In the 60's, we used to have a pet rabbit, and often on Saturday mornings we'd stop off at the Central Pet Stores in Peter St to get some food for it. When you went through the pendie, you could actually "smell" the pet shop first before you could see it. It was quite a good wee place to visit when you were primary school age, seeing all the fish, birds, hamsters etc. I remember the rabbit food we got came in cylinder shaped pellets. Went in the rabbit a cylinder, and popped out a sphere..!!On the other side of the road was Lotus Shoes shop and Smith & Horner the drapers.
In the 70's when I was a bit older, I think I only used the pendie as a shortcut to get to the ABC.
And in the 80's, around where the old pet shop was located, they opened a Pizza Gallery that had an "art" theme.
If you enlarge the photo, you'll notice that beside the archway, the Hulltoon Hunz have kindly date-stamped the photo, which was taken in 1989. HH claiming to be No1 at the time..!!
How freaky! I was just dandering up Peter Street on Saturday afternoon and thought about the Pet Shop - first time in years. They used to sell pigeons at one point and mum wouldn't let me touch them as she said I would catch something nasty off them!
ReplyDeletePizza Gallery was quite a nice place as I remember. A friend of the family did some of the caricatures which were on the wall there...he appeared in the wee clip of the Valentine's studio posted up a few months back.
Forgot to say in the previous post...there used to be a side door to the Marks and Spencer Food Hall in Peter Street too and at the bottom corner with the Seagate was the Chrome Rail - great bar lunches as I remember.
ReplyDeleteThe pet shop also sold puppies - i would go in on a saturday to see them.
ReplyDeleteI loved the chrome rail restaurant upstairs from the pub. They did the best fish and chips EVER
the shop opposite - did that not change to the co-op or something - i can remember going into the cafe bit called the "buttery" for scones
The Hilltown Huns No 1 ´artwork´ is definetly the work of ´Coondo´
ReplyDelete;-)
Tracey, yes the shop opposite the Chrome Rail was definately the Co-op where I got my first pair of platform shoes (wedgies).
ReplyDeleteBetter known as the D.E.C.S.
ReplyDeleteNah, thats not Coondos artwork. He was late 70's, earlt 80's and different style / font.
ReplyDeletei would opt for "bellzo" but he cannae spell :-)
ReplyDeleteIt may well be 'Teenys' artwork defo not Mad Ralphs though ! All the best to all the older Hilltown lads
ReplyDeleteTeenys mum worked in the chrome rail at one point so possibly him.
ReplyDeleteIs mad ralph still about? I know teeny and his brother are long since gone
Just noticed 89. I was referring to teeny marney and his brother dek so 89 was def not them
ReplyDeletemy uncle bill gair owned the pet shop and I used to work there after school and on a saturday ! I love it there but it was hard work cause you were always cleaning out the hutches and cages etc and they also hadd animals upstairs on 3 floors! marks an spencers kept asking to buy the shop from him as they were expanding and he sold part then was offered to sell the lot so he did and bought a farm in fife near dunfermline .he loved animals he use to bring animals to school and get sent home with mice etc what great memories............
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