Memories of Childhood
by John Appleby

~ 20 ~

I will talk a little now about a phenomenon in the north of England. I have talked about how our family was fed mainly referring to home produce. Into the catering picture comes the Co-operative Wholesale Society or C.W.S., or Co-op. It was founded in Manchester at a time when most families in Northern England and Scotland were suffering deprivations of one kind or another. Its aim was to alleviate some of this suffering by selling provisions at lower prices. It was a society also with the object of combining education with self-help, and I believe their motives were inspired by socialism. In practice it became itself a producer of basic items, establishing factories making everything from soap to shoes. The shoppers became members of the society.

Each local society was run by a committee charged with the running of the affairs and finance, engaging employees, leaving the running of the retailing to experienced managers. Every member of the society had a number and a booklet of perforated tear off coupons. Every purchase would be recorded by carbon copy into this book. Every quarter the total expenditure would reap a dividend, which would be returned in cash, or put into a Christmas club. This was called "the divi". The Co-op had branches in even the smallest villages, a fruit shop here, a butcher or a fruit shop there. I suppose they almost monopolised the scene at that time. There were departments dealing with tailoring, haberdashery, butchery, grocery, soft furnishings, pharmacy, footwear and funerals.

© 2003 John Appleby, New Zealand

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