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Does anyone remember the old joke shop, where the Royal Centre now stands? I think it was called 'The Sign of Four'. I remember the old fellas who used to work there and the wooden boxes behind the counter labelled Fart Powder, Nail thru finger, plastic vomit etc. Or did I dream it?

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..... Or did I dream it?

No dream...Sign of Four it was, in the location you suggest.

Apparently, their best selling lines were always the odious 'rotten eggs' and various types of 'fart cushions'!

Cheers

Robt P.

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The Sign of Four has been discussed here before.

It originaly (60s) was at the bottom of Derby Road in the City, facing the island.

In the Shadows of the Albert Hall. (The back of the Albert hall was the entrance to

The Albert Hall Institute.)

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"Sign of Four"

Great place to go on a Saturday afternoon before being forced to visit the relatives in Clifton for tea. I bought 1 single 'Party popper' in there in about 1975 for 20p (Amazing you can get a box of 20 for a quid now!!!)

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I don't remember it I'm afraid but there was a trick shop on Mansfield Road I occasionally frequented after the saturday morning matinee at the Metropole in the mid 60's. I used to visit my cousin most weekends - he lived in Mapperley Park near the childrens hospital, now there are a few stories I can tell about that place as we played on their grounds etc :-)

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Another regular at ABC Minors here!

Whereabouts was the trick shop, that's jogging my memory? I remember the old Children's Hospital only too well sadly. I ended up in there with two broken legs when I was a kid. Others might confirm but I think an old Children's Hospital sign adorns a conservatory wall in the Lincolnshire Poacher?

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The joke shop in question was about 10 doors up from the big community centre ,a couple of doors away from the "King fisher Chippy"

I used to work near there and got my revenge on a work colleague who was always pinching a fag out my packet if I left it on my workbench . I put some banger type things in all of them and left them there,went back 10 mins later and sure enough he was standing a couple of yards away with a smile on his face and a gasper in his gob. As it went off there was a great girly scream from his general direction and I'm p**ing myself. Only a couple of minutes later when there was another bang and girly squeel did I realise that he had pinched two HAAAAAAAAAA

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The trick shop as we called it was across the road from the metropole abt 30 yards or so down.

Stink bombs and magic stuff as I remember.

yeah, the childrens hospoital, I wound up in there after an accident in the hospital car park, we

were playing on bikes - war games with water pistols, that kind of stuff (only 10 at the time) -

fell off bike gashed leg and had 5 stitches. Used to have a smoke up the tree at the side of the car

park.

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Another regular at ABC Minors here!

Whereabouts was the trick shop, that's jogging my memory? I remember the old Children's Hospital only too well sadly. I ended up in there with two broken legs when I was a kid. Others might confirm but I think an old Children's Hospital sign adorns a conservatory wall in the Lincolnshire Poacher?

Sorry to hear abt your accident - nasty.

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The joke shop in question was about 10 doors up from the big community centre ,a couple of doors away from the "King fisher Chippy"

I used to work near there and got my revenge on a work colleague who was always pinching a fag out my packet if I left it on my workbench . I put some banger type things in all of them and left them there,went back 10 mins later and sure enough he was standing a couple of yards away with a smile on his face and a gasper in his gob. As it went off there was a great girly scream from his general direction and I'm p**ing myself. Only a couple of minutes later when there was another bang and girly squeel did I realise that he had pinched two HAAAAAAAAAA

Very funny. Of course you couldn't do that now. Five years inside on terrorism charges whatever.

Those days were not PC - to hell with PC!

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  • 6 months later...

It was moved there after the demolition of the snooker building in your other pic (During the building of the Royal centre)

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  • 3 years later...

'The Sign Of Four', the original shop stood opposite what is now the 'Royal Centre'. There was a record shop nearby - during the 60's I attended the Nottingham Poly on day release and often used to spend any free time I had in there.

Regarding 'The Sign Of Four', a small, extremely slender, well-spoken Lady (with a capital 'L') worked there, as well as the two elderly gentlemen; I believe her name was Nellie ? She may have either been a dancer or run a dancing school The shop was a cornucopia both inside and out (windows).

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'The Sign Of Four' was such a loss to the City of Nottingham. It was absolutely packed with stuff in there; as well as jokes, the shop sold dance costumes / shoes, fascinating stage make-up (handy being as the shop was across the way from the Nottingham Empire).

Nellie who served behind the counter, spoke with an upper class accent yet was easily approachable. She genuinely cared for the customers, especially the young girls attending dance classes; a lovely lady, she was most knowledgeable about what the girls needed.

When the shop was closed entertainment was still available: by being able to read the descriptions on some of the most bawdiest of saleable items displayed in the shop window.

'Guaranteed a laugh even when closed', could easily have been the shop's motto.

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  • 1 year later...
  • 5 years later...

It was The Sign Of Four, moved from Goldsmith Street. It also stocked theatrical items, Leichner stage make up, wigs, etc. Used to get my ballet shoes, tights, and dancewear from there but it didn't stay too long in the Royal Centre. I think it closed down completely. Hardings on Mansfield Road was also a dancewear  outlet.

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