My Dad had been a bus driver for Tyne & Wear PTE (and whatever it was called before that – maybe Newcastle Corporation?) between about 1960-1975 and after his years behind the wheel he decided, like many other of his compatriots who had came into the country, to open a corner shop.

The shop was in North Shields – I was 7 and I had never been to North Shields as far as I can remember. I was down there on the first day during 1976 (February I think) and he bought the shop from a Mrs. Turner who had owned that shop and another on Wallsend High Street for many years. I remember Mrs. Turner was very fat and wore glasses and seemed friendly enough.

During that first day I was very excited and eyed an old style glass bottle of Pepsi which was high up on a top shelf. I asked Mrs. Turner if I could have a bottle and she said, “Ask your Dad, it’s his shop now”. I realised then it was official; my Dad owned a real corner shop and I was going to be able to have stuff. In the endI had way too much stuff, but then you would, wouldn’t you?

The only other thing I remember about that first weekend I spent there was that a young (and very large) boy was sitting on the step of the shop and popping in and out and generally being very firendly. It turned out he lived up the street (Grey Street, North Shields) and he was pretty much being oour welcoming committee. He was a couple of years older than me, was mixed race and was called Paul Van Zandvliet. He went on to become a professional rugby player, which I was shocked to discover when I saw him on TV years later, long after we’d lost touch. Paul was a lot of fun, a really great boy and had the bonus of being hard as nails. A good friend to have.

Anyway, that was how we came to own the corner shop on Grey Street and North King Street in North Shields between 1976 and 1981. The guy my Dad sold it to still owns it to this day.