Woolworth's store in Stroud, Gloucestershire, brings back such very happy memories for me. As a child of the late 30s, it was like Aladdin's Cave. Woolworth's sold pretty well everything a child could want. With a couple of pennies, a threepenny bit, or even a sixpenny piece, the world was one's oyster.
I remember buying skeins of thin plastic in various colours to plait bracelets and necklaces, tiny plastic doll's house chairs & tables for a few pence, and little packs of bubble gum, each containing a small photo of a film star to stick into an album. I still have my album today in a drawer & somehow I managed to buy enough bubble gum to get a complete set of film star photographs.
The day when sweet rationing ceased was definitely a day to remember. I got up early and walked the mile into Stroud with a friend. We each had sixpence to spend. The crowds around the sweet counter were huge and quite threatening to two little girls. We kept getting pushed back while larger and stronger customers forced their way forward. By the time that we got served, the only sweet left was Turkish Delight so we bought a few cubes of that and ran back home with our booty! Our mothers were thrilled with their gifts and my friend and I felt pleased that we had pleased them!
Those were the days. Woolworth's stores R.I.P.