Vera's tour of the forgotton shops

Today I had the pleasure of a tour of Broughton's old shops by the lovely Vera Fugler, who is often referred to as "the longest living resident". Born in Broughton in 1926 Vera painted an evocative picture of Broughton in the early to mid twentieth century.

(Vera outside of the old Cooperative, now a house, 1st August 2008. Vera told me the windowsill used to be much lower and children used to sit on it)

As we dodged the speeding cars, watching our steps on the tiny pavements, we walked past an inconceivable amount of houses that were once thriving businesses. We passed three cobblers, a saddlers, three tailors, a chemist, a "posh confectioners", a toy shop, two wool shops, two slaughter houses, two tanneries, a games room, a clock makers, a butchers, a fish mongers, five grocers (her family owned one), a garage (where she bought her first bike for £5), the old Midland bank (where she saved up for her first bike), the 'new' electrical shop (where her family bought their first television) and finally the cooperative where she worked for over twenty years. In the co-op Vera told me that they would make orders up for customers right up to Seathwaite and Woodland and deliver their produce in small vans in summer and through the harsh winters. Around the back of the building Vera said there were always horses because of the blacksmiths that was attached to the co-op. I left Vera having tea with her friends in the Methodist church with a sense of the wonderful chaos and purpose so many industries bring to a place. All the characters and life that would have contributed to the overall soundscape. How different it must seem to Vera from when she was growing up "You could get everything in one place, absolutely everything you needed was here".

I would like to thank Vera for her time on such a rainy day - she has given us lots of ideas of sounds to pursue. We hope to record Vera for the tour at one of the scheduled workshops.

Samantha Allan