Fine Fare Supermarket

[MrsDavies2Be 10]

My mum worked at Fine Fare in the late 1960s 1967/1968 could have been 1969 as well, she would have been in her early 20s then with a lady called Margaret Coopland it would have been the one on Woodseats or near there because she lived in a flat on Albert Road in Heeley then that was when my mum and dad were first courting before they got married as they used to say in those days ha ha lol.

Edited October 24, 2011 by MrsDavies2Be

[terrycarter 10]

Terry, your name rings a bell with me but I can't place you....brain scrambled. Do you or Andy Miller remember Tony Buckingham? Often wonder what became of him, he lived in a very nice cottage in Birdwell. Also remember Mr Firth(??) area manager who bullied me mercilessly all the time I worked there and then when I handed in my notice he came down to see me and told me that if I stayed I could be managing my own store within 2 yrs..... yeah right.

 

Also would like to mention the older lady who cooked the lunches for us, Dave the butcher who married one of the girls, I used to see them in Firth park WMC occasionally as Dave was on the committee. Frank, the warehouse manager, always good for a laugh. Joe who worked on produce. Also, a lady from Hoyland Common, who worked on produce, whose name escapes me, but I remember her telling me that a film crew were filming on their estate based on the book "A Kestrel for a knave"...... which obviously became "Kes".

 

John Martin and his brother, who were Saturday lads (and evenings). Dave Leese, who left to take over as soft furnishings manager at Banners.....wow the list goes on.

Andy,

I remember Tony Buckingham very well. He was managing Parsons Cross when I last heard of him. He had a number of other business interests, or at leasrt that's what he told me.

Do you remember Lillian Reddish who was in the office at Firth Park? Her sister Jane also worked there.

Other people I remember from Firth park were: Gordon Jones- butcher, Keith Wade - butcher, Norma Russell- produce, Joan Chadwick- checkout. It's scary to think that that was more than 40 years ago.

Terry

[*Belle* 10]

I knew the Reddish girls, I'd love to know where they are now.

Edited October 25, 2011 by *Belle*

[DUFFEMS 56]

My mum worked at Fine Fare in the late 1960s 1967/1968 could have been 1969 as well, she would have been in her early 20s then with a lady called Margaret Coopland it would have been the one on Woodseats or near there because she lived in a flat on Albert Road in Heeley then that was when my mum and dad were first courting before they got married as they used to say in those days ha ha lol.

 

I'll ask Vera if she remembers her, she's still very astute at 88. She also lived on Albert Road at the time.

She worked at Fine Fare Woodseats when we were "courting" in the late 60's, she's my mother-in-law.

[jennydepp 10]

i remember the one at manor top which has been various other supermarkets since most recently netto and now asda my brother was manager at fine fare manor top years ago

[lucylac 10]

i remember the one at manor top which has been various other supermarkets since most recently netto and now asda my brother was manager at fine fare manor top years ago

 

I worked at manor top one, from1984 - 1988 on the check outs. My mother-in-law also worked there from it opening up till 1987. So she might know your brother if he was there before1987.

[jennydepp 10]

yeh it was the 80s wen he worked there his name is steven watson i remember a little woman who used to stand up while workin on checkout and was really fast her name was rhoda

[handypandy 14]

Andy,

I remember Tony Buckingham very well. He was managing Parsons Cross when I last heard of him. He had a number of other business interests, or at leasrt that's what he told me.

Do you remember Lillian Reddish who was in the office at Firth Park? Her sister Jane also worked there.

Other people I remember from Firth park were: Gordon Jones- butcher, Keith Wade - butcher, Norma Russell- produce, Joan Chadwick- checkout. It's scary to think that that was more than 40 years ago.

Terry

 

Hi Terry

 

Yes, remember most of those. Thanks for the memory jog.

[sheffandy 34]

Found a nice pic of the old FF logo.

http://tinyurl.com/62d2dnk

[ChrisCorker 10]

Hello. I was sent a link to this forum and was most surprised to find my name mentioned.

ANDY MILLER, I remember you too and I heard that you had joined the prison service.You are correct in saying that I moved from Wombwell to manage Firth park, but I never went to Armthorpe.Are you thinking of Mr Templeman who was an area manager(nice chap) who ended managing Armthorpe( I think, memeory not so good) I believe he collapsed and died in the store. The long hours of work that we had to do wouldn`t have helped.

TERRY CARTER---I feel that I should remeber you too, given what you have written but I can only remember a CHRIS Carter.Maybe that is you? Some people with two Christian names often don`t go by their first given name. An example is one that both you and Andy Miller will probably remember, Frank David Walker, who preferred Dave.He was at gleadless I think and then at parson Cross where I worked for him. He later became an area manager but I lost track of his movements.I was pleased to see the reference to Bill Wright, what a lad he was!! I think that he left to set up his own car repair business and I lost touch with him.I expect that he is still around somewhere, covered in oil!! His wife was Sylvia and I think that they had two sons. If anyone knows how I can contact him I would be grateful-----he still owes me a pint!

I agree with what HandyAndy said about Roger Coker.He was the first manager that I worked for when I joined Fine fare as a fresh-faced youth of 20 in Jan 1967.He always wore a long white coat and looked immaculate. I too rember his calling out to delivery drivers but I`m not sure about the sugar one! He was the first person of the other persuasion that I had met and sometimes when in the bar above the bowling alley he would touch my arm for a little longer than was necessary and I could have cracked a walnut with a certain part of my anatomy, such was the fear! I don`t think it was anything other then him being friendly, but that is now.Back then.................

Roy Firth I remember, he was always OK with me.Also Tony Buckingham who, I was told, left to concentrate on some sort of diamond business in Africa. I also remember all the others that were mentioned. Rod Taylor, Mrs Mills, Tony Tuck and I think that there were two brothers who managed Woodseats and Heeley, by the name of Brown.

The one that I will never forget is Bill Faloona at Wickersley/Stag Roundabout. What a lad he was, loved a pint or three and had already got a boozer`s nose when i worked for him.I feel sure that it was the Stag that we went to and not the Homestead.A couple of pints and a hot gammon sandwich---I can remember them now!I don`t know what happened to Bill, does anyone?

Gordon Jones, butcher, Joan Chadwick, Keith Wade from Hoyland Common who did provisions,and, of course, the Reddish ladies. As well as Lilian and Jayne there was Elizabeth and I think that their mum had worked at Firth Park as well, doing cleaning.

I worked for a short spell at Attercliffe under Mrs Mills and at Crookes under Micheal Tinn. Anyone remember him? he was an ex public school boy(Repton) and was supposed to be out getting retail experience before moving into the family business of Hammonds of Hull.a large and well-establishe department store. He had a small green sports car which of course he would never have been able to afford on the crap wages that Fine

Fare used to pay.He could get a little up his own a--e at times and was once assualted

by a delivery driver as a result. He had to be rescued by the butcher, dave Stubbs, who later went into the taxi business.Good lad he was. Anyone remember him?

Well, I could go on and on as the memories come flooding back but have probably written more today than I have since doing essays in my GCE exams. I hope that there is someone out there who will read all this!

Thanks to all who contributed to this forum( which reminds me of the Fine Fare staff magazine, that was the Forum) and for bringing back a lot of memories.

[Andymiller 10]

Hi Chris,nice to hear from you.Missed a comma in my previous post - it was me who worked at Armthorpe.I now live only 5 or so miles from the branch which has changed hands several times since.As regards Mr.Templeman,he did not die but had a really nasty accident with the cardboard baling machine (what deadly things they were with the metal handle swinging back!).The handle swung back and split his head open.It was a really nasty accident and he was off several weeks.I went in as his relief and stayed for a while after he came back,as assistant manager. What was apparrent was how much his staff liked and respected him and how they hated Mr.Firth for the way he treated him,I believe because he was an outsider from another company and not Fine Fare trained.I enjoyed my spell with him - he was a real gent.Hope you are keeping well,best wishes,Andy.

[ChrisCorker 10]

Hello Andy, good to hear from you.Your message made me read my last posting and I was amazed at how many times I failed to spell "remember"! Senility taking over rapidly. Must be careful this post.

Thanks for clearing up the Mr Templeman question.I am pleased to hear that that is all(all?!) it was.I suppose that the scenario that I mentioned could have happened in later years but I hope not.As I said in my first post, I thought that he was a good chap, too nice to be an area man!

I have exchanged a few e-mails with "Handy" Andy Turner since my post but it seems that we never actually met. I know that you and I did! I think that you probably made the right decision to get out of retail and join the prison service.After dealing with Roy Firth you would find it easy with the toughest of "screws" ! Strangely, with my reputation for not getting on with area managers, I did with Roy Firth. Mind you, I was very young and inexperienced then and didn`t have him for long as I was at Wombwell for five years, off his patch.

How did you do in the Prison Service? Did you make governor?!! A colleague of mine in later years, name of Clark(e?) was married to a governor but I don`t know which nick she was at.

I, for my sins, stayed in retail until I retired in 2001, but I left FF to join the Co-op in `87.Lots of stories to tell over the years I can tell you!! Are you still working or do you get early retirement in the Prison Service?

Hope to hear from you again.

Best wishes, Chris