Chocolate Joe

I remember Chocolate's Joe's shop well.It was opposite my Mum and Dad's second hand shop up the top of Church St, just before Jordan's.

I remember...oh and also Mrs. Smylie used to come in to Rosin's to get lots of bread for the family! I used to work there on a Saturday! Lovely lady.

Ah that explains it, my brother is a few years older than me and our grandparents lived above the Jordan's bed showroom.

Yes I remember Chocolate Joe's - he had a market stall which sold china, well everything really outside my nan & grandads. They had the top floor at No 24, which was George Moores bike shop.

I remember Chocolate Joe's shop very well - he really did sell everything! It was a magical place to me. My dad had a shop across the road at number 33 Church Street in the 1950's to early 1960's. He sold second hand and new tools. He was very friendly with the Anderson brothers (George, Ben, Sam) who had various shops. Happy days!

Oh hooray. You DO remember Chocolate Joe!! Church Street was magic at Christmas and I remember buying my niece a lovely big china doll for 1/6d in the 1940's. I was born in Ashmill Street, and my Dad was caretaker of Whitfield House Flats. Does anyone remember Alfie Cates or Sammy Goodman? I guess I go back too far!! xx

An intelligent point of view, well expressed! Thanks!

It just occurred to me to ask....SUSAN GRANT - of Rossmore Road and Sarah Siddons? Lovely red hair??

Thank you for your nice comment about me Ann Metcalf! Yes, I am the same Susan Grant of Rossmore Road. I remember you from Sarah Siddons School. I live a long way from London now, but still have a nostalgic walk along Church Street when I visit.

Hi everyone! Yes, I used to shop in Joe's. We lived in Eastlake House. Bread from Rosin's, meat from Murray's , veg from Silk's and Emanuel's .

Hi Susan. Yes I was at Sarah Siddons and remember your house well.

Thank you for your comment Hazel Thompson. Unfortunately I am not familiar with you, however I had two older sisters who may have known you. It is interesting to read all of the posts. Keep them coming!

I haven't been on for a while - but I'm wondering if Hazel Thompson from Sara Siddons is the very same that went on to train as a nurse??

Does anyone remember Taylor's sweet shop, and Davies' Welsh Dairy, with the two sheepdogs Bob and Lassie? Both shops were opposite Jordan's in the 1950s and there was also an upholstery business along there too I think?

I certainly remember Taylor's. The problem was that we never had any points to buy sweets except Chiglets as they were not on ration. A week before rationing ended, I found a whole page of points but didn't have any money. My favourite shop was the eel and pie shop at the other end of the street. A funny convention in our family was that if someone said that they were going shopping 'down the street' it meant Church St, but if they said 'up the road' it was Edgware Rd.

Yes I remember Taylors sweet shop, they used to sell penny lollies and penny drinks. It was at the Lisson Grove end of Church Street. I was born in Lisson Grove in 1947 so it was my local sweet shop.

I remember the Welsh Dairy with the delivery cart parked outside next door to it. I also remember the pie and eel shop at the other end of Church Street. On Saturdays there used to be a Tubby Hayes sea food stall outside Roisins the bakers and my sister Pam and I used to hang around for somebody to buy the live eels and I am sorry to say, watch the stall holder behead, dismember, cut them up and put them in the carton of jelly. Yes happy days (though not for the eels.)

What about Mini May's ?

Oh how this page has brought back some memories. I lived in Bridport Street from 1953 'til 1961 and went to Gateforth Primary. I remember getting my weekly sweets from Taylors and standing for hours at Chocolate Joe's stall before Christmas. Great times!

I remember Minnie Mays! We were scared of her and only went there if the other shops were shut. I lived in Loddon house in Church Street flats from around 1955/6. My brother Harry was friends with John Sheather and I remember his sister Georgina.

My mum and dad were Harry and Joan Price(nee Smith) and Mum was brought up in Ashmill Street. This website is pretty overwhelming as they have both passed away now,and it brings back so many memories of my childhood and those that my mum told me about hers. A lot of the names mentioned ring a bell but at 62 I'm too young to remember them all haha.

I went to Gateway School- it was a combination of Gateforth Street and Cosway Street schools.

I also remember Chocolate Joe's, and Tubby Hayes was there, also a Tubby Issacs? The Simmons stalls; fish and fruit and veg I think?

My Grandfather was the original Chocolate Joe. I worked in the sweet shop which still has the original sign over the door.