Remember the S & E Co-op's?

There used to be a co-op in every district. At age 13 I worked nights and

Saturdays at my local co-op,delivering groceries on a barrow,for the princely sum of 3/6d (17.5p) Free tea on a Saturday!

Going back to the early 1930s there used to be one on Ecclesall Road within spitting distance of Hickmott Road. Lovely place, smelt of cheese, treacle and bacon. Ahh! If only they were still around. They had one of those overhead wire systems by which you paid your money at the counter, the assistant put it in a small container, pulled a lever and it shot off to the cashier’s “box” which was sited high up in the corner of the shop. She overlooked everything. A couple of seconds later the container arrived back with your change and a receipt.

Sugar was weighed out in blue bags, cheese slices were cut from a big round cheese and bacon was sliced there and then to the thickness you preferred.

For those unfamiliar with the terminology, S&E stood for Sheffield and Ecclesall but there was also the B&C Co-op which stood for Brightside and Carbrook.

Yes Peterw,the co-op's were all those things,but the most important thing was the 'Divi'. Today,the likes of Sainsbury,Tesco et al have their card schemes,but they only pay 1p in the pound. The S & E dividend used to be 1/10d (9.5p) and paid on all purchases,including tailoring and coal,a God send to some families.

The Sheffield Co-Operator newspaper at Surrey St. is fascinating and seldom read by researchers - it claimed a guaranteed readership of 30,000, which was really quite impressive.

Much of its contents reflected the growing political role of the Co-op and the status of A. V. Alexander, a Sheffield (Hillsborough) MP, 1922-1950, who later became First Lord of the Admiralty in the Second World War and Minister of Defence for Attlee.

The Sheffield Co-Operator newspaper at Surrey St. is fascinating and seldom read by researchers - it claimed a guaranteed readership of 30,000, which was really quite impressive.

 

Much of its contents reflected the growing political role of the Co-op and the status of A. V. Alexander, a Sheffield (Hillsborough) MP, 1922-1950, who later became First Lord of the Admiralty in the Second World War and Minister of Defence for Attlee.

I remember A V Alexander when he was 1st Lord of the Admiralty. I was in the Navy in 1941 and was part of a naval contingent taking part in a parade in Mansfield for a War weapons week ,with Mr Alexander(as he was then) in

attendance. It was a June day,and very hot, stood there in uniform.

Yes Peterw,the co-op's were all those things,but the most important thing was the 'Divi'. Today,the likes of Sainsbury,Tesco et al have their card schemes,but they only pay 1p in the pound. The S & E dividend used to be 1/10d (9.5p) and paid on all purchases,including tailoring and coal,a God send to some families.

I can still remember my mum's four-digit number that you reeled off for the dividends' procedure; must be more than 40 years ago and I can't remember a four-figure pin number from a couple of weeks ago. Highlights how frequently we used the co-op.

The Blockbusters Video Shop at Gleadless Townend was an S&E and the bookmakers next door was the Butchery Department.

I can still remember my mum's four-digit number that you reeled off for the dividends' procedure; must be more than 40 years ago and I can't remember a four-fugure pin number from a couple of weeks ago. Highlights how frequently we used the co-op.

5502 - that was my Mums' !

What happened to the co-ops? They were still going strong when I left in 1968. We were members of S and E, and my wife worked as a hairdresser for them at one time. My mother shopped at B and C, they were both great for cheese and butter straight from the slab, and the divis helped at Christmas.

God, yeah, the old S&E, brings back memories, the one where now stands Somerfields Loading Bay and that restaurant at the bottom of Eccy Rd (London Rd side)near the subway.

Remember walking through the S&E just to get on the old city clipper bendi-buses in the early 80's, free travel back in them days!!