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Sharing our memories of Heald Green
Last Updated 22nd Dec 2024
Patricia's
By Helen Morgan
First Published 07/12/2024
Last Updated 07/12/2024
A shop long gone, but still remembered.
Fig. 1 Patricia's c.1960-61
(Carole McCann via Facebook)
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This photograph (above), posted to our Facebook page by Carole McCann recently, made lots of residents recall some wonderful memories that I wanted to capture.
The lady who owned the shop was called Olwyn Patricia. She was the daughter of Harry Heywood, a local builder who built this set of shops by 1961, if not earlier.
At this time the next parade of shops was still a copse of trees, in front of a large house called Beech House. That was where the car park is now behind Tescos.
It was used for Cheadle Royal patients, was a private school and our Air Raid Precaution centre in WW11, before becoming the offices of Ann Shaw’s Time and Motion studies.
Fig. 2 Alderley and Wilmslow Advertiser January 8th, 1954
Her studies were known countrywide from here in Heald Green!
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Fig. 3 Heald Green Methodist Church garden fete programme advert. July 1968
Not forgetting lovable foundation garments!
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“I remember the parade shops being built by the builder Mr Heywood whose daughter had the wool and haberdashery shop next to where the butchers is now and the butchers was a Spar.”
- Elizabeth Willett, Facebook 2021
“Loved Patricia’s wool shop. It always amazed me they knew where absolutely everything was in those small glass drawers behind the counter. I made many knits for the children with their wool.” “There were two sisters owned and worked in it. I was told they at one time owned the whole row of shops.”
- Cynthia Mellish, Facebook 2021
“Yes that’s right. Patricia was the name of her shop. She would put knitting wool “by” for you, so you didn’t have to pay for it all at once. I used to get off the school bus a stop early to buy wool on the way home.”
- Ann Murphy, Facebook 2021
“Remember a haberdashery next to the butchers. Mum used to buy me knicker elastic for playing elastics in the playground.”
- Chris Ashworth, Facebook 2021
Fig. 4 Heald Green Herald newspaper advert, May 1969
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“Patricia’s was run/owned by Olwen who told me that her father built both rows of shops (198 – 234 Finney Lane.) Looking back, I wish I’d taken more notice to what I was being told, but in my defence, it was the mid to late 70s and I was a teenager.”
- Dave Walsh, Facebook 2024
“yep.”
- Giselle Louise Fox, Facebook 2024
“Gosh I do.”
- Susan Franklin, Facebook 2024
“yes, me too.”
- Jane Susan Bent, Facebook 2024
“I remember the yellow cellophane over the windows at Patricia’s.”
- Judith Nixon, Facebook 2024
“Didn’t we buy our elastics from here Giselle?”
- Adele Hartley, Facebook 2024
“My mum used to always buy her wool there and I remember an Irish lady called Kath Dilworth who also worked there.”
- Mark Duffy, Facebook 2024
“My mum used to get her wool from this lovely shop. I used to love going in there with my mum and sister. Happy days.”
- Bev Speed, Facebook 2024
“I came here to say that too. It always reminded me of Lucozade!”
- Angela Lord, Facebook 2024
“I remember my mum having her wool put away at Patricia’s. She used this shop for years.”
- Sue Walton, Facebook 2024
Fig. 5 Ratepayers contact magazine Queen’s Silver Jubilee 1977
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“Ribbons for our hair....happy days”
- Helen Richardson, Facebook 2024
“Remember it well, bought so much wool from there.”
- Rhona Doughty, Facebook 2024
“Remember Olwen so well and going in there with my mum. Her dad built several of the houses on Eastleigh Road too and as a family they lived there. My parents bought their house when her mum passed away.”
- Louise Adams, Facebook 2024
“I almost lived at that shop. Knitting/sewing/cotton reels/tapes/tights etc. Nothing was ever too much trouble for her to get for me. We lived in Heald Green for 32 years and raised our 3 children there. 1975 – 2007, happy days.”
- Wendy Berry, Facebook 2024
“Lovely Patricia’s shop. I bought baby clothes and knitting there.”
- Barbara Mason, Facebook 2024
“Used to buy elastic to make my 'elastics' from Patricia’s in the early 1980s.”
- Donna Myers, Facebook 2024
“Loved Patricia’s. Went in with my mum so many times.”
- Gillian Hollingworth, Facebook 2024
“Think my Auntie Kath used to work there and mum made lots of our clothes as kids.”
- Rachel Hoyland, Facebook 2024
“Used to love Patricia’s and Olwyn was so helpful. Used to put my wool put away and go and get a ball each week. Lovely baby clothes too.”
- Denise Gleaves, Facebook 2024
“My mum used this shop.”
- Julie Gibson, Facebook 2024
“Used to go as a 9 year old and choose my hair ribbons for school.”
- Lynne Julie Ashmore, Facebook 2024
“Remember it well, my mum always bought wool there. So many great shops back in the day.”
- Suzanne Tapia, Facebook 2024
“Patricia’s started me off knitting.”
- Julie Jones, Facebook 2024
“I got a badge from there which I sewed onto the arm of my parka.”
- Andy Holloway, Facebook 2024
“My mum was an avid knitter, as most mums were in those days. The shop owner was called Olwen, all the ladies in there were lovely. You could buy enough wool to make your item, but then they let you pay for it weekly as you needed it. She used to keep your wool in a bag on the top shelf with your name on it.”
- Gaynor Downes, Facebook 2024
“Loved Olwyn can picture her rosy cheeks and smile even though it was probably 50 years ago! Popped in a lot with my mum. Remember getting a little kilt skirt with the nylon vest top attached. The yellow cellophane windows and the lovely old fashioned display units!”
- Angela Lord, Facebook 2024
“I bought my daughter’s christening gown from there.”
- Janet Carter, Facebook 2024
“I had a Saturday job in Patricia’s.”
- Giselle Louise Fox, Facebook 2024
“I had my first bra from Patricia’s. That was the end of my world at the time!”
- Heather Tiffany Bailey, Facebook 2024
“Next to Kershaw’s chemist was Patricia’s haberdashery shop. Patricia owned all the shops along that part of the parade after her father passed.”
- Debbie Grogan, Facebook 2021
“I worked as a Saturday girl there from 1982 until 1984.”
- Kathryn Winstanley, Facebook 2022
“The lady who owned and worked in Patricia’s was the daughter of the builder who built the shops and a lot of the bungalows on Eastleigh Road. She would collect the ground rent to my knowledge from some of these shops and bungalows.
The builder himself lived on Eastleigh in a large dormer bungalow where my sister lives now.”
- Dave L Hardman, Facebook 2021
“I got sent by my mum for buttons and ribbons as my mum used to make my dresses.”
- Sarah Louise Jones, Facebook 2022
“I remember Patricia’s also! Rows of wooden drawers, looking through the glass at the beautiful buttons and lots of different shades of cotton reels! My mum used to buy my “elastics” from there to play on at the school!”
- Julie Talbot, Facebook 2022
“I used to buy all my hair ribbons from there, every colour imaginable.”
- Dawn Barratt, Facebook 2022
“Elastics was the best game ever. I can still remember all the sequences!”
- Caroline Dumville, Facebook 2022
“I remember going in there with my mum for wool and also bought a few jumpers/tops from there. Olwen was so helpful and friendly and remembered her customers.”
- Anne Mitchelson, Facebook 2022
“Olwyn’s father, Harry Heywood, built that row of shops and when she came out of the services, she opened the shop late 60s. She wanted it to be called Patricia’s, her second name. Harry built many houses on Freshfields and Eastleigh. We bought one of his bungalows in 1970 when we got married. We still live on Eastleigh. Happy memories.”
- Lynda Wagstaff, Facebook 2022
“I loved this shop, it was great!! I used to go in. It was like an Aladdin’s cave. I used to get frilly pants that went over nappies and all my buttons and wool for my gran to knit for the babies. She was a lovely lady, always happy for a chat. In fact, there were two ladies, I think? I have only seen a shop like this again with the drawers etc at Beamish near Newcastle.”
- Wendy Egginton, Facebook 2022
“I’ll never forget the humiliation of being marched into Patricia’s for my first training bra! I was dragged from tree climbing to be fitted with a monstrous contraption!”
- Heather Tiffany Bailey, Facebook 2022
“Me too. Playtex cup size 28AA. My dad said I needed boil plasters, not a bra!”
- Cathy Dales, Facebook 2022
“My dad went to primary school with the other lady. I can’t remember her name though.”
- Diane Mills, Facebook 2022
“Fabulous shop. I used to buy all my wool there. Olwyn would put wool to one side for you, so you didn’t have to buy it all at once. That way all the shade numbers would be the same. She sold hankies, lingerie, haberdashery and all sorts. You could always rely on help if you got stuck with a knitting pattern.”
- Cynthia Mellish, Facebook 2022
“Patricia’s was a wonderful shop. I couldn’t resist visiting when my children were babies and toddlers. Loved to knit for the children and could keep wool at the shop and buy gradually as I knitted. Also, you could get help and advice with knitting patterns. The most helpful shop you can imagine.”
- Brenda McDougall, Facebook 2022
“I loved going into Patricia’s. It was like an Aladdin’s cave of wool, ribbons and buttons. Fond memories of when I was a little girl.”
- Susan Franklin, Facebook 2022
“My mum was a prolific knitter, so we went in there quite a lot. Olwyn would put her so many balls of wool to one side, so mum could buy as she needed. I still remember being dragged in there when my periods started and being bought huge sanitary towels.”
- Diane Mills, Facebook 2022
“Gosh what wonderful memories. I used to make cushions for my friend’s babies with the dates of birth, name and birth weight. Lots of ribbons, lace and cottons from Patricia’s. Friendly shop, always good for a chat.”
- Gillian Mary Allen, Facebook 2022
“I always bought wool at Patricia’s. Olwyn was actually named after my sister, as they were neighbours and they liked her name!”
- Rhona Doughty, Facebook 2022
“I remember Patricia’s very well. Wonderful shop. Always got what you needed for sewing and knitting. Miss it. Can’t buy loose buttons or the variety of cottons and wool.”
- Pauline Hyde, Facebook 2022
“Loved Patricia’s. Always put wool away to buy what you could afford that day for grandma to knit items for the grandchildren. Always lovely collection of baby clothes and as you say enjoyable conversation. Good memories.”
- Gloria Wilkinson, Facebook 2024
Into the 1990s and all good things come to an end. This is the last advertisement I could find for the shop.
Fig. 6 Advert from the Methodist Church's Christmas Magazine 1990
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In 1992 the shop unit became Fleurs coffee shop, owned by Carol Barlow, mum of Hollie Walters.
“We took over from Patricia’s around 92 I think, after we had another coffee shop further up the village.” (258 Finney Lane)
- Hollie Walters, Facebook 2021
Fig. 7 Heald Green Methodist Church magazine advert Spring 1994
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“After Fleurs the shop did sell Ty beanie bears and very, very briefly a clothes shop was the same owners. It was a scouse girl called Catherine who ran it with her daughter. Then Peak Pharmacy knocked through!”
- Ben Morris, Facebook 2022
“I’ve been racking my brains to remember Fleurs name. I had a birthday party for my son there. They’d hire it out and catered for parties.”
- Cynthia Mellish, Facebook 2021
Personally, I remember the shop after the coffee shop reverting back to something like how Patricia’s had been. Rather olde worlde with glass display units, large service counters and floor baskets to look through items for sale.
Ty beanies were all the rage and not cheap, plus you had to buy a plastic covering, so that the heart shaped logo with the name of the bear did not get tattered or torn. All in the hope that it would keep the value of the bear you had just bought (forget that they were mass produced!!) and you might have a rare one. All of ours are now in the loft. We got quite excited that we may have had a rare Princess Diana one.......NO.
As Ben says the shop unit disappeared altogether around 2007, when the chemist next door expanded making their premises double fronted.
Thank you to everyone who shared their memories with us. It really seems to be a moment frozen in time. Does anyone still knit bootees, mittens, hats and matching cardigans for babies nowadays? Do children still play the simple games of elastics on their hands or feet? For me the nicest things about these memories are that they were about time spent with your mum.......priceless.
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