Hardware

I’m not a do-it-yourself person and household chores are just that, chores, but strangely I really love old-fashioned hardware stores. I like gazing in the window at all the strange and unfamiliar tools and the peculiar arrangements of curious objects which constitute a display, it’s absolutely captivating!

There used to be such a place in Wells, I think in an old disused theatre or cinema and whenever we visited the city we would always wander in and look at the mole traps and hear customers asking for a single nut, bolt, screw or nail, because it was the sort of place where you could buy such a thing. There are items on display and even if there is a label attached you still don’t know what it is or what it’s used for. There is always a particular smell to such places, no doubt its linseed oil or paraffin or turps or some such.

We were in Biggleswade, and saw this shop, J.R.Goldthorpe and son from across the road and we were drawn across the zebra crossing to investigate. The three of us stood looking in the window exclaiming over the scythes, the fork handles, the lawn fertilizer and the chains. It was like a magic place and we had to go in.

We were greeted by a very friendly man as we stood in wonder; there was just about everything you could imagine being useful in a household and many other items you would never dream of, many things hanging from the ceiling! I was delighted to have to buy a rolling pin – the holiday cottage we were staying in didn’t have one and I was making pie for dinner. I bought it because I needed it, but it was also a lovely souvenir.

If you go to Biggleswade you must visit this delightful shop, and take a shopping list with you so you won’t forget to buy that item you have needed for such a long time and keep forgetting about.

Here is a very interesting article about the shop and its history; it dates back to 1869:

http://www.biggleswadetoday.co.uk/news/nostalgia/a-visit-to-aladdin-s-cave-1-1126068