KBGS Old Boys' Forum

A place to discuss Keighley Boys' Grammar School. 


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Sellin' out shops

In the early '60s Keighley was well provided with sellin' out shops. When I left Keighley and talked to people from outside they didn't have a clue what these were. Everyone called them off licences, offies or beer offs - which reminds me of that joke (Q. Which German footballer are you most likely to get a drink from? A. Oliver Bierhoff.)
Is it only Keighley where they were known as sellin' out shops?
My recollection is that the most accommodating of these was part way up Fell Lane on the left. There 14 year-olds could happily purchase quarter bottles of rum, vodka etc.
Were there others in Keighley that were equally as liberal in their interpretation of the law?

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1958-65

Current location (optional) Leeds

Re: Sellin' out shops

Our local sellin aht shop was up West Lane near the junction with Braithwaite Avenue. It sold Mackeson and wine from Cyprus amongst other things. When other shops were closed, t'sellin aht shop was open late.

Re: Sellin' out shops

Shaun - The off licence half way up Fell Lane was known as 'Fred's'(Fred Greenwood being the proprietor) and known far and wide as to the place where alcoholic beverages were readily available 'over the counter' to a wide range of age groups over many hours of the day. It was also, (I'm reliably informed), an establishment which granted easy opportunities for shop lifting - mainly sweets and similar confectionary. There was also a similar 'selling out shop', albeit without the reputation, half way down Oakworth Road, the proprietor being Peter Holmes's (who was in our year) father.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1958 -65

Current location (optional) Embsay Nr. Skipton

Re: Sellin' out shops

There was a "selling out shop" at the bottom of Bradford Street on the Bfd Road known as Sargesson's, opposite Ernie Redman's mam's shop. I can recall seeing (mostly) elderly women (after tea) traipsing up the street clutching large jugs draped with a tea towel. I never saw it dispensed in the shop but I was assured it was "beer" , probably milk stout. Proper Ena Sharples and Minnie Caldwell stuff.

As for the name, I always assumed it meant a shop that stayed open late until it "sold out" if necessary. Having been "off piste" for some 50 years, my emigre interpretation now is that "out" sales is what elsewhere are known as "off sales".

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1952-60

Current location (optional) Nirvana

Re: Sellin' out shops

That's right Terry. Sale for consumption off (out of) the premises.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1958-65

Current location (optional) Leeds

Re: Sellin' out shops

Unlike "progging" this Keighley usage didn't reach as far as Denholme. Bates's corner shop was always known as "t'off licence".

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 54-59

Current location (optional) United Kingdom

Re: Sellin' out shops

"Selling-out" referred to draught beer as well as anything in bottles. When my parents took-on 202 Oakworth Road in 1950 the shop had lift pumps behind the counter, the same as in a pub, and served draught beer (2 kinds, I think) directly into customers' jugs or bottles. The draught beer trade petered out as houses nearby became unoccupied prior to slum-clearance in the 1960s. The pumps were discarded, as were the (unhygienic) rubber hosepipes that connected the barrels in the cellar to the pumps above. The swinging-arm with hook used in lowering barrels into and raising them from the cellar by block & tackle is still fixed to the wall above the trapdoor in the footpath at the side of the shop (or at least it was there until recently).

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1958-1965

Re: Sellin' out shops

Good to hear from you Peter. My Gt Grandma lived on Croft Street and often sent me on errands either to your Dads shop or to Bowmans shop at end of Croft St.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 58-64

Current location (optional) Wirral

Re: Sellin' out shops

Yes ..... another one from Ingrow CP School has appeared.
Great to see you posting on the site, Peter.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1958-65

Current location (optional) Leeds

Re: Sellin' out shops

Peter, if you havent looked at the photos section of this site, you are on the 1962 4X photo behind me (page 3 of the class section). You also appear on the 1955 Ingrow Juniors photo (page 2 of Classes) . Shaun and I are also on that one.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 58-64

Current location (optional) Wirral

Re: Sellin' out shops

Am I right in thinking that they were open only during the pub licensing hours? I can't really remember, but if that was the case then the general interpretation of the 'out' bit would probably be correct. 'Beer-off' would also seem to lend itself to that interpretation, 'off-lience' rather less so, to my mind. It had occurred to me that it might alternatively refer to the fact that they were operating outside normal retailing hours.

Sargeson's did have the sort of pumps that Peter describes - between the counter and the (blanked-out?) window onto Bradford Road, Terry. Used to get my Mackesons there when ah wer just learnin to sup!

Doug

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1951-58

Current location (optional) Keswick, Cumbria

Re: Sellin' out shops

I reckon the beer "off sales" were restricted to the locally fixed "oppening" times of the pubs. I never saw'em teeming out of the Tavern (Eastwood, of course)at closing time and across Bfd Road to Sargies, clutching their jugs and tea towels. And the main trek of ladies with jugs was after tea as I remember.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1952-60

Current location (optional) Nirvana

Re: Sellin' out shops

From what I 'eard abaht Eastwood Tavern them as come aht wouldn't o' bin capable a gettin across t'rooad - so that's no argument norther one way nor t'other...

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1951-58

Current location (optional) Keswick, Cumbria

Re: Sellin' out shops

Brian,

Yes, we have the junior school photo in our album, but not the 4X one.

With regard to selling-out shop opening hours, they were indeed supposed to follow the local licensing hours, which were something like 11.30am to 2pm, and 5.30pm to 10.30pm. As our shop was a grocers it was "open all hours" for everything else, almost every day of the year.


Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1958-1965