This photo brought back a lot of memories for me. Corner of Kingstanding Road and Dyas Road. I remember (usually) queuing at Clarkes for fruit and veg. But they also sold cod roe which was a treat I loved from there. It was an incredibly popular shop in the 1950s/60s. In front of the shop was a long slope, the stalls used to be perched on the slope usually with the awning pulled out over them. Then there was Lathams next door, occupying the whole of the shop units to the left of Clarkes. Mum got her fancy net curtains from there (or 'nets' as they were always referred to). It was a very well stocked shop, can still smell the new material smell as you walked in through its doors. Didn't realise it was called Lathams Warehouse. Only ever knew it simply as Lathams. Then to the right of Clarkes there was Kirton's, owned by the footballer. Mum worked at Bywaters next to Kirton's. Consequently we were never short of bacon, chops or pork pies. What an unhealthy diet I must have had in those days. I remember the ironmongers off to the right, all his stock would spill out across that spacious pavement in front of the shops. But the line of demarcation between the ironmongers and his neighbours was clear from the red hoarding alongside each side of his shop. There was a dress shop along there somewhere too with dresses for the more mature lady. Think I said earlier on this thread that the shops to the right were all thriving shops in the 50s/60s. They would have set up there in the early 40s and by the 60s would have benefited from the boom in spending. There was Littlewoods, Woollies and Geo Mason over on Hawthorn Road opposite, but in the 60s there was room for everyone on the High Street. At the time this would have also have been a modern local High Street with every amenity but that still didn't stop us from the regular visits to the 'Town' shops at the weekend. Viv.
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