Going Back In Time

[Gladys]

Wasn't there a newspaper shop called Mathers.

 

I remember Harry Mather's quite well. I think his son used to be in Black Mass

 

Yes, Dave Mather.

[Gladys]

There was a wonderful grocers (was it Dexters or Victoria Stores) that sold things in wooden tubs and had cooked hams hanging from rails at the top of Royal Avenue.

 

There was a Dexter's grocery shop at the top of Brunswick Road where the post office and corner shop is now. Had the old, ornately deocrated, wooden shelving painted in a dard red and also big salt dough wheatsheafs on the top of the shelving. I used to take the family cat up there in my doll's pram, for some reason the cat put up with it!

[mama]

James Kissack's used to be a grocery shop just where that video place is near where the policeman used to be on traffic duty and where Victoria Street joins Prospect Hill.

Opposite that was "Alex Enterprises " a ladies clothes shop. The lady who owned that (Alex something or other) used to sell sandwiches around the pubs from a basket.

On the corner where the Insurance company is now was a newsagent shop, there was a hairdressers above that. somewhere along Victoria street there was a pram shop (Courties?)which moved to Well rd hill. Hyslops, a big shop which sold toys office equipment for the time etc. was where Victory House now stands. Hyslops was owned by Bill Kennaugh who also had a sports and toy shop further down Victoria Street opposite the salisbury pub. If I have got any of this wrong I trust someone out there will correct me

[mollag]

Hyslops was just after Fred Fishwicks, wasnt there a right of way thru the shop or something? i seem to recall summat like that, anyway when they built Victory House they moved it down the hill a bit.

There was another old hill path running down from finch Road, down to join the lane between the cinemas, it skirted the farriers in market street. You can just about see its remains from Market street now.

[Tempus Fugit]

was there a hat shop on Prospect Hill, was it Green's ????

The co-op insurance used to be on the first floor, above the big front door of Victory House

 

and Kennish's tv shop was on the corner of Finch Rd

[LoneWolf]

Hyslops was just after Fred Fishwicks, wasnt there a right of way thru the shop or something? i seem to recall summat like that, anyway when they built Victory House they moved it down the hill a bit.

There was another old hill path running down from finch Road, down to join the lane between the cinemas, it skirted the farriers in market street. You can just about see its remains from Market street now.

 

Was the farrier called Tommy Joughin?

Im sure my father used to drink with an old timer called Joughin who had a workshop round the back strand street area?

[Tempus Fugit]

that's the guy, when he closed up there he went to work for the corpy at the horse-tram stables

 

remember the donkeys which used to be led down from around 'the rec' to the beach, that was another Joughin as I recall, "the dunkey man" !

[mollag]

Do you remember what they gave the donkeys for lunch?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

20 minutes as i recall

[Erik Bloodaxe]

What about all the old bakers and confectioners that used to be in Douglas and Onchan? I served my time at Rathbones in West View Lane on the premises of the old Co-op bakery, my grandfather worked there for a time in the early fifties on deliveries. Quirks on Peel Road, where IOM Newspapers is now situated. Crellins in Grosvenor Road, Craines in St Georges Walk or thereabouts, Cains on Broadway, Quirks bread bakery along the lane at the back of the Waterloo, now the whole site is the Strand Shopping Centre, Cannell's bakery at the rear of the cafe, Caley's in Main Road, Onchan, and also C.A Kermode, Onchan who used to deliver to us on a Saturday afternoon. I know there were very many other similar businesses too, but they are before my time.

Also remember a big treat as kids was going out on a "chara", as we had no transport ourselves to get out of town. Remember Amy Coaches on Bucks Road, right by the top of Christian Road, two 2 "charas" parked side by side, you paid at a little kiosk, then took your seats until the driver appeared. I think the proprietor's name was Roberts.

Also, as a treat once in the early 70's, on the day school broke up for the summer holidays, I got taken to see "Live and Let Die" at the Crescent Cinema, until recently The Venue nightclub.And I saw No Limit at The Royalty loads of times. Other years, we would rush from Willaston School down to St. Ninians to watch the last few laps of the kart racing, when it used to go from the Grandstand back along to Governors Bridge, down Victoria Road, then back up Marathon Drive and St Ninians Road.

[sideways]

that's the guy, when he closed up there he went to work for the corpy at the horse-tram stables

 

remember the donkeys which used to be led down from around 'the rec' to the beach, that was another Joughin as I recall, "the dunkey man" !

 

 

Yep Jonny Joughin ,used to live in one of the cottages out at kewaigue , drove a blue Anglia van...

 

That really brought some childhood memorys back.

[Tempus Fugit]

What about all the old bakers and confectioners that used to be in Douglas and Onchan? I served my time at Rathbones in West View Lane on the premises of the old Co-op bakery, my grandfather worked there for a time in the early fifties on deliveries. Quirks on Peel Road, where IOM Newspapers is now situated. Crellins in Grosvenor Road, Craines in St Georges Walk or thereabouts, Cains on Broadway, Quirks bread bakery along the lane at the back of the Waterloo, now the whole site is the Strand Shopping Centre, Cannell's bakery at the rear of the cafe, Caley's in Main Road, Onchan, and also C.A Kermode, Onchan who used to deliver to us on a Saturday afternoon. I know there were very many other similar businesses too, but they are before my time.

Also remember a big treat as kids was going out on a "chara", as we had no transport ourselves to get out of town. Remember Amy Coaches on Bucks Road, right by the top of Christian Road, two 2 "charas" parked side by side, you paid at a little kiosk, then took your seats until the driver appeared. I think the proprietor's name was Roberts.

Also, as a treat once in the early 70's, on the day school broke up for the summer holidays, I got taken to see "Live and Let Die" at the Crescent Cinema, until recently The Venue nightclub.And I saw No Limit at The Royalty loads of times. Other years, we would rush from Willaston School down to St. Ninians to watch the last few laps of the kart racing, when it used to go from the Grandstand back along to Governors Bridge, down Victoria Road, then back up Marathon Drive and St Ninians Road.

 

there was also a little bakery just to the right of and behind Victory House (the old one), not sure if that was a Crellins too, there was only one man and a woman there when I have been, wasn't a very big place, I think it mainly did confectionery stuff ?

 

and was the one you mentioned Craine's behind their house in Peel Road, the row between Athol St and Hope St. ? - was he on the Corporation or an MHK as well ?

[Erik Bloodaxe]

Something tells me Don Crossley had a bakery somewhere in the Prospect Hill area you are talking about. He raced in the Manx Grand Prix and his son lives in Onchan now. But that was before my time.

Craines bakery was somewhere in behind Peel Road/ Georges Terrace area. I never actually went there but I know it was in that part of town. I'd say it closed in late 1979 or early 1980, because one of the apprentices came to join us at Rathbones around then. It is the same family you are thinking of. He was a Douglas Councillor, and wasn't his wife a lady mayoress in future years, or sister maybe? Definitely some link.

Incidentally, a friend of mine, who I have to say is much older than me (!) was telling me about a small business that used to bake and sell cakes and confectionery from the front room of their house, situated on the first part of Hawarden Avenue, just after Woodbourne Square. He said it was called Oates and Cowley, or similar, and this would be in the early to mid-50's. Anyone else remember that?

[Max Power]

Amy coaches operated from the corner of Bucks Road and Tynwald St.(Fairfield Terrace) Mr Roberts was the operator, in conjunction with Mr Turner who owned the guest house on the corner.

The company on Christian Rd was Highlander Coaches (Mr Downward) The coaches parked in the middle of Christian Rd. Kennish's coaches were at the bottom of Mona St.

They all offered 'mystery tours which took you down some real uncharted roads!

[Tempus Fugit]

Something tells me Don Crossley had a bakery somewhere in the Prospect Hill area you are talking about. He raced in the Manx Grand Prix and his son lives in Onchan now. But that was before my time.

Craines bakery was somewhere in behind Peel Road/ Georges Terrace area. I never actually went there but I know it was in that part of town. I'd say it closed in late 1979 or early 1980, because one of the apprentices came to join us at Rathbones around then. It is the same family you are thinking of. He was a Douglas Councillor, and wasn't his wife a lady mayoress in future years, or sister maybe? Definitely some link.

Incidentally, a friend of mine, who I have to say is much older than me (!) was telling me about a small business that used to bake and sell cakes and confectionery from the front room of their house, situated on the first part of Hawarden Avenue, just after Woodbourne Square. He said it was called Oates and Cowley, or similar, and this would be in the early to mid-50's. Anyone else remember that?

 

I think I have remembered the name of the lady in the prospect hill bakery, Freda, lived in Port-e-chee ave.

 

Yes, Craine's is the one I meant on Peel Road.

I remember the one in Hawarden ave, just opposite the end of Queens gardens, used to go there as it was near where we lived, was it Oates and Quayle ?

 

there was also Swift's patisserie somewhere down in the Station shops Peel Rd. ?

[Max Power]

What about some of the town characters? Like Sydney who used to deliver for Coop's off licence, or BAH...who used to frighten off tourists as they got off the boat and 'Old John' who told everyone that the Russians were coming and Tommy Joughin, who used to cycle around the town with his faithful dog following him everywhere?

And the Smiths and Millers who were the last true hawkers with a rag and bone horsedrawn cart?

There are loads more!