Mobile Shops

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glasgowcyclist

Charming but somewhat feckless
Location
Scotland
He's a twat, apart from this.

We had a moblie grocer in the '60s which was a repurposed double-decker bus, the kind with the open rear.

The counter was just inside the rear platform and further stock was kept upstairs. It was also rumoured that there was a mattress up there where the owner could be paid "in kind" if you couldn't afford your tab! 😲
 

Webbo2

Über Member
He's a twat, apart from this.

We had a moblie grocer in the '60s which was a repurposed double-decker bus, the kind with the open rear.

The counter was just inside the rear platform and further stock was kept upstairs. It was also rumoured that there was a mattress up there where the owner could be paid "in kind" if you couldn't afford your tab! 😲

Did not mobile shops or icecream vans selling other things lead to a rather violent turf war in your neck of the woods.😳
 
Can remember one arriving regularly down our road when we were kids, we eagerly waited to board and buy a lucky bag and sweets.
Also the coal van, paraffin van (Esso Blue), a van with chopped wood (to start the coal fire), a fresh fish van, a butchers van.
Best was a horse and cart with fruit and veg - vendor was an old fella with trench coat and flat cap, like a scene from Steptoe & Son.
 

glasgowcyclist

Charming but somewhat feckless
Location
Scotland
Did not mobile shops or icecream vans selling other things lead to a rather violent turf war in your neck of the woods.😳

Sort of.

Rival gangs used ice cream vans to sell drugs and stolen property around some of the newly-built council estates in Glasgow in the late '70s, early '80s. This led to the killing of 6 members of the Doyle family.

This was because young Andy Doyle, just 18 at the time, refused to traffic drugs or any other contraband on his route.
 

glasgowcyclist

Charming but somewhat feckless
Location
Scotland
Can remember one arriving regularly down our road when we were kids, we eagerly waited to board and buy a lucky bag and sweets.
Also the coal van, paraffin van (Esso Blue), a van with chopped wood (to start the coal fire), a fresh fish van, a butchers van.
Best was a horse and cart with fruit and veg - vendor was an old fella with trench coat and flat cap, like a scene from Steptoe & Son.

And we had a chip van too!

Fish and chips never tasted so good.
 
Back in the 60s we had the Co-op grocery van and the Mace van, also the coal lorry. I know you still get the coal lorry but back then, they just called. You did`nt order beforehand. We also had the bread van.
Going into the 1970s my parents owned a shop and often the commercial travellers, as they were called then, often had items with them that they could buy ie china and glassware, clothing etc etc. If they did`nt have it, they would bring in next time. It worked. You did`nt have all these delivery vans about then. I know, I know, the population was a lot less then and life was`nt so instant.
 
And the rag & bone man, and the ginger (lemonade) lorry. Those were the days!

Oh yes, I`d forgotten the Corona lorry. Re-cyling in it`s simplicity. Give the man your empties and you`d get a shilling was it or sixpence, I can`t remember, I am sure somebody will know.
 
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