P h o t o B l o g

Sunday 1 June 2008

The Clock Shop


"The Clock Shop" is a well-known landmark on the corner of Downing Street and busy Newmarket Road in Ashton under Lyne. It does not, as far as I know, sell clocks, but does sell groceries and videos as well as being a newsagent and an off licence. I should explain for our overseas visitors that a newsagent sells newspapers, magazines, etc. and an off licence sells alcohol for consumption off the premises - i.e. cans of beer, bottles of wine or spirits, etc to take home.

The shop has always been known as "The Clock Shop" because it used to have a large clock above the entrance, where the sign is now. Sadly, the clock was broken by vandals and never replaced. Fortunately, the name has been retained as a reminder of its past. It is a nice, quirky touch to have a Clock Shop with no clock!

Let's celebrate June's Theme Day of "Corner Shops" by having two bites at the cherry!

Below is another photo of the corner shop at the junction of Kings Road and Ladbrooke Road, which was featured in February. This is perhaps more typical of the many corner shops in Ashton. There were a great many more at one time, but the advent of the supermarket has seen many of them become unprofitable and close.



Check out these other blogs participating in the "Corner Shop" Theme Day:
Click here to view thumbnails for all participants
Adelaide, Australia by Gordon, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey by afyonblog, Albuquerque (NM), USA by Helen, American Fork (UT), USA by Annie, Anderson (SC), USA by Lessie, Ararat, Australia by Digger, Arradon, France by Alice, Ashton under Lyne, UK by Pennine, Aspen (CO), USA by IamMBB, Athens, Greece by Debbie, Auckland, New Zealand by Lachezar, Austin (TX), USA by LB, Avignon, France by Nathalie, Barrow-in-Furness, UK by Enitharmon, Barton (VT), USA by Andree, Belgrade, Serbia by BgdPic, Belgrade, Serbia by Bibi, Bellefonte (PA), USA by Barb-n-PA, Bicheno, Australia by Greg, Bogor, Indonesia by Gagah, Boston (MA), USA by Sarah, Whit, & Leyre, Brookville (OH), USA by Abraham, Bucharest, Romania by Malpraxis, Budapest, Hungary by Zannnie and Zsolt, Budapest, Hungary by agrajag, Buenos Aires, Argentina by Karine, Canterbury, UK by Rose, Cape Town, South Africa by Kerry-Anne, Cavite, Philippines by Steven Que, Chandler (AZ), USA by Melindaduff, Château-Gontier, France by Laurent, Chateaubriant, France by Bergson, Cheltenham, UK by Marley, Chennai, India by Ram N, Chennai, India by Shantaram, Chicago (IL), USA by U R us, Cleveland (OH), USA by iBlowfish, Coral Gables (FL), USA by Jnstropic, Corsicana (TX), USA by Lake Lady, Durban, South Africa by CrazyCow, Edinburgh, UK by Dido, Evry, France by Olivier, Folkestone, UK by Clare Unsworth, Forks (WA), USA by Corinne, Fort Lauderdale (FL), USA by Gigi, Gainesville (FL), USA by Leah, Geneva (IL), USA by Kelly, Glasgow, Scotland by Jackie, Greenville (SC), USA by Denton, Gun Barrel City (TX), USA by Lake Lady, Hamilton, New Zealand by Sakiwi, Hangzhou, China by Chanin, Haninge, Sweden by Steffe, Helsinki, Finland by Kaa, Hobart, Australia by Greg, Hyde, UK by Old Hyde, Hyde, UK by Gerald, Jackson (MS), USA by Halcyon, Jefferson City (MO), USA by Chinamom2005, Jogjakarta, Indonesia by Jogja Portrait, Katonah (NY), USA by Inkster1, Knoxville (TN), USA by Knoxville Girl, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia by Edwin, Kyoto, Japan by Tadamine, Larchmont (NY), USA by Marie-Noyale, Las Vegas (NV), USA by Mo, Le Guilvinec, France by ds2944, Lisbon, Portugal by Maria João, Lisbon, Portugal by Sailor Girl, Lodz, Poland by ritalounge, London, UK by Ham, London, UK by Mo, Los Angeles (CA), USA by Martha Perez, Mainz, Germany by JB, Manila, Philippines by Heyokity, Melbourne, Australia by John, Memphis (TN), USA by SouthernHeart, Menton, France by Jilly, Mexico City, Mexico by Carraol, Mexico City, Mexico by Poly, Minneapolis (MN), USA by Greg, Minneapolis (MN), USA by Mitch, Misawa, Japan by misawa mama, Monroe (GA), USA by Tanya, Monte Carlo, Monaco by Jilly, Montego Bay, Jamaica by Ann, Monterrey, Mexico by rafa, Moscow, Russia by Irina, Mumbai, India by MumbaiiteAnu, Mumbai, India by Magiceye, Nancy, France by yoshi, Nashville (TN), USA by Chris, Nelson, New Zealand by Meg and Ben, New Delhi, India by Delhi Photo Diary, New Orleans (LA), USA by steve buser, New York City (NY), USA by Ming the Merciless, New York City (NY), USA by • Eliane •, Norwich, UK by Goddess888, Oklahoma City (OK), USA by ananda.tashie, Orlando (FL), USA by OrlFla, Oslo, Norway by Lothiane, Owasso (OK), USA by Jennifer, Paderborn, Germany by Soemchen, Paris, France by Eric, Pasadena (CA), USA by Can8ianben, Pasadena (CA), USA by Petrea, Perth, Australia by Elevation7, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia by Murphy_jay, Petoskey (MI), USA by Christie, Pilisvörösvár, Hungary by Elise, Port Angeles (WA), USA by Jelvistar, Port Elizabeth, South Africa by Sam, Port Townsend (WA), USA by raf, Portland (ME), USA by Corey, Posadas, Argentina by Lega, Prague, Czech Republic by Honza03, Rabaul, Papua New Guinea by Jules, Ramsey, Isle of Man by babooshka, Reykjavik, Iceland by Vírgíll, Riga, Latvia by Fotos. Riga Photos, Rotterdam, Netherlands by Ineke, Rouen, France by Bbsato, Saarbrücken, Germany by LadyDemeter, Saigon, Vietnam by Simon, Saint Louis (MO), USA by Strangetastes, Saint Paul (MN), USA by Kate, Salt Lake City (UT), USA by Eric, San Antonio (TX), USA by Kramer, San Diego (CA), USA by Zentmrs, San Francisco (CA), USA by PFranson, San Francisco (CA), USA by Louis la Vache, Seattle (WA), USA by Kim, Seattle (WA), USA by Chuck, Selma (AL), USA by RamblingRound, Seoul, South Korea by Phil, Sequim (WA), USA by Norma, Sesimbra, Portugal by Aldeia, Setúbal, Portugal by Maria Elisa, Singapore, Singapore by Keropok, Sofia, Bulgaria by Antonia, Springfield (IL), USA by Aubrey, Stavanger, Norway by Tanty, Stayton (OR), USA by Celine, Stockholm, Sweden by Stromsjo, Stouffville, Canada by Ken, Subang Jaya, Malaysia by JC, Sunshine Coast, Australia by bitingmidge, Sydney, Australia by Ann, Sydney, Australia by Sally, Sydney, Australia by Julie, Székesfehérvár, Hungary by Teomo, Tacloban City, Philippines by agnesdv, Tel-Aviv, Israel by Olga, Terrell (TX), USA by Bstexas, Terrell (TX), USA by Jim K, The Hague, Netherlands by Lezard, Tokyo, Japan by Tadamine, Torino, Italy by Fabrizio, Torun, Poland by Torun Observer, Torun, Poland by Glenn, Toulouse, France by Julia, Turin, Italy by Livio, Twin Cities (MN), USA by Slinger, Urayasu, Japan by Zono, Victoria, Canada by Benjamin Madison, Vienna, Austria by G_mirage2, Wailea (HI), USA by Kuanyin, Wassenaar, Netherlands by Rich, Wellington, New Zealand by Jeremyb, West Paris (ME), USA by crittoria, West Sacramento (CA), USA by Barbara, Weston (FL), USA by WestonDailyPhoto, Willits (CA), USA by Elaine, Yardley (PA), USA by Mrlynn,

20 comments:

  1. I remember the clock shop but never knew how it got the name - strange how names stick past their origins - the Big Lamp at Shaw springs to mind.

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  2. It's almost quaint to retain the name like that, but I'd have walked right past it looking for milk!

    Sunshine Coast Daily - Australia

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  3. There was a time when food prices were fixed. So everything was available locally. We had the grocers, bakers, butchers, greengrocers, newsagents, all of them around the corner. For other times a five to ten minute walk to to the market & Ashton town center and you could get anything you wanted.

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  4. Whooaaa...these photos are like from another time period. Very cool.

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  5. that is such a nice store. It would be a supermarket here!

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  6. i loved the corner shops but alas they are all disappearing as they cant keep up with the supermarkets ,theres a feud going on here just now one man fighting to keep his business open by dropping his prices but he wont win ,it seems an impossible uphill battle for him ,theres hundreds of supermarkets and still more being built ,i think the corner shops will all go to the dogs ,and its a pity ..but its the way of life now and we have to move with the times ,,

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  7. We would call that a grocery store...nice shot...too bad about the clock, though.

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  8. Wonderful story and image. Too bad the clock was broken and not replaced.

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  9. Maybe as the price of petrol keeps rising, people won't drive to the supermarkets and start walking to the corner again! Well, I can dream...

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  10. Great story to read and a nice picture to ponder. Great theme day post.

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  11. Hee hee, that is quite confusing to someone new in town, looking for a clock shop!

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  12. The original store front was pale green vitrolite in art/nouveau style.This stuff was renowned for breaking so it's understandable why it was replaced.
    jaywit

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  13. It is a great name and one of the few examples I've seen today of what I would know as local corner shop. Very
    nostalgic, both images. Ieresting post all round.

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  14. Clocks - that's an unusual corner shop!

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  15. I remember the clock shop very well. I would get the number 5 bus home from Ashton (lived on Penrith Avenue so I could cut through past the pig slaughter house). I understood from older family members that the "Clock shop" got it's name because of the clock. Not sure when the shop was built, (or rebuilt) but not everyone owned a pocket or wrist watch, or even had a clock in their house. So, similar to the clock houses that were in Droylsden, people on Newmarket Road or Downing street could look across to the shop and know what time it was. Would be interesting to know if anyone can find out about the age of the shop.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is a classic.
      I lived just up the road from there as a kid, I would have been about 5 around 1973.
      I lived in Newmarket road as a little kid
      This place was definitely called Coopers or Hooper’s
      My Gran who lived around the corner would take me there.
      Would love to hear other stories around this time

      Delete
  16. Was it not the number 32 that was driving past the old clock shop??

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  17. Ann from Downing Grove21 February 2011 at 05:47

    I lived in Downing Grove in the early 1950's to 1960 - just after the houses were built - my family was one of the first to live there - right across from the croft. Downing Grove is now Platting Grove off of Downing street. The corner store was then know as Tyson's - it had the clock but was not called the clock shop. I remember the shop and clock vividly and the way it smelled - lovely. I would go there on errands to pick up a loaf of bread or can of peas etc. My mother did most all of her shopping on Ashton Market but occasionally we would run out of stuff and off I would go down the street just a short distance to pick up the needed item - I was between the ages of 5 and 11. We left there for Droylsden when I was 11 because I went to Manor Road secondary school for girls and both my brothers attended Littlemoss boys. I attended Christ Church Juniors from 5 to 11 now known as Cannon Burrows. I used to walk down the street past the Taunton (sp) church on my way to the Daisy Nook fair. The church had a pantomine one year and they used my large dolls for a skit - I had identical dolls except for the color - one black and one white - ha the memories.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow
      My grandma lived on platting grove.
      This was called coopers then I think.
      And daisy Nook remember that well, I was about 5

      Delete

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