Remembering Stretford …… Tayors Road fish shop .. a story from Darrell Hughes

My Mother known to many, she would say; ‘call me Maureen’ to feel popular.

St Mary's Gate, 1951

She had an eccentric personality, whilst most women of the day wore head scarfs; she would wear bizarre hats that would not be out of place in Hollywood USA in the 1930s, though she was brought up in Boston Massachusetts, and arrived in England at twenty years of age. 

Sometimes the hats would be topped off with plastic strawberries, occasionally repainted with red nail varnish, owing to intermittent inclement weather.

I myself at the age of ten tailed along with my Mother to the fish shop, next, her turn, Mum requested her order, as she waited, in front of her, she noticed the proprietor rearranging the fish on the counter display. 

Bridgewater Canal, 1952

My Mother flamed; ‘’Madam,… your finger nails are filthy’’  the reply was equally lambast  "Who do you think you are,….Carmen Miranda?’ There was complete silence from the queue behind. A few more denouncing words were exchanged, as the queue got longer to the pavement on a rainy October day.  

Well,…that name stuck to my Mum reputation for the rest of her life. 

When she died according to her birthday certificate, it was a revelation to find that her real name was Florie and not Maureen, and also discovered her age she had kept as a secret, she died at the age of 68. If anyone knew my Mother, please let have your story.

Location; Stretford

Pictures; courtesy of Darrell Hughes, “St Marys Gate, Manchester., 1951Me in the middle, my late brother on the right. The boat on the Bridgewater Canal was not ours, no permission asked, just jumps on”, 1952.