(Continuing a series of stories from Don Sharp)
How us country people relied on those people when I was a
youngster. All our shopping was brought to us, to our door. Now we
have to go into Ongar, or whichever town is the nearest.
Monday the Baker called at dinner time, this one had a motor van.
Two more bakers called, one had a horse and van and the other had a
horse and cart – three bakers.
In the afternoon the Paraffin Oil man called on us, washing powder,
matches, pegs, candles, pails and bowls – how that van smelled with
primrose soap and oil, it smelled gorgeous – was polishes, brushes.
Tuesday saw the man from the Insurance on his bike, then the man
from International stores on a bike, with his case strapped on the
back. He came to the door and knocked. ‘Come in grocer’, mother
would say. ‘I spouse yea like a cup of tea?’ in her Suffolk talk. The
case was opened on the floor, out came the order book – it was
always marge, lard, tea, sugar, cheese, the first items. Special this
week, as he opened the case again, ‘two jellies for 6d, very good
offer.’ Then you gave him last week’s bill. He would recount, no
calculator, you used your head in those days ‘ten shillings and
sixpence three farthings, please, sugar is down a farthing this week.’
as he stuck the receipt paid on the bottom of the bill. Out came the
cloth money bag with the string to keep the money from falling out.
‘6d on my Christmas club grocer,’ mother would say. ‘Your
groceries will be along Friday’ as he tipped the last of the tea cup up.
Then the butcher came Tuesday, 11lb of beef sausages 8d. was the
limit here. ‘What would you like for Saturday please?’ – ‘A little
piece of beef, about 4s to 5s please – that owd bit you sent last week
was tough.’ As my Aunt used to say, ‘I reckon boy that was bit of
old boxer.’
Wednesday would see the miller come, he was a little short thick set
man. He brought the flour in his horse and van, and ran through his
goods – chicken food, flour, rice, tapioca, maize oil, peas, harricot
beans. There was another miller who called on Saturday. The bakers
called as I wrote, one or other called every day, and we also had the
village stores to go to.
Thursday saw the man with the horse and van round with fish. Pair
of kippers - 6d. There were two greengrocers, calling on different
days. Fridays saw the groceries delivered, all done and packed in a
large brown paper parcel tied up with string, with the bill tucked in
the top of the parcel.
There was another little man with a soft trilby hat on a trade bike
who sold cottons, needles, writing paper and envelopes. Saturday
also saw the butcher come, tying his pony to the side of our gate.
Two more butchers used to come by our gate, so you see we were
never short. Mother would say, ‘I’m going to shut the door today, I
cannot spend with all these people.’ There were two coalmen come
round, that was where we had to cut the budget, coal was 2s 6d. per
cwt., we was sent out as children to gather wood from under the
trees.
Now about every six weeks or less we would get the gypsy people
call. They had brooms, brushes, wicker baskets, mats, all tied to the
side of the caravan. Then there was the old man who sat in his cart
and called out ‘Old rags, rabbit skins, old iron.’ Yes it’s all changed,
no service given to the country people now.
Oh there was another service, we used to call them tally men. They
would sell you clothes from a big suitcase. A pair of men’s trousers
ten to twelve shillings a week. ‘Pay me two shillings a week lady,
buy the old man a new pair of cord trousers.’ This kind of payment
my parents had nothing to do with. ‘What we can’t afford we will go
without,’ was their motto.
Now us old folks and the young ones are worse off, living in the
country than 60 years ago, if you don’t have a car and no bus to get
to town. It would be nice to have our tradesmen back.