[Margaret Pilkington]

I can't remember the incidents you recall Tinks...but does anyone remember 'Blowers' at the bottom of Church St in Accrington. It was a really old fashioned grocers shop. I only remember it vaguely......the smell of coffee grinding......sugar measured out into blue sugar paper bags with the weight printed on it. Butter came in wooden barrels, and the shop assistant would use butter pats to pat your half pound of 'best butter' into an oblong shape before wrapping it in greasproof paper. And when the butter was turned out of it's barrel, they used to make patterns on it using the bottom of a Beetop sauce bottle. Now how would the health and safety brigade turn their noses up at that if it happened today. Biscuits were kept in glass topped boxes and you could choose which you wanted in your 'pound of mixed'.
Also does anyone remember Joseph Bridges which was on the other side of Church St? The used to have tea chest outside with chipped cups in. My Mum used to use cups as deadly weapons....she used to say 'If I can't catch you, my dog will' and with that would hurl whatever piece of crockery she had in her hands directly at you......we got very good at ducking these deadly missiles, but it meant that we were always short of cups and saucers. So we were sent off to J.W. Bridges to get replacements....i think the chipped cups were something like four for sixpence......and chipped saucers were a penny each. We would be taken into care if something like that happened today.......but we never came to any real harm....and we took a lot of chipped cups off Bridges hands.

I hope this is the kind of thing you meant Tinks.