Your best memories of Sunderland's Villette Road as readers share their recollections of cow heel, a minah bird and jam from Chalks fruiterers
What a street! And what memories you have of pies, jams and shortbread.
You could get it all in Villette Road and plenty of you had memories of it when we shared of it in 1977.
The page, run by the Sunderland Echo, is dedicated to nostalgia from the Sunderland and County Durham areas.
Lee Mckinney said; “My mam worked in Value Stores back in the day.”
Thanks also to Maureen Harrison who said Villette Road ‘was a lovely shopping place in early days. My aunty and cousin lived in Marion Street about 40 yrs then Cannon Cockin Street and Percy Terrace so I spent lots of time there. Aunty worked for Dr McLaren, then Buckingham opticians. Happy days x”
Hazel Gorman said: “Maws pie yum loved them yummy.”
John Wharton commented: “Used to get the fish heads from Adeys fish shop for the dog. In 1957.”
Melanie Brown said Villette Road was ‘everything you needed in one street’
Stephanie Rottie commented: “My mam used to give me money to get shortbread biscuits from the bakers at the bottom.”
Lily Surtees commented: “Looks lovely and clean lovely shops there. Had some in-laws that lived in St Leonard Street.”
Thanks also to Julie Gibson Pascoe who said: “Loved Maws pies. Used to get the peas and gravy in a bag.”
Julie Trotter had memories of Chalks fruiterers and said: “Used to get jams fruit n veg in chalks fruiterers.”
Alex Lee said: “Pretty sure I got a pair of Chelsea boots from a shoe shop there in the early 80s.”
Alex said they hurt for about three weeks and added: “Biggest blisters you've ever seen - then suddenly became the most comfortable pair of boots I'd ever had.”
Irene Anne Franciosi said it was ‘always a fab shopping area’ back then while Butler Karen said: “Loved Kenwares and on a Christmas eve it was busy , trees outside of fruiters.”
Maureen Brown-Canavan said it ‘used to be a great little shopping centre’ and added: “Good times!”
Tony McCabe asked: “Sinclair, Crawford, Maws and Chalks all since gone I think?”
And John Jameson said: “We always had Maws pies on a Tuesday when Mum went to see Nan.”
And thanks also to Frederick Cammack who said: “It was a brilliant road with a great variation in shops. It was a happy place to walk along and enjoy the fabulous variety in shopping. So many memories.”
We are also indebted to Kirstin Parkinson for her comments.
She said: “I have many memories of going down this road with my Nanna including the nice bakeries and the minah bird in the pet shop . Also a really really chatty lady in the clothes shop ! And the hamster in the library.”
Pauline Bell said it ‘was a brilliant shopping area’ while Chris Weegram commented: “Walked up there loads to go to Backhouse Park.”
Brenda Stokoe said: “I remember those days!” and Howard Charles Allen said: “That’s where me Ganny used to send me to get cow heels and tripe when they were at The Station Hotel Hendon.”
