BROUGHTON'S FLESHERS – WE TAKE ANOTHER BUTCHER'S HOOK

Reading your article about the butcher shop sign being uncovered in Rodney Street (Breaking news, 26.10.14) made me recall that Rodney Street had four butcher shops, writes Jim Suddon. 

Temple was at No 23, Munro at 21 and the Co-op at 17. The first two were next door to one another whilst the Co-op was just one extra step further down. James Wight was, as stated, across the road at 52. These businesses were all operating well into the 1960s, with Temple being taken over by a Mr Murray.

Broughton Street also had a few butcher shops. The premises at the top of Broughton Street, opposite the Cathedral and now demolished, had a cooked meat shop. Munro the Butcher, Scottish name for Dewhurst, had premises next to Mather’s bar and on the other side there was Wight. I am sure that they were in another shop to that of Mr Hendry, and they are listed in the Post Office Directory as being at 30 and 32. Mr Hendry had to close when the church was demolished at the corner of Albany Street/Broughton Street. 

Further down, but across the road between Broughton Place and East London Street, was a Mr Brooks. When he retired he sold the business to Mr Crombie. Mr Brooks was a very old-fashioned butcher and he seemed to me as a child to be big and strong. The meat was hung on hooks to the left of the shop and the hooks were on a rail. It was the practice for the meat to be delivered sometimes on open lorries and the men brought the meat in and hung it on the hooks. Beef, pig and sheep carcasses were all to be found hanging around the shop walls with sawdust on the floor to catch any blood. The shop had a cash box which was staffed by Mrs Brooks so this avoided her husband handling cash.  

When Mr Crombie took over, he quickly modernised the shop and that initially put some people’s backs up. But he soon established himself as a first-class butcher. His son and daughter worked in the shop with him but, sad to say, he had not been in business long till he died suddenly. His son was left to carry on and it was wondered if he was up to such a big task at such a young age, but the rest is history.  He bought the premises next door and expanded the shop to its present size.

Rodney Street was also where Graham Tiso started at No 44. It was a small shop and no one imagined the size that the business would grow to in such a very short time.