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General => The Common Room => The Lighter Side => Topic started by: alveleyhistorian on Wednesday 27 December 06 19:10 GMT (UK)
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Hi there,
I used to work in a faboulous "are you being served" type of drapers shop. They are having a closing down sale this week - very sad :'(
I went in there today and bought one of the old tills.
Can anyone help me date such a thing ? It is a wooden drawer - with loveley bell ring. Brass handle and brass fittings on the top for till roll. Anyone any idea of the era of these tills ? The shop opened in the 1920's
Also inside the till was a metal plate, quite heavy,
some sort of stamp with writing in reverse.
If you hold it up to a mirror it reads
" We stock the dorma family range of sheets, pillowcases,cosy sheets, towels and tablecloths.......the name is your guarantee".......
Any help or info on these items would be much appreciated :) :) :) :)
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From the Dorma website:
In 1841, in Manchester, the "centre of World trade in textiles", two Roberts brothers founded a company to weave and produce the finest quality fabrics available anywhere in the world.
In 1920 the Dorma brand was created to offer these fine quality fabrics pre packaged and immaculate, as they left the factory straight onto the retailers' shelves. This was the first time bedding had been offered in this way.
That at least gives you a starting point. :)
dorma.co.uk (http://www.dorma.co.uk/about_us.html?cart=1163432024373)
Cheers
Koromo
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From the Dorma website:
In 1841, in Manchester, the "centre of World trade in textiles", two Roberts brothers founded a company to weave and produce the finest quality fabrics available anywhere in the world.
In 1920 the Dorma brand was created to offer these fine quality fabrics pre packaged and immaculate, as they left the factory straight onto the retailers' shelves. This was the first time bedding had been offered in this way.
That at least gives you a starting point. :)
dorma.co.uk (http://www.dorma.co.uk/about_us.html?cart=1163432024373)
Cheers
Koromo
Many thanks. I will e-mail them :)
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I remember the first bedding we bought , back in 1976, were Dorma quilt covers and matching sheets and pillowcases.............(from what I can remember Dorma seemed to be one of the first to introduce deeper/darker/ more modern? colours to their ranges)
and the quilt covers are still going strong :D :D (the colours have prob faded a bit over loads of years of washing but still look good ;) ;))
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Hi Alveley
I meant to ask, do you have a photo of the cash register? I have an image in my mind, but I'd love to see what you've bought.
I always think very fondly of a hardware shop in NZ from a long time ago - family run, had been there for years and years. I used to spend what seemed like hours fossicking around amongst their shelves for ... anything you could possibly think of. The middle-aged sons of the shop family were in charge when I knew it, and they were a fount of knowledge. They had a grand old till, too.
:)
K.
I was suddenly struck by the word 'till' - it now sounds very old fashioned.
"cashbox," 1452, from Anglo-Fr. tylle "compartment," O.Fr. tille "compartment, shelter on a ship," probably from O.N. ŝilja "plank, floorboard," from P.Gmc. theljon.
So, there you are! :D
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Have you tried searching google. There seem to be quite a few (try images). You may one one similar which will help with identification.
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to me it conjours up a picture of Arkwright (Ronnie Barker) in 'Open all hours'
and the till that 'bit back' !!!
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to me it conjours up a picture of Arkwright (Ronnie Barker) in 'Open all hours'
and the till that 'bit back' !!!
This one does'nt bite back, but has a very cheery bell that goes "ping" as you open the wooden drawer.
I will try and photograph it :)
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Hi alveleyhistorian,
We had one of those when dad opened his shop in 1955 - I used to "help" out after school!
You would write the amount down on a small window on the top - which turned the till roll as you opened the drawer - and the bell would "ting" - I think that was so the owner knew when the assistant was opening it - so he only did it for the customers and not for himself!!
Wonder what happened to ours - then had a push button one - and about 6/7 electronic ones which kept braking down!
Cheers
Keith
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KOROMO,
didn't you used to love these old shops where you could fossick without someone thinking you were going to pinch something.
We had one close by in Oz and it didn't matter what you wanted you could bet you would find it on a shelf there somewhere.
The old gent never quite knew where it was but he did know if he had it.
wini
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Does anyone remember those old department stores with wires going every which way above your heads, connected to a thing like a wooden screw top jar. The shop assistant put the hand-written bill and your money into it, pulled a spring loaded handle, and it went wheeeeee ... whizz.... and clanged into the cashiers booth, high up in the ceiling of the shop. She then unscrewed the jar, stamped the bill, put the change in, and whizzed it back to the assistant ! The high-light of one of our shopping trips, aged about 9, was once being allowed to pull the handle and set the thing going ! Beats digital tills (which always run out of till roll as I get to the front of the queue), credit cards (which are out of date) and pin numbers (forgotten) any day !
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Yes Lydart,
I remember the whizzy things.
Telling our age now.
I used to enjoy shopping in those days
Now the crowds pushing and shoving turn me off.
I don't go now unless I'm desperate.
wini
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My cousin was on his first day of his first job serving on the counter at the local department store. The store had one of those overhead wire contraptions that Lydart describes.
His aunt came in and he rushed to serve her. He wrapped the parcel with string and brown paper. Then he noticed that his aunt was stuffing the dangling string attached to the over head contraption, down into her ample bosom. My cousin being a pimply 15 year old did not know what to do or where to look. Aunt eventually realised her mistake and there were red faces all around. But she as always laughed off her mistake and made him feel better.
My cousin finally told us this story many years later such was his embarrassment. Aunt was my mother, who was profoundly deaf and who wore a hearing aid where the ear piece was connected by a cord to the large battery thing which she clipped to her bra.
I miss her laughter. Gazania
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Hi there,
I used to work in a faboulous "are you being served" type of drapers shop. They are having a closing down sale this week - very sad :'(
I went in there today and bought one of the old tills.
Can anyone help me date such a thing ? It is a wooden drawer - with loveley bell ring. Brass handle and brass fittings on the top for till roll. Anyone any idea of the era of these tills ? The shop opened in the 1920's
Also inside the till was a metal plate, quite heavy,
some sort of stamp with writing in reverse.
If you hold it up to a mirror it reads
" We stock the dorma family range of sheets, pillowcases,cosy sheets, towels and tablecloths.......the name is your guarantee".......
Any help or info on these items would be much appreciated :) :) :) :)
I have found out about the metal plates - they are printing plates, from when the shop had large adverts in local newspapers :)
I went down to the shop today and watched all the lovely old fittings going into haulage vans.
Loveley oak and mahogany counters. All the Glass fronted cabinets with pull out drawers that used to keep all the vests etc. It broke my heart seeing everything being taken apart and being put in the vans.
I managed to pick up a few souvenirs, a bill head, a bill spike and an old reciept book.
It was a bit like losing a close relative - Many moons have passed, and many people are no longer with us, but memories live on.
God bless "R J George & Jones "
alveleyhistorian
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I do hope that lot was going to a good home rather than the skips !
All that mahogany, etc would brighten the year for my son-in-law, who restores furniture, makes 'antique' fire-places, etc., all from re-cycled wood.