Wrekin-News-184

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GEORGE EVANS The Wrekin’s favourite columnist! Spotlight on Market Street WELLINGTON TOWN Councillors - It’s all right, I’ve had my say about the pedestrianisation and told you what it is. This is not about that. Now read on. During my lifetime Market Street has been through a lot of changes, though its underlying character hasn’t changed much. In Granddad Evans’ time the most important places there were the Horse Repository, Smithfield and the market. Where the market car park is now was previously a builders’ yard for Pearce’s; before that it was the place where farmers left their horses and traps while they went to the livestock market on Mondays. Now it’s the modern equivalent of Granddad’s horse repository, a car park. The Market itself has changed a lot but remains a wonderful market. It’s been enlarged with the outside market and the annexe MARKET STREET, WELLINGTON - A LITTLE BIT OF NOSTALGIA WITH GEORGE EVANS off Walker Street and also expanded from Thursdays only to Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, so it’s much bigger and on four days instead of just one. The stalls have changed of course, though you can still buy green groceries at Roger Maddocks, cheese at Lesley’s Larder and what Granddad called ironmongery at Aladdin’s Cave. Around where the Post Office is now, was Turners, who sold seed for wheat, barley and oats. They had a wonderful window display made from different coloured seeds. Behind them was the auction room of Patersons, where you could buy antique furniture and household goods. I remember buying a china cabinet there for a few quid around 1951 when we set up home in a flat in New Street; I still have it. Apart from the market the big business was brewing Wrekin Ales. If you want to know more about the Wrekin Brewery, read one or more of Allan Frost’s books. I won’t steal his thunder. Just one little tale; I once organised a booze up in that brewery. Most of the land where the brewery was is now Wilkinson’s shop, originally built as a supermarket. The new brewery across the road at the Pheasant is a welcome addition to Wellington. Three generations of fathers in my family went there this year on Fathers’ Day and enjoyed the brew. It’s a very welcome addition to the town and we must hope it prospers. As well as the brewery there was once a pop works PSYCHIC TAROT CARD READINGS Unhurried confidential Psychic / Tarot readings in a friendly atmosphere. 10+ years experience. Call for a private appointment or group booking in your own home. Now also doing email readings! They are very popular and reasonably priced, ask for details. Call to book your appointment: 07952 746858 Email: enquiries@mysticjane.co.uk · Visit: www.mysticjane.co.uk or mineral water works across the road. That became the place where we went to pay the gas bill or to buy any sort of gas appliance, like a stove or a washing machine (yes, there were gas washing machines long ago) or perhaps we would just want some gas mantels for the lights. Before the war our streets were lit by gas produced locally from baked coal at the bottom of Alexander Road. The Gas shop is still there; it was in recent times some sort of gambling place but today I noticed it had been emptied and was for sale. I’ve never been in any of our local gaming shops because it’s not something I do - for mathematical reasons rather than religious ones. There was also a school of dance somewhere on the upper floors. One very special shop when I was young was Roberts the Sadler. It had been a leatherworker’s shop, handy for the horse repository but had moved with the times. Mrs Drake kept it and sold outdoor clothes, especially Scout uniforms. One thing I remember buying there was a sheath knife to fit on my belt. It came in very handy when we were camping but would now be highly illegal to carry around. Can you imagine the horror everyone would express if 12 year olds went around carrying sheath knives nowadays? Yet we thought nothing of it. The idea of using knives for fighting in gangs or mugging people never crossed our minds. We were Scouts; we just didn’t do that sort of thing. This is Wellington, not Georgia, USA where carrying assault rifles is acceptable. At the bottom of the road was Bromley’s shop, where farmers came to buy their tools, machines and equipment. It had been a rather larger business, with another place in Bridge Road but things were changing in the agricultural implements trade. In Granddad’s day firms like Bromley’s made all their machinery on the premises - binders, cutters, threshing machines as well as spades, forks and ‘brumhooks’ for trimming hedges. As time went on the big city firms in Birmingham and also the USA were able to mass produce the machines and sell them cheaper. This left local firms to deal with repairs, sales of other firms’ equipment and anything that could be hammered out by a good blacksmith. Several years ago there was a huge fire at Bromley’s, destroying the shop and workshops behind. It stayed empty for some time until the insurance was settled and a quite different sort of building was constructed. This is now the office of an estate agent. The upstairs was once occupied by Wellington News. Then, when they moved, it was taken over by a Christian church that later moved to the old Town Hall, where the cinema and later night club used to be. It later advertised ‘Airport Tan’ whatever that means, I’ve never asked. Across the road was Turner’s who sold guns and did all sorts of extremely clever things after the style of the old blacksmiths. There’s a story in Wellingtonia, Wellington History Group’s magazine, about that business, well worth reading. The Ercall Hotel is now the Market Company’s offices. Next was Percy Pierce’s Ercall Garage with showrooms once the home of the Pleasant Sunday Afternoon (PSA) who organised ‘smoking concerts’. Percy had started across the road making bicycles. GW Harvey was a jeweller and optician, also, like Percy Pierce, Ronald and Graham Murphy, a councillor. Market Street declined some years ago but now seems back in action. I’ve missed out lots of shops and businesses, past and present but there’s no room. Go and look for yourself. 10 / www.wrekinnews.co.uk
HAWKSTONE PARK FOLLIES Call 01948 841777 KNIGHTS AND PRINCESSES GO FREE! Saturday 9th & Sunday 10th August Th e Grade I listed landscape, said to be the final resting place of King Arthur, is the original land of legend and fairytale. There’s family fun to be had as you guess the names of medieval knights and famous princesses popping up along a trail through fantastical follies and ancient woodlands. Children can climb to the top of The Monument, see the rocky fortress of The Red Castle and discover a labyrinth of caves and passages known as The Grotto. Visitors to the park can also enjoy a picnic in the woods or lunch in Caspian’s Tearooms. Open 10am to 5pm seven days a week throughout July and August (last admission 3pm on the gate). On Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th July only, children (up to age 15) in costume can gain free entry with a full paying adult (entry £7.25). or visit www.hawkstoneparkfollies.co.uk Green Fields Fresher - Faster - Friendlier Veggie Boxes Free Delivery Wednesday - Friday See our website for the delivery day for your postcode area. ● List two dislikes & two preferences ● Add your Green Fields shopping to be delivered with your veggie box ● Weekly, fortnightly or monthly deliveries ● No need to be home, delivered in sealed, lidded, insulated poly boxes. 1st Box Half Price! www.greenfieldsonline.co.uk Boxes shown are a £15 mixed produce and £10 vegetable. When ordering online half price is refunded to your payment card on the delivery day. £3.50 deposit payable on the returnable box payable on second delivery. A LLUMS J EWELLERS L TD YOUR PERSONAL, PROFESSIONAL, PRACTICAL JEWELLER PICK UP A BARGAIN AT ALLUMS JEWELLERS! SUMMER CLEARANCE SALE NOW ON! Kit Heath silver jewellery now up to 50% off Bulova watches now up to 40% off Sekonda watches now up to 50% off on clearance lines Timex watches now up to 50% off Citizen wathes clearance lines now up to 40% off Marauno silver jewellery now up to 50% off A MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GOLDSMITHS & THE INSTITUTE OF REGISTERED VALUERS - IRV 66792 TEL: 01952 244983 Wellington’s Oldest Family Jewellers. Est 1948 48-50 NEW STREET, WELLINGTON, TELFORD TF1 1NE www.wrekinnews.co.uk / 11
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