These notes were put together by Jean Green with some additional comments by Brian Carter and Jackie Dodds. There were many shops in many locations and in different ownerships. This is just the start of our work on shops and small businesses. Characters such as Jinny Tab, Cissy Anderson and their shops with many more details and stories will be added as time permits. This post is just a “taster” – work is in progress.

RAMSHAW

Gordon Lane

Firby’s – The end house next to demolished railway bridge and many years later (possibly 1960’s) owned by Harry McConnell.

Next door to Firby’s shop there was a man who was deaf and dumb and repaired shoes and did cobbling.  He was well used in those days and was always busy (WW2 era)

OAKS BANK

Row above Ramshaw School, the middle house sold sweets.  Owned and run by Marion Brownless.

Another owned and run by Isaac and Amy Parkin.  General provisions. 

EVENWOOD

Swan Street. 

The Co-op (see separate post)

A Small department store.  Inc.  hardware, DIY, haber-dashery and clothing upstairs.  Grocery and provisions shop, banking office downstairs.  Also delivery services throughout the area (as far as Ingleton) of milk, fruit and veg, groceries.  A butcher’s shop was adjacent to the main shop in Swan Street, a bakery round operated too.  A male member of staff (at one time Harry McConnell) went around the area collecting grocery orders for delivery the following week and delivery was by horse and cart.  Harry Horseman was the driver.   Fruit and veg were sold around the village from a horse and cart too. Billy Selby was one of the drivers Another was Arnold Smith.  Two reps were also employed to promote the sale of and collect Coop Clubs money.  They were Les Stubbs and Reg. Metcalfe.  This was a hire purchase system of weekly payments in direct competition with Doggarts of Bishop Auckland. There was also an animal feeds outlet for local stock holders and farmers, run from the back warehouse accessed through the double doors.  I could give much more info on the working of the Coop if anybody is interested!!!

Leo Watson & Fred Bradbrook both worked for the Co-op in the 50s/60s.  Fred came around with the horse & cart. The horse was called Jacky and knew exactly where to stop on the round without any instruction from the driver. 

Swan Street.

On the corner of Osborne Terrace, Willie Atkinson ran a newsagent’s shop for a number of years.  He was the son of Charlie Atkinson who owned the main village newsagents at The Centre, near The Workingmens’ Club.

Swan Street. 

Howes shop.  Small general dealers including fruit and veg.  Sold lots of sweets and was a Mecca for kids spending their sweet ration of a quarter per week during WW2!

Swan Street. 

Clarkson’s Fish Shop.  One of the oldest and most popular businesses in the village.  Owned and run by Mrs Clarkson and daughter Maggie.  Everybody went to Clarksons and enjoyed their fish and chips!

Below: A neon sign, a relatively new addition to the street scene.

Swan Street. 

“Taffy Marys” – This shop was converted to become Andersons clothes shop.  I remember “Taffy Mary”, as she was known, was a little old lady who wore very dark coloured, very long Victorian style clothes.  She sold fruit and veg and I think sweets, in a very dark and dingy shop. Note – we will feature Anderson’s shop separately in a later post.

Below: This photo of Swan Street shows Anderson’s shop, the fish & chip shop (single storey 2 doors down, the White Swan before the building next door was demolished and then another shop, at one time Robinsons and in more recent times Tate’s and Hodgson’s.

Swan Street. 

The Post Office.  Run and fitted out with counter etc in the front room behind the bay window until eventually an extension was built on.  Atkinsons had the Post Office and had a very talented teenage son, Neville, a brilliant and dedicated pianist.  The Mudd family took over the post office next I think.  They came from somewhere up Butterknowle way and I think it was in their time the extension was built on. 

Shirley Terrace

The property was originally two shops.

• Walter Willson’s:  Busy little business.  Possibly the strongest competitor in the village to the Coop (see separate post).
• Stonebank’s:  The one nearest to Shirley Terrace was called Stonebank’s and was a drapery shop where material, knitting & sewing requirements, patterns etc. could be bought.

Below: This photo shows Walter Willson’s and a shop next door which, possibly was Stonebank’s.

Brookside

Frank Hannon’s butchers shop.

Bank Top

Betting Shop – Tom Calvert.

Hairdressers – Margaret Jackson 

The Centre

Central Stores.  Decades ago I remember it as Vasey’s though the premises have undergone great alterations and changes of ownership.

Below: Vasey’s shop

The Centre

Trevor Dunn’s betting shop next to the Bay Horse

The Centre. 

Charlie Atkinson’s Newsagents.  Sole supplier of newspapers, so far as I remember, in the village and Charlie was well known.  He still worked the shop as a very old man.  His son was Willie who tried a branch at the corner of Osborne Terrace down the village but it never really took off.

Below: The aerial photo of Raby Street shows the newsagents, the Bay Horse, properties between it and the Club which have been altered to provide various commercial outlets.

The Centre

Arnison’s Fish Shop.  Mr and Mrs Arnison ran it for decades.  They sold to the top half of the village.  Clarkson’s to the bottom half. 

John Maughan’s fish & chips were renowned! Can’t comment on Ali’s Big Bite.

The Centre

Jonas Jackson, had a cobbler’s shop.  Busy business and worked for many years even as an old man. Everybody had shoes repaired in those days!

The Centre

Harold Metcalfe did horse and cart coal deliveries to the miners five days a week but on evenings and Saturdays ran a gents barbers shop.  He was brother to Reg. Metcalfe who was a Club Man at The Coop.

The Centre

Brenda Bradwell had a hairdressers from her house.

West View

Steel’s Shop.  General provisions run and owned by Fred and Alice Steel.  Fred was big in The Home Guard.  Think they must have done deliveries because my Gran Watson lived in Gordon Lane, Ramshaw.  I used to take her order to Steel’s shop so obviously they must have done deliveries.  Gran Watson used to have The Queens Head at The Centre and it would seem shopped with Fred and Alice.  Possibly the loyalty to Steel’s shop went back to those days.

Below: Steel’s shop.

 

West View

Atkinson’s Shop.  The very bottom house in West View.  Front room converted into a small shop, selling mainly sweets.  Cannot remember name of sister who ran the shop. (was it Doreen?)  Alice the other sister, lived at The Centre and was married to Jacky Kilcran, footballer.

Alexandra Terrace

Hairdressers attached to end house.  Attached to the house but not part of the house, the hairdressers was an independent lockup business. Long gone.   I used to go as a young teenager (when I could afford it) but in those days going to the hairdresser was a luxury few people could afford.  It operated for several years but eventually closed.  When Wilf and Elsie Proud retired from The Travellers Rest pub into the adjacent house and I think the hairdressers was incorporated into the house at that time.  It is now a garage.