Former Sainsbury's in Wellington Place

[mrh-slos]

I have memories of a small old-fashioned branch of Sainsbury's on the South side of Wellington Place before their new larger branch was opened in what is now the ESK building. However, I don't remember which building it was, or its current use. Would also like to know the current use of former Ripley Greengrocer.

[ColinL]

A typical Sainsbury type counter display along with a typical Woolworth loose biscuit counter. Sold as pick and mix depending on the variety

[Geoff]

Hi mrh-slos

There's an older thread on the old Wellington Place Sainsbury's here...
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2955&p=12232#p12232

Can't help you with Ripleys Greengrocers. Where was it?

[JACK :)]

Late 50s, as a kid I seem to remember money put in tubes, overhead tracks or wires, chains being pulled ? change being returned ? can anyone enlighten me.

[Richard Pollard]

From what I remember from the early 50s onwards was that, the paying point was at the end of the shop with a stout faced lady sitting at a very large brass looking till, whereby you handed over your money along with a piece of paper with the goods written on it and she calculated the amount owing. On passing the money through a slot under the glass she pulled down a series of levers on the front which obviously told the machine what cogs to engage etc., cranked the handle on the side of the till several times until the cash drawer opened, (it resembled starting an old Morris Minor car with a starting handle!).
The little tin like objects that were attached to a chain like device was money being sent from the till area to the cash office at the back end of the shop, like in the store room!
Virtually nearly every transaction was sent up and away despite to how much the till drawer held, this depended on how many customers were waiting to pay.
At no time was money ever taken at the shop counters, you always had a form of receipt to take to the till and pay, people were trusted to pay and not just walk out.
Mind you I do remember on many occasions queuing at a till for about 10 minutes or so with my Mother only to find that you were in the wrong queue and had to rejoin yet another!
Butter was sold by what ever amount you wanted and duly patted up with wooden patters!
Cheese was cut with a wire and the assistants got the weight right nearly every time, those were the days, please bring them back?

[ColinL]

Jack
That would have been Plummers in Robertson Street. I agree with RichardP about paying at the cashier at the centre back of the shop with the various chits that you would have got from each queue.

There were several queues on each side opposite the different products. The queues were not cordoned but people just lined up behind the next person. The same quueing method was at the Post Office.

I seem to remember that Philpots or some shop close by also had the mechanised payment system on an overhead track.

In addition to butter being sold as a particular weight cut to order the same operated for tea and sugar which were packed in strong brow bags that the assistant neatly folded at the top to secure the contents.