South Yorkshire Times, November 6th 1943
Fifty Years In Business
Mexborough Grocer’s Jubilee
To-day (Friday), Mr. Charles Marks, of “Latrigg,” St. George’s Avenue, Swinton, a well-known Mexborough grocer, celebrates his fiftieth year in business.
Mr. Marks started work in his present shop in Main Street as an errand boy, and with the exception of just over three years spent working for the late Mr. W. T. Tiptaft, has spent the whole of his working life in Main Street. The shop which Mr. Marks now owns was opened by Mr. James Clayton and Mr. Walter Pickford was manager.
At that time there were no shops in Main Street, and beyond Hartley Street junction were mainly comfrey and corn fields, including Roman Terrace. The first house Mr. Marks remembered being built was one built by Mr. A. Whittaker, in Dodsworth Street, later occupied by Mr. Hugh Dellow, a reporter whose writings in the “Mexborough and Swinton Times” achieved wide popularity.
Mr. Marks, a native of Denaby came to Mexborough sixty years ago. He is one of the oldest members of Mexborough Rotary Club, and was President in 1934. He is treasurer of the local Chamber of Trade, and a supporter of St. George’s Church, being a member of the Church choir in Canon Bateman’s time. when the church was called the Mexborough Mission Church. “When I first knew Mexborough,” Mr. Marks said, “it was a beehive of industry.” Barron’s glassworks, Waddington’s glassworks and Waddington’s boatyard, and Barker’s wagon works, were flourishing. There were Turkish baths, and other industries were Tillson’s crate yard, potteries and Barker’s foundry, at the bottom of West Street.
Asked how prices had varied, Mr. Marks said bacon in those far-off days, mainly from the US.A., was salt cured, the best cuts being 6 ½d. a pound. The introduction of Canadian pea-fed bacon changed the whole position, the public preferring mild to salt-cured bacon.
Mr. Marks handled the first box of this bacon, which came to Mexborough purchased from the London Grocers’ Exhibition. Tea was very scarce, and dear, at about 5s. per pound. Eggs were obtainable at about twenty or thirty a shilling. lard cost 2d. per pound, and best butter 9d. to 11d. There was no margarine. Other prices he quoted were: Cheese 6 ½ d. per lb., large tin of pineapple 7 ½ d., canned salmon 6 ½d, canned lobster 7 ½ d., currants 1 ¾ to 3d. per lb., sugar 2d. per 1b., jam 3lbs. for 7d., soap 7 ½ d for 3lbs. Matches fetched 10d. a gross. At that time hours were long and wages low.
Mr. Marks remembered frequently delivering order after 10 pm and on Saturday they rarely finished before midnight. He related many humorous experiences. One old lady would only eat side bacon, so before taking she insisted that it be rolled. Desiccated coconut puzzled many people, and he had heard it called decorated, dislocated, disinfected and consecrated.
When he was just over eight years old Mr. Marks sold evening papers for a time, and later sold copies of the “Mexborough and Swinton Times” for the late Mr, Walter Turner. Asked what he would do if he had his time to come over again, Mr. Marks said: “I would start in business again to-morrow. There’s a living for any man if he is prepared to work, and work hard.”