The shop was there for many years but is now sadly closed its doors as many of the small corner shops have. It was an owned by an old lady called Ma Thickett when I was a teenager. She was notorious for selling 1 cigarette and 2 matches in a 2 oz triangular paper sweet bag to the older "braver" kids on the way to Hyde Town Hall disco on a Thursday night.
Not guilty, Mum , if you're reading this ;-)
A recent shot taken from Google maps.
In my youth you could puchase a packet of Woodbine containing two cigarettes and matches from a vending machine outside the paper shop in Gee Cross
ReplyDeleteI see the chimney's gone as well, so even the house isn't smoking now!
ReplyDeleteThis shop was on the way to Green Field Street School, and as such was the one the lads who smoked headed for... Ma Thickett must have made a mint from the amount of loose cigs she sold... she did have a habit of 'going in the back of the shop a lot which resulted in a few bulging pockets. When we'd decided to play truant we head here to stock up on food.. I'd always go for two muffins and a bag of crisp and hollow out the muffin and fill with the crisps... ha! happy days.
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