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(EW) Shops (after 1919): The William's, soon after they started their chemists shop in 1929, were the first to close at lunchtime. Soon after, the others followed suit. George Selley never reopened his butcher's shop after closing it in protest at the calling up of Steven Selley, the last of his sons at home.

Frank Maunder, butcher, had the chapel custom, and George Selley had the church custom. George Selley used to go into the Angel in mid-morning for "a half of beer and a yarn with Mrs Baker." Frank Maunder used to bang his butcher's knife on the block and say "I dunno what to cut 'ee."

(OV) and (HT) Trawin kept a drug store where Mr and Mrs Tout's shop used to be, opposite the church, and was also a wool dealer. In the window were huge glass containers of coloured water. His daughters, Ellie and Connie, ran the stores. The wool used to be all stacked up in the back yard sheds.

(OV) Churchill's, the bakers, were in premises in South Street, more recently occupied by Isaacs, but now closed.

(OV) William Bennett, shoemaker, lived in the next cottage to Mill Park and was the postman as well.

(OV) William Bradford, chimney sweep, used to drink cider in the bar.

(OV)'s mother used to recall the tiny china shop behind what used to be No 12, Fore Street, which sold the pink china, cups, saucers and teapots with, in gold letters, the words "Present from Witheridge", they were made in Germany.

(OV) A salesman used to come round selling American long case clocks from a cart.

(OV) Carts used to come round selling mazzards - "The huge great mazzard cherries from Swimbridge, sweet and black."

(OV) Fresh Fish came round in long carts and (OV) remembers the bright scales of the fish, all over the cart.

(OV) Once there was a crowd in the Angel drinking on Monday, and they got the fish-carter half drunk and got to tossing for the fish and the bar was covered in fish scales.

(OV) A "foreign meat man" used to come with a box cart and rested his horse in the yard. Mrs Baker never bought any and he was always known as "the foreign meat man."

(OV) An old man from Venhay used to bring in eggs in big market baskets of chaff to Mrs Baker.

(OV) Mrs Baker used to put up pot-butter in 30" Steens in the pantry for the winter, (OV) recalls it tasted peculiar.

(OV) A "Bazaar" used to come to the Angel and set out their wares, china, gifts, etc., in the coach house for a week.

(OV) At the market, there were pens all the way up past the Mitre and in the middle of the Square was the fairing stall, with gingerbread, sugared almonds, and cinnamon fairings.



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Last Edited 03/07/2006    Copyright © 2000-2006 Witheridge

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