Norman Dunn's 'Hebburn and our Neighbours Forum'

Norman Dunn's 'Hebburn and our Neighbours Forum'
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Shephards

Posted by Joseph on 16/3/2026, 7:24 pm

Any one remember Shephards,on Station Road, used to get all my school clothes there on the old faithful provi, we just couldn't afford any other way, but the one thing I was always fascinated with was the rail pully system that used to fly in all directions with money paid one way and change in another, ye it was little things pleasing little minds. Happy days.

Re: Shephards

Posted by Stan Wears on 16/3/2026, 8:19 pm, in reply to "Shephards "

Nice one Joseph! I remember one Provi woman. It was Mrs Clark and she lived at 40 Black Rd. You certainly get my memory working with things you recall! Keep it up !!

Re: Shephards

Posted by Liz Dance on 16/3/2026, 9:06 pm, in reply to "Re: Shephards "

Farnons in Newcastle had the same system for paying.

Joseph, I guess the Shepherds you are talking about must be an associate of Shepherd's in Gateshead?

Re: Shephards

Posted by Joseph on 16/3/2026, 9:48 pm, in reply to "Re: Shephards "

Ye exact same company but obviously a much bigger store than Hebburn, could be wrong bout this but am sure they had Shephards own currency, be interesting to find out why they closed.

Re: Shephards - Joseph

Posted by Liz Dance on 16/3/2026, 10:12 pm, in reply to "Re: Shephards "

Joseph, I googled Shepherds, you are correct, read below what I found.

Yes, Shephards department store in Gateshead was famous for using its own plastic or cardboard currency in the 1960s and 70s. Customers would exchange real money for these tokens to use within the store's various departments.
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Key details about "Shephards Money":
Appearance: Often described as deep red or maroon compressed cardboard coins, sometimes referred to as plastic currency.
Function: It was a "funny money" system used to facilitate transactions within the store.
Memories: Many residents remember it as a staple of the store along with its Christmas Grotto and Panorama restaurant, which were popular during that era.
The Store: Located on West Street, Gateshead, Shephards was a major retailer in the area until it was taken over by Shopping City in 1980.
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Re: Shephards - Joseph

Posted by Steve in Australia on 16/3/2026, 11:11 pm, in reply to "Re: Shephards - Joseph"

I lived on a small country town in Queensland about 35 years ago and the local general store still used the ""string and pulley system"" for sending payments and returning change and hand written receipts from point of sale to the cashiers desk, which was a wood and glass enclosure set slightly higher than floor level from which the entire store could be observed.
I believe it is still set up today.

Re: Shephards - Joseph

Posted by Ray Forster on 17/3/2026, 8:44 am, in reply to "Re: Shephards - Joseph"

Could be wrong but I thought it was a vacuum in a tube system, not a string and pulley one.
They had an entrance with automatic opening glass sliding doors, where you had to stand on a rubber mat to open them. One of the first. Great fun when you were a kid.
I had a traumatic experience at Christmas. Walking up to Santa's Grotto, I spotted Santa sitting in the Grotto and another Santa sneaking out of the rear. Two Santa's!!!!
Must have been a change of shift.

Re: Shephards - Joseph

Posted by Joseph on 17/3/2026, 9:31 am, in reply to "Re: Shephards - Joseph"

Anyone remember the words of the jingle on the advert for Shephards, (I do). Little trivia.

Re: Shephards - Joseph

Posted by Mac Cummings on 17/3/2026, 10:35 am, in reply to "Re: Shephards - Joseph"

The larger Jarrow store when in Ellison St had a rolling ball, string and pulley system which fascinated most children.
Meanwhile the Coop Department Store in Market Square had a vacuum arrangement.

Re: Shephards - Joseph

Posted by Tom Stafford on 17/3/2026, 3:39 pm, in reply to "Re: Shephards - Joseph"

Shepards of Gateshead, the biggest and the best store
Shepards of gateshead have what you're looking for
There's so much to see and the parking is free
Come shopping at Shepards with the whole family.

Regarding provident cheques. I seem to remember that people used to cash in their provi's in the store for Shepards money and then sell it to provide beer money or living expenses

They were also based on Shields Road, Byker in Newcastle

Re: Shephards - Joseph

Posted by Malcolm on 17/3/2026, 8:31 pm, in reply to "Re: Shephards - Joseph"

What you would call "fiscal prudence"? LOL

Re: Shephards - Joseph

Posted by Patrick on 18/3/2026, 11:51 am, in reply to "Re: Shephards - Joseph"

Tom Stafford - I don't recall a Shephards in Byker; are you thinking of Parrishes? They also issued their own coinage.

Re: Shephards

Posted by Audrey D. on 18/3/2026, 12:04 pm, in reply to "Re: Shephards - Joseph"

There was also a Shepards on Felling High Street!

Re: Shephards

Posted by Mac Hardy on 18/3/2026, 12:16 pm, in reply to "Re: Shephards"

There was also a Shepherds in Jarrow where the job centre is now

Re: Shephards

Posted by Joseph on 18/3/2026, 2:07 pm, in reply to "Re: Shephards"

Remember an Argos, where the job centres is now.

Re: Shephards

Posted by Ray Forster on 18/3/2026, 5:56 pm, in reply to "Re: Shephards"

Not Argos. It was Comet.

Re: Shephards

Posted by Joseph on 18/3/2026, 9:23 pm, in reply to "Re: Shephards"

Dead right Ray.

Margaret McDonald (Board Regular) at Shephard in Hebburn

Posted by Norman Dunn on 19/3/2026, 9:05 am, in reply to "Re: Shephards"

Margaret told me this experience she had at the Station Rd branch of Shephards in my Photo.

I left school the month before my 17th birthday in the summer of 1955 and went to Shephards and asked for a job. The manager said he didn't have any vacancies, so I asked what he did when folks went on their summer holiday and he said they just covered for each other. I said I was willing to do that. How confident/ cheeky was that? Anyway he said o.k. I started on the Saturday, the day after I left school and was there for six weeks before going into the Cost Department in Reyrolles.

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