HICKLING in the 1920s:
Page 1
Jno Martin’s Shop
The smartest shop by far was Jno Martin’s. Another family affair. Jno ruled with a rod of iron or a tongue that was equally effective. He was a good business man and ran the grocery end while his wife and daughter ran the drapery end. His wife sometimes helped at the bacon and cheese end by using the slicer and she always ended up by quickly licking all the fingers of her left hand after she had operated the machine.
This shop always had a beautifully
neat window display, but
at Christmas time the drapery end
was to us children a fairyland.
The whole window was set out
with everything children liked
and eager faces would be pressed
to the window each day in December
after school, the better off would
be saying “Well, I’m having that
in my stocking” and the poorer ones
(who were in the majority) would say
‘Well, I would like…”