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I remember Towlson's sweet shop on the corner of Alfreton Road and Newquay Avenue. Run by Eric Towlson and his wife. His elderly mother, who had some form of dementia, sometimes wandered into the shop. My sister often nipped in there as Mr and Mrs Towlson had a daughter the same age. I once asked sis to bring me a Funny Face (ice cream). Mr Towlson said he thought she'd already got one! She was so upset she didn't speak to me for ages!

Towlson's, according to my mother, had originally occupied the shop on the corner of Alfreton Road and Bobbers Mill Road. She and her little friends spent many hours gazing at the chocolates in the window in the early 30s, not realizing that they were all fake!

Towlson's closed down and became the premises of Bang & Olufson.

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Eric’s shoe shop was next door to Flints newsagents which was owned by my wife’s grandparents. The shops here did very well as they got a lot of footfall from Players factories.

Indeed. A much better looking building than the 60s monstrosity which replaced it.

Looking at those photos of Maid Marion Way brought back memories of Brentford Nylons. Whilst searching through some drawers recently I came across some of their products. Several sheets, pillow cases

As I am still involved in my mammoth gloss painting enterprise, it has brought to mind memories of the decorating shop which was right at the end of the row of shops on Gregory Boulevard, where the post office was in the middle and Crooks the bakers a little further down.

Both my maternal uncles ran painting and decorating businesses but they always seemed to be too busy to do anything for us (or themselves) and so my father did the decorating although he freely admitted that he hated it.

When required I remember going with my mother to this decorating shop whose name I can't remember, to choose new wallpaper for whichever room was to be decorated. There was no helping yourself to rolls of wallpaper piled up in racks as is the case today. Back then, we looked through a sample book and if mum saw anything she liked, the assistant would locate the roll of paper from behind the counter and drape it over a tall stand so the pattern could be clearly seen.

All the rolls of wallpaper had a selvedge running down both sides and once mum had chosen what she wanted, we had to pay a little bit extra to have this selvedge cut off which was done on a special machine by the assistant and I found the whole process fascinating to watch.

My paternal grandfather was apparently too mean to pay the one penny per roll fee for having the selvedges cut off and, according to my father, Grandpa simply decorated with the selvedges still on, which must have made the finished result look rather strange!

Once the paper had been purchased, we would also buy a packet of LAP cold water paste which came in green packaging and was mixed with water.

Dad hated wallpapering and when I was around 12 years old, I made the mistake of pointing out that while decorating our hallway at home, he had put one piece on upside down. His response was to say that if I could do any better, I could get on with it. So I did and I've been doing the wallpapering ever since! One of these days, I'll learn to keep my mouth shut!

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Knitting shops have changed greatly over the years. Nowadays (if you can still find one) everything is on display. In my youth, I would mostly go to the little shop at the Canning Circus end of Alfreton Rd, to an Aladdin's Cave of a small shop, run by 2 ladies that seemed elderly to this teenager. Most likely younger than I am now! All their stock was in celophane bags, each one holding one colour of a certain brand. I would tell them what I wanted to knit, say a twin set, out would come all their patterns for that, I'd chose one, then they'd get me 1 ball of each colour of the brand that went with said pattern. I'd pick my colour, tell them I'll take a couple of balls and to put the rest aside with my name one. I'd then get a ball or 2 a week, as I could afford them. Ah, the olden days!

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If you're anything like me, Catfan, I'm sure you've found that moggies are absolutely useless at wallpaper hanging or painting! Putting their paws in the paint/paste, well that's a different matter entirely, as is ripping the the paper off with their claws when they're bored with it!

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There was Farmer's on Exchange Walk. Wonderful fabric shop. Another Aladdin's cave.

My sister bought fabric from there for a Peveril School needlework project in the 1960s. It was the end of a roll and she cut the pattern out at home. Sis thought she had a lot of scrap fabric left and she realised why when she looked again at the cutting out instructions. She was supposed to fold the material before pinning the templates on. Result, two of each piece. Sis had pinned the pieces on a single thickness only. Result, one of everything and a lot of scrap fabric which wasn't enough to repeat the exercise.

Back to Farmer's who didn't have any of her fabric left!

Back to the drawing board. I think she ended up making dolls clothes out of it!

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In my youth, I would mostly go to the little shop at the Canning Circus end of Alfreton Rd, to an Aladdin's Cave of a small shop, run by 2 ladies that seemed elderly to this teenager.

Here ? Not the Fords shop, but the one next down on the left. I can't enlarge it clearly enough to see a name but the word "Hosiery" is definitely there.

alfreton%20rd_zps0dgro3gt.jpg

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Cliff Ton, i'm guessing that little shop is the one. But I remember it was nothing but wool, doesn't look like a wool shop in the photo. Wonder when it was taken?

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Looks about right. 8 years before I was born. Such a shame to see well constructed buildings semi-derelict. The breeze block rubbish they throw up today won't stand the test of time in the same way. I wouldn't have a modern house as a gift, energy ratings notwithstanding!

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What happened to The Sign Of Four on Goldsmith Street? Presumably (and erroneously) named after Conan-Doyle's story, The Sign of the Four?

All my ballet shoes and practice wear came from there when I was a child. Sis, on the other hand, was often in there buying joke/trick items, including a very realistic looking turd which she placed behind the toilet door at home. I remember my mother walking in there and bellowing my name at the top of her voice from upstairs! I knew nothing about it! Got the blame yet again!

There were also trick sugar cubes which floated in the coffee!

The Sign of Four moved briefly into the new Theatre Royal/Concert Hall complex and then disappeared. A sad loss. Bought my stage make up from there (Leichner).

Across the Road was Pennyfeathers, a vintage clothing shop which had beautiful 1940s items. Parachute silk, etc.

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I remember a shop on Derby Road which had a red cross in the window and a sign that said Dolls' Hospital. It was near the site of the old Clement Pianos shop. Would that have been the original Sign of Four?

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I haven't walked round Nottingham city centre for probably over 20 years. I recall a Vans shoe shop near the old Odeon, I bought what I thought was a very cool but expensive pair of suede trainers, they remained my faves for years till my Labrador had them for lunch a couple of years ago, I was heartbroken.

Remember the toy shops, Skills and Beecrofts, Gee Dee's were just down Hockley from Beecrofts, I seem to recall Bee's were all on one level but GD had a tiny tortuous staircase you had to go up to the model railway dept, I remember the left hand side of the staircase had display cases set in the wall containing incredibly well made Airfix kits, I thought I was a good modeller but these would have amazed R J Mitchell.

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Thanks Firbeck.............posted on another thread,a fur shop on Market street and could'nt recall the name,it was Van sumat?.........corner of Greyhound st,/?

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