Day 75 #100DaysOfOldDays

I’m linking today’s post to Marsha Ingrao’s WQW #16

I often think back to the days when people weren’t always in a hurry. The days when I went to town shopping with my mam. It was a leisurely event and Friday’s were my favourite because we had lots of shops to visit on Fridays.

It was a 10-15 minute walk to town but by the time Mam would have a quick chat with nearly everyone we met on the way, it took a bit longer.

Our first stop was often Clarkes furniture and hardware shop. Mam was a keen DIY woman and if it wasn’t wallpaper she was paying on it was paint or a piece of furniture. Clarke’s had the wire contraption as their payment method. The customer’s money was put into a small canister, and then attached with a quick twist to an overhead wire that ran from the counter to a little office further down the shop. It went at top speed along that wire. It was great entertainment for the children. There was craic and banter between the staff and customer while they waited for the return of the canister with the change and receipt.

Then we might have gone into Bell’s drapery shop for sewing thread or elastic. Sometimes socks for me. More friendly chat from the ladies in there.

We’d call into Kelletts to pay the rent on our black and white telly. (Read that HERE if you missed it)

The post office was a dark pokey little place tucked into the left-hand corner of Tom Reilly’s grocery shop. It had a high wooden panelled counter, completely different to what it is now. I didn’t like going into the post office because we had to queue sometimes.

I liked the butchers because they had sawdust on the floor. We went to Eugene Farrells and Black’s. Always a friendly chat and plenty of banter from Eugene and Miles Byrne. The meat was wrapped in brown paper tied with string.

I loved going into Angela Kelly’s. She sold ladies clothes. She was a lovely kind woman who always had a smile for her customers. Her husband Donal worked in the front part of the shop where he sold men’s clothes, and you had to walk through his part of the shop to get to Angela’s.  

Mam did her main grocery shopping in Moynagh’s, a family run supermarket. Going into Moynagh’s was as good as a night out. Everyone knew everyone and there was always time for talk and craic. The fun and laughter that took place in shops like that made shopping such a pleasurable and sociable event. I don’t think we appreciated the value of the personal and friendly service we received at the time. They knew every customer’s name. If they didn’t have an item you needed, Phil—The Boss—sent one of the shop assistants out to another shop for it. They always packed your bags at the checkout, then carried them to your car. There was never a rush.

You have to be an athlete these days packing your bags in the supermarket. Me nerves sometimes when my melon comes flying at me like a rugby ball. People behind you are generally impatient, or busy, or both. Getting a conversation out of the checkout girl is often like trying to get your cat to bark. Sometimes they don’t even smile and that’s the truth. What has happened?

John Reilly’s was a smaller shop that sold the best apple tarts. In all my travels, I’ve yet to come across an apple tart as good as his. They wrapped the bread in light brown tissue paper, and that paper was always saved as it came in handy when the loo roll would run out! It was softer than the stuff we had to use in the school toilets.

Shopping is a whole different experience nowadays.