DAYS GONE BY - Shops in Caithness

[Tighsonas4]

yuur not a younger loon than me mosser but must be a lot brighter too
canna fault that as it seems to be spot on
week must have been still dry then right enough as easiphits iss the crown now
think the first pub to open was don sutherlands with the camps
open officially anyway,but cant take that any further on here
johnnie gunn in the nethercliff and mrs sutherland rosebank used to have what called a table licence regards tony

[trinkie]

Heavens ! You two are old ! I dont remember any of what you mentioned. Smiley here....

Here are a few prices from ROBERTSONS, Bridge Street Wick. C. 1923

Ladies Costume 25/6d …..
All wool Costume 35/-
Tweed Skirt 2/11 - 6/11d

Velour Coats with fur collar 42/-
Voile jumper 2/11d

Corset 2/6d all sizes
Cashmere stockings 2/6d 1/11d 1/-
Combinations 4/11
Stockinette Knickers , grey, navy, mole 2/3d

Trinkie

[Tighsonas4]

would be what was affeciitonately known as robertson 20 man trinkie
or am i off at a tangent again tony

[Mosser]

yuur not a younger loon than me mosser but must be a lot brighter too
canna fault that as it seems to be spot on
week must have been still dry then right enough as easiphits iss the crown now
think the first pub to open was don sutherlands with the camps
open officially anyway,but cant take that any further on here
johnnie gunn in the nethercliff and mrs sutherland rosebank used to have what called a table licence regards tony

Aye Don Sutherland opened in 1947, as you say the first "official" pub! I got to thinking about drapery and clothes shops in the town centre of the same era, here we go, Sloans, WJ Banks, Jimmy Miller's, Fred Shearer, McKenzie & Shearer, Charlie Begg, David Robertson, Hepworth,Robertson (20 man) then Bill Mowat, Ramsay Turner, Claude Alexander, George Nicol, and if you wanted to make your own, the Singer Sewing machine shop in Market Square, whew what a list!

[stewart4364]

Does anyone remember Harry Bowles ( I think) whose shop was opposite Where Houstons chipshop is now. He made the most delicious meringues. If I remember correctly that would be about 50 or more years ago. I also remember when people would hand in their message line to my dad, who was a general merchant, in the morning on their way to work and pick them up on their way home. There was nothing extra the person bought not like your supermarkets nowadays where I can pretty well guarantee that the majority, if not all folk ,buy far more than their original intended purchases because of impulse buying. Why do you think that everyday items such as bread, sugar etc. is as far from the entrance as they can possibly be and quite often changed around so that you have to look a bit harder to find them? Yes you have probably guessed why -- as you wander round looking for your intended purchases you have to pass numerous other shelves and more often and not you say to yourself I better get some of this and that when I am here anyway making your shopping more expensive than originally planned. If you made out a shopping list before visiting the shop and sticking rigidly to that list you would be suprised to find that your shopping bill is an awful lot less than if you wander round picking this and that. Possibly as an exercise say over a month or so make out a shopping list and stick rigidly to it and see what you have saved by the end of the exercise. I think you would be pleasantly suprised and may even adopt the proposal on a permanent basis.-- you could then go on that luxury holiday you always promised yourself but just could not save enough for it. Why not give it a try and report back with your results whether they be good or bad. All the best and happy shopping list writing.

[Mosser]

Harry Bowles, Jeely pies to die for, his shop was at the foot of Mowat Lane more or less where Hugo Ross' tackle shop is now. The days when you handed in your linie and had all you needed delivered to your door at no extra charge were halcyon days indeed. what about Jessie Clyne's cream horns? or a good greaser from Lambert's, wow!!

[trinkie]

T'sonas4 - Yes you are right - I had forgotten that.
Stewart - great idea, trouble is I never remember where I put the list.
Mosser - Great stuff there. Did you include Geordie Doull the Butcher ?

Here are some others, but where are the Thurso Shops??



John Munro,Williamson Street, Wick
For Perfect Tailoring at moderate prices.

MacKenzie & Shearer, High Street, Wick.
First class quality – keen prices.

William Begg ( Beelie )
Bridge Street, Wick.
Drapers and Fancy goods.

William Clyne, Bank Row, Wick
Meat Purveyor.
Home fed beef, mutton and pork.

[trinkie]

Miss Manson, Dempster Street, Wick
Millinery Saloon.
Agent for Manson’s Dyeing and Cleaning Works, Arbroath.


That must have been before Pullar’s of Perth, agent Bill Mowat,
I think.

[pat]

When did Chrismay Leitch open her ladies clothes shop in the Market Square - next to Johnstons photograpghy - was that where Singers used to be?

All I can remember was the corset advertisements!!!

[Tighsonas4]

while studing all your clothes shops what came to mind was rex
was that an off shoot of sloans or what??? they were down in bank row just a bit further along from beel smiths,cant mind was there vans involved when the bomb fell
the labour exchange at that time was on the corner of the lorne buildings
trinkie should mind more about macarthur street but seem to mind it little shoppies door to door nearly tony

[Mosser]

T'sonas4 - Yes you are right - I had forgotten that.
Stewart - great idea, trouble is I never remember where I put the list.
Mosser - Great stuff there. Did you include Geordie Doull the Butcher ?

Here are some others, but where are the Thurso Shops??



John Munro,Williamson Street, Wick
For Perfect Tailoring at moderate prices.

MacKenzie & Shearer, High Street, Wick.
First class quality – keen prices.

William Begg ( Beelie )
Bridge Street, Wick.
Drapers and Fancy goods.

William Clyne, Bank Row, Wick
Meat Purveyor.
Home fed beef, mutton and pork.

No Trinkie I didn't include Doulls, just the draper shops on the Wick side. the Butchers then were Doulls, Waters run by Dan Thompson, the Co-op where Cameo is now and Geordie Harper in Back Bridge St. Previous to that he had a shop on the corner of Coghill Square in Louisburgh St.

Pat I'm not sure of the date for Chrismay's, it must have been the mid 60s.

T'sonas4 I don't know about Rex, could have been Sloans and of course they had the building after the Labour Exchange for their furniture.

[trinkie]

Tighsonas4, From what I remember of MacArthur Street – looking down from Grant Street on the right
was the famous Walter Sutherland the Chemist.
Opposite there was Sinclair the Butcher and up a bit a large Co-op Drapery shop, you had to go up a couple of steps I think.
Down from Walter’s on the corner was the Pultney Post Office. Over the road from that was the
Co-op Grocers, quite a biggish shop.

At the top of Grant Street – fondly kent as Ducksie – there was Cameron Taylor’s Bicycle Shop and over the road a little draper shop run by a Miss Davidson I think. At the top of the road on the same side was Mr Bain the Cobbler.

Pat, I'm unable to answer your question - but I'll ask someone.
Mosser - Thank you, you're doing very well !

Still no Thurso Shops , how strange.

[jock leith]

I worked in Donny Angus's at the harbour back in the sixties. there were lots of butcher shops in Wick I remember some of the one's in Pultney.

George Mortimers -at the top of the Brae Head
Berttie Cragie -McRae St ??
Hughinas -Where Sinclairs are now

Been away to long as street names are now vague but there was also a shop in Brown Place ???that made the best Potted Heid.sold only on Tues & Thurs always had to order it.
Lots of others but cant remember locations but can picture them vividly
can anyone remember any more
JL

[Tighsonas4]

yes jock there was a butcher at the top of brown place on the corner ,not sure but think it was sinclair and mackays tony

[jock leith]

yes jock there was a butcher at the top of brown place on the corner ,not sure but think it was sinclair and mackays tony

Yes Tony I remember the name now,there were a few butchers with Sinclair's as owners.One I remember was just up from the Library towards the Assembly Rooms
JL

[Tighsonas4]

not sure was that shop at the top of brown place or moray street
george sinclair was oppisite the library regards tony

[pat]

There was a butcher shop at the top of Moray St on the corner of Beaufoy Street (just around the corner from Browns Place - (a house now) it was eventually run Mackay and Sinclair or Sinclair and Mackay, Johnny Polson used to work there, before he started his own place in Dempster St.
George Sinclair was on Sinclair Terrace, opposite from the Health board offices - used to get the orange juice and dried milk for the bairns. Used to love that orange juice.

[Lavenderblue2]

I see you mentioned Wilfred Weir's Mosser, my mum worked in that shop for a while during the war with Gus Simpson and I think, Kathleen Budge; what tales mum had about the fun they would have. Eventually Gus Simpson opened his own bakers shop in Thurso.

Does anybody remember Jimmy Nicol who used to run a fruit and veg business from his horse and cart?

Was it the National orange juice Pat? I used to love that too!

[Mosser]

I see you mentioned Wilfred Weir's Mosser, my mum worked in that shop for a while during the war with Gus Simpson and I think, Kathleen Budge; what tales mum had about the fun they would have. Eventually Gus Simpson opened his own bakers shop in Thurso.

Does anybody remember Jimmy Nicol who used to run a fruit and veg business from his horse and cart?

Was it the National orange juice Pat? I used to love that too!

Wilferd Weir's had hatches in the pavement in front of the shop so that goods could be delivered straight into the basement, how no one ever fell down the hatch I don't know. I also remember that there were petrol pumps in front of R S Waters and D R Simpson's both hand cranked.

Trinkie, wasn't the draper chop "Ronaldson's?" ther was another menswear shop in Breadalbane Terrace -- Dod Williamson and a boot shop across the road "Dunnett's" can ye mind Charlie Ball's chip shop, that was the first shop I ever saw with pigs trotters!!

[Tighsonas4]

I see you mentioned Wilfred Weir's Mosser, my mum worked in that shop for a while during the war with Gus Simpson and I think, Kathleen Budge; what tales mum had about the fun they would have. Eventually Gus Simpson opened his own bakers shop in Thurso.

Does anybody remember Jimmy Nicol who used to run a fruit and veg business from his horse and cart?

Was it the National orange juice Pat? I used to love that too!

can rember gussie simpson but never knew where he went
mosser do you remember wordies horse carts making the deliverys???
one grabbed the oh by the arm and ripped the coat
nowdays they wood be shouting compensation tony