You didn’t need a shopping bag.
Josephine remembers house shops where you could buy a cup of beetroot or pickled onions for 2d. They were also good for homemade pies and peas. She worked in the Hadrian in Tynemouth for many years, this shop was near Maynards. During the war she worked in Binns of Newcastle. The nice thing about working locally was getting to know people.
The Co-op was a very important shop, it had every department you needed, grocery, bakery, butcher, fruiterer etc. You didn’t need a shopping bag, everything was parcelled neatly in brown paper and tied with string. You could walk in and take a seat while you put your weekly order in and then it was delivered. Divi day was a highlight, once you’d stood in the queue to collect your dividend you could head to the Co-op cafe for a treat.
Josephine Hope, born Newcastle 1920