Market Street Views

Shop Front Refurbishments - 2005
The 'Market Town Initiative' funded shop front refurbishments which started in March 2005. By 2007, most shops have had a lick of paint or new signage. There have been a few changes since some of these pictures were taken; the travel agent is now a Barnsley Hospice charity shop and the Halifax agency has abandoned Penistone to its fate. Otherwise, these pictures are not far from the current view and are still a fair representation of the main street.

The picture on the right is a rainy view of the start of Market Street and is more or less the reference point for when I say the left or the right side of the road in what follows. The Old Crown is the most prominent building on the right. It a friendly pub with cooked food and sandwiches during the week but not weekends. The white car just beyond the light-coloured Spread Eagle is on Back Lane, the entrance to the retail market. Clark's chemist is on the left.

Up the Street
The first picture below is on the left of the road after the ginnel of Clark's chemist. Fieldsend's was a very cold greengrocery shop many years ago with no need for a fridge or heating of any kind. It was even cold in the height of summer. It changed hands several times since then. After a long stint as a cafe run by Frank Wordsworth's sister, it became Hanwell's cafe for a few years. Then it was 'Carolina's' Italian delicatessen with an adjoining cafe for the last three or four years. Carolina also sold take-away pizzas in the evenings. Now, in Feb. 2008, it is a licenced curry house under the name of 'Cinnamon Spice' and it sits directly opposite the Balti House, although the two businesses are not connected. The interior is completely new and in a modern style.

The little picture to the right does not quite fit in the set but it shows Peter Holmes' butcher with its red awning. It has occupied this shop for a good many years, although I have never been in it. The chip shop is next door and the second picture below shows it from around the corner on Shrewsbury Road, which leads past Frank Platt's electrical shop, the church, the Town Hall/Cinema and down to Dolphin chipoyl and Green Cleans emporium right at the bottom.

The view is more or less opposite to Frank Platt's, of which more later. You can see the adjoining cafe and a barber's shop, which is above the chip shop cafe. They were 'Scissor Happy' hairdressers until recently, when Bernice retired. A new and rather spartan barber's shop is in there now.

The chip shop cafe is a small, friendly place with regular customers and it is a good place to appreciate the local townsfolk. The little picture to the right shows the cafe interior view but I have mislaid its associated larger view for the moment. I can their recommend egg, chips and mushy peas, bread and butter and a good strong mug of tea. It was previously owned by Cedrick 'Edric' Foster (who still lives in the area) in the 1980s and Bert Saville before him.

The third picture above was taken from the hairdresser's window, looking towards the Co-op and the fourth picture is another shot looking more to its right and the end of Back Lane.

World of Video, Robert's Butcher, Balti House
We are on the right side of the road in the next set: First shot is Back Lane, mentioned above and the cars are parked in the market area on a cold Feb. '08 morning. Below it is a view of Duncan Robert's 'Family Butcher', with a carrier bag tied to the awning to stop pedestrians bashing their heads. Duncan is a well-known character who has a popular taxi service with distinctive black and white cars. If the taxi is cold, he is also delivering meat.

The 'World of Video' shop had a manikin outside as a gimmick until someone held it hostage. At the time, 'Maz' ran the shop but then she crossed the road in 2003 to become landlady of the Rose and Crown. The Rose has changed hands again since then. The Balti house in the middle shot is, of course, a curry takeaway. High up on its wall is 'Bentley's Rotherham Ales'.

Top right is the Spread Eagle which is always popular. People (like me) enjoy sitting outside in fine weather, watching the world go by, as in the second picture of the bottom row (2007). To the right of the Spread is a solicitors, the Balti House and then the Old Crown referred to previously. Apart from all the colour changes, someone from a century ago would instantly recognise all of these buildings.

The Market
Penistone livestock market was granted a royal charter in 1699 but was going a long time before that. In the old days, animals were bought and sold in the street outside the Spread Eagle. The livestock market was closed down by Barnsley Council in 2003 to save a few pounds (then they donated £3m to Barnsley football club) and probably as part of a 'done deal' for a new supermarket car park on the plot. Market days are still busy with a lively retail market and farmers' auctions. On the second Saturday of each month, we also have Farmers' Markets in the market place. The market is due to be constrained into a small square walled area soon, with no room to expand.

Next shots are around the livestock market showing rustic characters at the auctions. The sign (middle pic) is a legacy from the cattle foot-and-mouth epidemic of 2001 but it is still there. After the earlier and disastrous BSE epidemic, farming and other related businesses in the UK suffered huge setbacks.

Below left is the excellent Saturday morning fruit and veg stall, which is there come rain, snow or frost. Good, fresh and cheap fruit & veg. The chaps were pleased to have their picture shown here but the fine old chap died in 2007 and the stallholder's son is in his shoes. This is truly a family business and goes back a long time. When it isn't Saturday, they are at their shop in Hoyland. Just around the corner and opposite the market stalls is Ivy Cottage, which is Karen's clothes mending shop for when your trousers have shrunk. In fact, she will alter all kinds of clothes. Have a look at some other lofty views of the Market.

You might like to download a short MP3 sound clip of Market Day ambience: http://62.149.36.39/~jbriggs/media/market_day.mp3

Main Shops
Now we are back on the left side of the road. The next set of pictures are across from Back Lane. First one is Frank Platts' electrical goods shop on the end of Shrewsbury Road. This has been in Penistone for as long as I can recall and I have purchased at least two washing machines and a vacuum cleaner from them. They also have the latest LCD and plasma tellies and digital radios. Brian Clegg has been boss there for a long time and they have branches in other towns.

Next, the towering three-storey Rose & Crown, on the corner of Shrewsbury Road, with Platt's just visible and an old BT telephone box. BT are trying to have legislation passed so that they do not have to keep their phone boxes going, so they are set to disappear from the UK landscape. The rather poor pictures of Penistone Parade are from the steps outside the Co-op.

Post Office and Vicarage Tea Rooms
Next, a slight detour from Market Street to look at the Post Office and the Vicarage Tea Rooms. This is the posh side but there's another side and a small rear dining room with a pleasant view exclusively for resident guests and special occasions. I have a veggie breakfast with toast and a teapot for less than £4. Good too, but keep an eye on the toast. Bung some coins in the pot (what I call the 'Nicola Benevolent Fund'). Saturday is best.

A few years ago, sharp men in sharper suits wanted to develop a good historical chunk of the town for a large supermarket, including this Post Office area. Some financial offers were substantial but I know of one business that was offered only £500. The council did not cave in to the developers and the oldest part of Penistone was saved on that first attack.

Back to Market Street
This long view down Market street is the opposite end to the rainy view higher up this page. Shops on the right of this picture include Zeanti - ladies' fashion shop, the Co-op Chemist, estate agent (white building), Yorkshire BS, GT News. Off the picture are Greggs' bakery, Barnsley Hospice shop, a fancy goods and cards shop, Scivener opticians and Penistone Financial Services, which used to be a Halifax branch. The Co-op Chemist had a handy old weighing machine by the door but it is beyond repair now.

Shops on the left side of the road (not strictly in order) are the Co-op, Chinese take-away, hairdresser, two video shops, Britannia building society, 'Chuck' McBurney's bookies, optician, tattooist, Robert's butcher, Spread Eagle, solicitor, Balti House, Old Crown and NatWest Bank. More pictures to come. The co-op is not visible here. It had a makeover in 2004 after which they started to bake fresh bread. It is all gone in the evenings, when the workers go shopping.

Bring out the Tumbleweed
Changes are in the air. Old dilapidated buildings will be demolished around the market area. The old jail and the long wall opposite the B. Legion will come down and pointy-architecture houses put up. The market will be re-shaped and walled in, so that it can't expand. Many will welcome the new Tesco but it will encroach on to our hallowed Showground. It will put some of our long-established shops under great strain or out of business, especially as the negotiators have lamely allowed new car parking to be under Tesco's control.