"Shop in a Front Room"

Years ago, when times were hard and unemployment rife, many people attempted to make a living by converting the front room of their home into a shop. No Health and Safety rules in those days!

One such shop was in Pollards Terrace, part of Etherley Lane, Bishop Auckland and was owned by a certain Mrs Chisholm.
The shop was dark and musty but it sold everything the neighbours could possibly require. As it was close to a Junior school it was well frequented by the children at the end of each day.

This is an alphabet I wrote about the contents of Mrs Chisholm's shop.

Mrs Chisholm’s Shop-in-a-Front-Room.

                           1940s.     

A is for acid drops, tangy and sweet.

B is for butter, rancid in heat.

C is for clothes pegs and a cat you can’t trust.

D is for darning wool, dolls’ eyes and dust.

E is for everything packed in so tight.

F is for fly-papers, to hang from the light.

G is for gollies on marmalade and jam.

H is for handkerchiefs, hat-pins and ham.

I is for ink to use on schooldays.

J is for jelly that wobbles on trays.

K is the kettle you boil on the fire.

L is for lump-sugar for tea with the squire.

M is for milk with cream on the top.

N is for nails to fix the old shop

O is for oil, for chests when its damp.

P is for paraffin to use in the lamp.

Q is the Q in the middle of squash.

R is for Reckitt’s to go in the wash.

S is for salt that comes in a block.

T is for tea to brew in the pot.

U is for umbrella - open or shut.

V is for vinegar - bring your own jug.

W is for wood in bundles of sticks.

X is for Xmas cards and envelopes to lick.

Y is for yarn, to knit up so fine.

Z is for Zebro to make the grate shine.