There wasn’t anything you couldn’t get from the town back in the day

I wonder how many live close to a corner shop now?

We used to have them everywhere and they had loads of stuff to cover almost every situation.

Co-op shops as I recall seemed to have their own unique smell, a mixture of cheeses sawdust and all sorts of wares.

Parents would say, ‘gerr-off t- tshop and gerrus some of whatever’.

You dare not refuse and mostly they would give you a few pennies for a treat.

‘Get yersen some tuffies if there’s any change’.

There were no plastic bags then so it was brown paper carrier bags with string handles.

If it was raining then it could be fun trying to keep the bag dry.

There were nice bakeries around too and I’m sure many will remember fondly the smell emanating from Fox’s on Church Street.

Birds Butchers was another and folks would be queuing for their bacon, sausage and pork pies and the floor was thick with saw dust.

Hardware shops seemed to have every type of tool and fixing known to man, some had their wares outside to entice you in.

The town seemed to be busting with shops and pubs to me as a child and I doubt there was anything you could not buy in town.

The market I know is sadly missed by many, and was an absolute gem.

You would have to squeeze your way between the stalls to get around.

Weekends would see a blaze of colour with fruit and veg neatly stacked on the stalls.

Stallholders would be calling out, apparently in competition for volume, to advertise their goods.

All at so many bob (shilling) a pound.

You would hear for example, ‘giz two pound of taters here duck’.

Most of the major bus stops were around the market and the double-decker green Mansfield Traction buses also seemed to be never away from the market place.