Mum’s Weekly Shopping Afternoon

On thursday afternoon Mum would go shopping for things that tradesmen did not deliver. That morning she would drop Dad off at his office so she could have the car for the day.  The lovely lady we came to know as Mrs. J would arrive sometime late morning, and after we’d all eaten an early lunch  together, Mum would dress up in an afternoon outfit including hat, gloves, good shoes and toning handbag, and immediately leave for a few hours.  She’d return home around 5pm with all her shopping, which included her own personal things, too, as this would have been the time to try on a dress or shoes in peace.  Subject to a good report from Mrs. J, she’d give us each a little treat, typically a threepenny Cadbury’s Dairy Milk Bar of chocolate in a red wrapper or a pack of Wrigley’s Fruity Chews in the clear cellophane packet revealing one each of pastel pink, lemon, blue and green fruit flavoured pellets of chewing gum which I think cost a penny or penny ha’penny.