What’s in the Fear Brothers shop? Its full name is Johnson, Gove, Fox and – I can’t remember the name of the others. That’s enough to put the frighteners on anyone. The shop has a heavy smell of mildew and moss. It hasn’t been given a lick of paint in years. Copies of the Mail and Express soak up the damp. Great picture framed windows have now been white washed so that only a dim light gets to the shop floor. Faded signs remind one of days long gone by.
You can still make out the names of the departments although the signs are getting shabby. One section is called “Worries” – it’s got stacks of tee shirts on immigration and you can still buy “red tape” socks and blue yarn. Another section is called “Dreamers” – full to the roof with glossy posters of the 1950s. Lots of pre-digital age memorabilia everywhere and not a mobile phone in sight. Down the hallway there’s a section called – “Grumbles” this is innovative since you can complain about anything at all and get to blame it on Europe. The walls are plastered with scribbled notes that range from; a complaint about an old kettle to a story about the size of bananas. In the basement there’s what remains of a privative caveman section. It got too dangerous to go down there but recently the owners have talked about opening it up again. Upstairs there’s a room people don’t normal go in. It’s called the “H” word room or Mr Johnson’s room. There’s only the remains of 1930s photographs pinned to the walls and a few sketches with odd looking symbols.
It’s not an attractive place but its surprising how many people still go there in the day light hours. Not a place to stray after dark. Around the end of June, a demolition crew are booked to come and knock down this old store. It’s about had its day.
John Vincent 