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Here are more of David Wood’s recollections of village life in Goldenhill and Sandyford in the 1950s and early 1960s.

Woolrich’s chip was next door to the Jolly Collier pub and on the corner of Drummond Street was Eric Parker’s electrical business. Dutton’s ice cream manufactory was situated there at the top of the street.

Still on the same side of the road there was a café, Crawshaw’s shop, the oatcake shop and a ladies hair salon.

After the hair salon there was a couple of houses with small forecourts, one of these was occupied by the Eptlett sisters, one of which was the head teacher at Church Infants school.

Their ancestors were plumbers and beer sellers in 1912 and I always believed that the name was spelled as Eplett but the 1912 version says Eptlett, does anyone know the true spelling.

The Reliable Stores was next in line, in village terms this was quite a large shop and it served the community very well. We bought our first 3 piece suite, dining table and chairs from there in 1971.

Who can forget Bill Barlows newsagents which was later taken over by Reg Scott, we bought our air gun pellets from there.

In those days we had to have licences for our air guns, they cost seven shillings and sixpence from Hanley police station.

On the next corner was the Duke of Wellington and the licensee was George Bradbury.

Garbett Street or Church Street previously, was home to Lear’s shop and the Miners Welfare Institute club rooms, which for some unknown reason was called the Uffers.

The Uffers, spelt with an H if you like, was the village snooker hall and it cost sixpence per half hour to play on one of the two tables. In my day it was generally full of lads who were too young to drink but needed somewhere to go, it was supervised by Fred who was a war veteran, he had an artificial leg.