When I married, I automatically followed in my mother's footsteps by becoming a member of the Co-op and acquiring my own 'dividend' number. Back in my childhood Mum used her 'divi' number when paying the milkman who left a daily supply of milk in all weathers. I often fetched the milk in from the doorstep and placed the glass bottle in a cold bucket of water in the garage in summer, and on the cold stone pantry floor in winter (before we had a fridge!). Sometimes, blue tits would have pecked at the silver foil tops making a hole and having had some of the cream off the top of the milk.
In winter the frozen milk would lift the foil lid and the thawed milk never tasted quite as good. I just loved the cream from the top of the bottle and it was a treat to get this in a glass of milk for supper with two digestive, malted milk or rich tea biscuits. My brother and I would save the washed foil bottle tops either to make 'flying saucers' with, that we would flick with our fingers and see how far they would fly down the hallway or in the garden, or we would collect them in a shoe box until we had enough to take to school to support 'Guide dogs for the blind' charity. In his teens my brother had a milk round and had to get up early to go to the depot where he would join the fleet of milk floats going out on the streets.
Our local Co-op grocery store was a fair walk away but when we visited our Grandmother the Co-op shop was on the corner of her road. Mum often told me that she and Dad had had their wedding reception in the Co-op rooms above the store that was near to Gran's house, and I imagined them dancing to the music of the day.
In Birmingham town centre the Co-operative Department store was very elegant and on occasion I would go there with the family. It had lots of wooden and glass counters and there was a smell of bread coming from the Co-op bakery shop next door. This store has long gone, a shopping mall has replaced it.
Tamworth Co-operative Department store is a dominant shop in my home town standing proud near to St Editha's church where the founder, Rev William MacGregor, was the incumbent. He was previously a curate at St Chad's Church, Hopwas, on the outskirts of the town and where he is now at rest in the churchyard. This store has managed to stay open through tough times and now offers shop floor space to other retailers too.
Over four decades my home has been furnished with all sorts of items and the 'divi' has been very useful over the years. I have bought many a Christmas or birthday present and cards from this shop, booked holidays in the Co-op Travel Agents and had lunch or coffee with friends in the café on the top floor. The 'divi' receipts have changed from little pink or yellow strips from the milkman in the 1960's to the ever popular plastic card of today.
What's your memories of the Co-op? Do leave a message below.
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