British Food Journal Volume 83 Issue 2 1981

Abstract

“Streets broad and narrow”. In terms of shops and retail trade, it was always the narrow streets of town centres which attracted the trade, although the shops were small cramped for space, but always a cosy, friendly air. Few ever became vacant and although interspersing chain shops seemed to break the rhythm, most were privately owned, run through the years by generations of the same family. The shops removed the proverbial meanness of narrow streets; the lights, the shopping crowds, especially on Saturday nights; shop frontmen bawling their prices, the new boys calling the late editions—all this made shopping an attractive outing; it still does. There were the practical advantages of being able to cross and re‐cross the street, with many shops on both sides within the field of vision. The broad highway had none of these things and it was extremely rare for shops to exist both sides of the street, and still less to flourish. It is much the same to this day. Hygiene purists would find much to fault, but it was what the public wanted and curiously, there was very little food poisoning; it would be untrue to say outbreaks never occurred but they were extremely rare.

Citation

(1981), "British Food Journal Volume 83 Issue 2 1981", British Food Journal, Vol. 83 No. 2, pp. 29-60. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb011739