Tripe, shellfish and coconut shies in Lynn Street - the Hartlepool shopping area which was ideal in the sales

And as thousands of people take advantage of the Christmas and New Year sales, we thought we would look back on a bygone day when a pennyworth of tripe with salt and vinegar, and sweets for a penny a quarter, were all the rage.

We searched through old papers which were filled with readers sharing their memories of Lynn Street at its height.

They reflect on shops such as Eastman’s the butchers, Daddy Evans the barber shop, Pearson’s shellfish shop and the tripe stall. Does anyone remember them or has heard stories about them?

Many butchers would sell their wares throughout the day and then knock down the produce to almost give-away prices when it got to 11 pm.

There was Lamb’s which had some of the first electric lamp bulbs in town.

Readers also remembered other town favourites and said there was Brett’s sweet stall selling confectionery at a penny a quarter.

In the Market Yard at Lynn Street, said one person, there were coconut shies which cost a penny-a-ball, and an Aunt Sally where it was three balls a penny to have a go.

And there was a firing range, said another reader, which was kept going by using floating balls on top of a constant jet of water which was fed by a semi-rotary pump. The water was supplied by a barrel on top of the stall and the workers’ first job of the day was to fill that barrel.

One Hartlepool Mail follower recalled how he had tasks at the other end of the day. He worked on one stall and had to clear everything away at 11 pm after the day’s trade, or 12 pm if it was New Year.

But he also had a second job and would deliver Sunday newspapers, making a profit of threepence a dozen.

But back to the shops of Lynn Street and others to be remembered included Featherstone’s the pie and pea shop, Leithheck the chemists and Clennett’s the photographer.

Many of those were market traders but Lynn Street had lots of other great shops and stores to boast of as well.

Who remembers Books fashions, or Easiphit, or perhaps Larke’s the dispensing chemist.

There’s Grantham’s and Northern Furnishing Company in another of our shots, or perhaps you remember Woolworth’s, True-Form and Hardy & Co which is included in our third picture.

Whatever your memories, we would love to hear all about them. Get in touch and tell us more.

Which was your favourite shop and where did you love to go for a bargain?

Or perhaps there is another aspect of Hartlepool history you would love us to share.

Is there a pub, club, restaurant, cafe or department store from any part of town that you would like us to reflect on.

Whatever your reason for getting in touch, email [email protected] and tell us more. We would love to hear from you.

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