thanks to the off-list contributor "MB" for sending his memories of Holland of south London to us.
One of the apsects of the piece that really caught my interest was his description of Hollands shop in the Old Kent Road, lit up with a single light bulb.
Many years ago, when I was starting out in the retail cycle trade I thought that I should venture forth in as professional manner as possible..and so I decided to become a member of the trade body looking after the interests of such dealers as myself, by supplying cheaper insurance, supplies of sales tickets, ledgers, headed notepaper..a crest with a coat-of-arms to stick on the glass panel in the shop's entrance door and two more for the corners of the main display window.. I needed to belong..and I has never had had the right to use a coat-of-arms before that time.
So I telephoned the secretary of the Federation of Cycle Retailers ( I think that was the name..), in Orpington, Kent (..even that sounded professional) and explained in the best and, I hoped, the most professional way that I could that I wanted to become a member of the Federation. One concern that I harboured was that the Federation might not welcome youngsters such as myself, preferring a more mature type of member. I was also worried that "Mr Federation" who spoke such exquisite english, with such a plummy accent might not take to my rougher Yorkshire tones and dialect Just when I felt that things were going really well, this southern, this Orpington gentlemen addressed me with the very down -to earth- question.."Why would a young man like you want to join the sixty-watt-bulb-trade?"
Rather taken aback by this fundamental question, whose meaning I really had not grasped - perhaps I had phoned the wrong number and got the Federation of Hardware Dealers - I stuttered down the phone line, "I don't really understand. What do you mean by the-sixty-watt-bulb-trade?"
Quick as a flash he rejoined " I mean the retail cycle trade! Haven't you noticed...either the shop is barely illuminated by a single sixty watt light bulb...or the proprietor is as dim as a sixty watt bulb!
So much professionalism..but I still lusted after that self-adhesive coat-of-arms for the shop front door..dim bulbs or no dim bulbs.
Norris Lockley
Settle UK