Edwards' Grocery in Granby Street

[jasper]

Does anyone remember Edwards' Grocery in Granby Street and Ted Bramwell butchers across the street?
I was a grocery delivery boy for Edwards' in 1955/6. The boss was Mr Norman who used to tell me about being a machine gunner in the trenches in the 1st World War. He was a very nice man but he sacked me in the end because he said he wanted someone full time.
I got £1/2s per week plus tips of 10s on Saturday. I suppose it would be about £50 in today's money. I had to pay it into the house though which I resented because my father spent most of the family income on drink, cigarettes and horse betting.
Afterwards I did the same job for Ted Bramwell butcher but he never paid me the proper rate and I left when I was 16.

[shytalk]

I remember Ted Bramwell, my mother used to buy our meat there when we lived in Granby St. 1959-64. His delivery guy at that time was Charlie Scott who lived in Bloom St. We had a shop at the other end near Parly. Bramwells stood out from the other butchers shops, he had a refrigerated display that filled the whole window. Below is a picture of our shop.

[jasper]

I remember Charlie Scott quite well. He later worked as a doorman in several Liverpool night spots. My mother was rather fond of him.

Granby Street was very lively in those days. It was more cosmoplitan at the Upper Parliament Street end and tended towards lower middle class/working class gentility at the Princess Road end. Apparently Princess Road was populted by the Jewish community at one time (perhaps just before the war).

What did your shop sell?

[shytalk]

Groceries mainly but a bit of everything. I don't remember the one you mentioned I do remember Rynns with the tiled wall saying 'Rynns for bacon', also Owens was a successful grocery shop until one of the sons got caught with stolen goods, went downhill after that. Do you remember Mr. Sud with the turban?, he had a clothes store. Or Baij the Indian guy?.
Last I heard of Charlie Scott he had gone to live in Ireland. That was in the 70's.
My shop was the one on the left in the picture. It had originally been a dairy and the front window was made to open, it didn't when I was there. The shop on the right was a small chandlers store. The car was my pride and joy, a 1954 Rover 90.

[Davec]

I remember Mr. Sud, but I knew him as the fella in the ice-cream van - unless it was a different guy.

[shytalk]

I remember Mr. Sud, but I knew him as the fella in the ice-cream van - unless it was a different guy.

The Mr. Sud I was talking about was a huge guy, must have had a 60 inch waist. I don't know what nationality he was but he wore a turban, This fella would never fit in an ice cream van. He used to drink whiskey out of a pint glass in Hessians pub.
He sold out before I did in 1964 and went to Canada.

[jasper]

Granby Street was pretty well 100% european in my day. I left in about 1958when the immigrants were just moving in.

There was a chinese laundry though and Jamaican barber shop.

[shytalk]

The chinese laundry was a few shops up from me. I used to go to Macs barber shop, he always had American car magazines.

[Davec]

The Mr. Sud I was talking about was a huge guy, must have had a 60 inch waist. I don't know what nationality he was but he wore a turban, This fella would never fit in an ice cream van. He used to drink whiskey out of a pint glass in Hessians pub.
He sold out before I did in 1964 and went to Canada.

My Mr. Sud was also huge, at least sideways, could never make out his height with him being in a van. But he certainly filled the serving window. He looked to me to be in his 50's at the time I'm talking about, which would be the early 60's. He was obviously a Sikh and his turban as I recall was always plain white. I lived in Wynnstay St. - a couple of streets up from Princes Road.

[shytalk]

It could have been the same person. I had been told he was going to Canada when he sold his shop, but that could have changed. I never saw him after that.

[Davec]

Thinking about it Shy I think I have completely got the wrong fella (). I'll have to wait to see my sister - who is younger, smarter and has a better memory than me - but I may be getting mixed up with someone else of a similar description. His name was Pal.
Can you remember a small coffee bar in Granby in the early 60's on the same side as the school? and a shop that sold false teeth? or are these more examples of my suspect memory(RIP)?
Speedy Gonzales was top of the pops at the time

[shytalk]

The only cafe I remember was "Sid's" cafe at the Parly end and I have no recollection of the false teeth shop. Sid's cafe was almost opposite my shop.

[Dave H]

Granby Street was pretty well 100% european in my day. I left in about 1958when the immigrants were just moving in.

There was a chinese laundry though and Jamaican barber shop.

I was at Granby Street primary around then. The laundry was Yau's and my best friend lived there. I used to go there to read his collection of DC comics, sometimes use the ironing machine on small items under the beady eye of his gran (hard to believe now that people got handkerchiefs laundered) and admire his sister who wore cheong-sams.

I remember a butcher/fishmonger on the other side of the road nearer Parly. They used to give talks on fish to parties of schoolkids who trooped down to stand outside the window.

[jasper]

Granby Street was almost entirely a street of shops. There were no shops in either Mulgrave Street or Kingsley Road that ran parallel to it.

Does anyone know why that was?

[shytalk]

DaveH, I remember the fishmongers shop, I think it was called 'Warburtons'.
It was on the block south of Selbourne St. I think.