm not here"...My Mom, like most Mom's, took the Diivvy quite seriously. We shopped at several Co-ops after rationing came off when you felt confident to shop elsewhere than the Grocers that you had patronised throughout the War...staying there in order to get the "deals" saved for special customers when food was hard to come by.

The Co-op on Stockland Green was one of the first in Birmingham to
become self serve. Wasn't that a strange feeling, picking up a
wire basket and wandering around the store taking items off the shelves yourself?
The overhead wire payment system was taken down and replaced by an electric cash register and a small checkout area. I used to sit on a chair looking up at the cashier and watching the overhead system in full flight when I shopped there as a child with my Mum. This shop was a butchers as well and next door was a chemist. There was a Co-op in Slade Road on the way to Salford Bridge another on Brookvale Road. The one in Erdington High Street is still there. I also remember the Co-op on Witton Circle that was just a Dry Goods Co-op for years and years and the one on Aston Cross that was a good size and a big part of that block.

Later on I worked in two Wholesale Grocery businesses and the Co-op Grocery stores had a very good reputation and good prices for the times.
 
Co-op Branch No 101

For the record, our divi number was 183369. Our local Co-op was an impressive parade on Hawthorn Road with a two-storey section containing a meeting hall over the Grocery Department. The place must have opened as the area was built up around 1930. The only time I went into the meeting hall was to receive an identity disk in 1939. The grocery dept had avout four separate counters with an overhead sprung pulley system liking to the central cash point. Being a tram nutter I nwas fascinated by the aerial wire contraption. On the left was the open greengrocery dept, and on the right the butchers dept, ladies and gents clothing (separate of course) savings bank and undertakers dept. Both my parents were cremated courtesy of the Co-op.
Porky Walker
 
Branch No 101 - a Correction

I got it wrong when I said we went to the meeting room over the grocery department for identity discs. We went to register for our identity numbers, which had to be put later on to identity dics which we wore round our necks or wrists.

This would have been a couple of weeks or so before war was declared. I'm sure local papers will confirm the actual dates we had to register.

For the number crunchers, my number was QCIR343/3, same as National Insurance number today. My dad was 343/1, and mum 343/2.

Sorry about the mistake, but it's the first time I've thought about it for over 60 years.

Happy New Year again!
 
Re: Co-OP

Thought you might like to see this folks. Girls at the head office calculating your Divi

Plus a couple of branch shops. Adderly Park 1881 takings of £60 per week! and Cheetham Street
 
Re: Co-OP

Super photo's Rod. :)

Inside on the scrubbed wooden counter would have been a lump of cheese with a cheese wire, and on the floor near to it a sack of sugar with a brass scoop to fill the little blue bags.
 
Re: Co-OP

Mom's Co-op number 216050
Dad's first motor bike HA 6594
Dad's Second motor bike ROX 124
MY car number.........NOT A CLUE!!!!!
MY pin number........NOT A CLUE!!!! But I do remember being taken to the Co-op every year to get new shoes and school clothes.
Another thing that we used to get off the Co-op milkman was little bottles of concentrated orange juice. I think that you had to have a coupon for this though. .................I just want to know where my memory went!!!!
And our Co-op breadmans' name was Reg.........and my name is............Oh soddit!!!
 
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