Living on Tick

Tales from a Huddersfield Corner Shop Between the Wars

In the 1920s and '30s the corner shop was not just a place to buy groceries. It was a place to meet familiar faces and help people out. People bought groceries on a daily basis and going to the corner shop provided many people with a daily routine. Yet finding the finances for groceries could be a struggle and, when times were hard, many people would have to obtain their groceries 'on tick'. For some this was a way of life and shopkeepers had to keep a careful balance between credit control and offending customers. Hazel grew up in her father's shop and this collection of stories recalls her memories of those times. Some tales are sad but some are truly hilarious. A charming collection of stories that remember the people, the goods they sold in the shop and a way of life that has now vanished.