Jane Gibbs – The ‘bees knees’

Jane: I bought a pair of shoes there, leather shoes which I must say lasted … I mean those days you would have them heeled, soled and heeled. I’m guessing you still can now but a lot of the modern soles on the shoes these days, they’re just throw away aren’t they? Which is very sad. Yeah, I think I bought at least two pairs of shoes. Not sandals, and funny enough I remembered today my dad, my father when he was … I must have still been living in St Helens, and he came home with the most gorgeous summer dress for me, and my mum used to then, that was part of the wife’s department to buy the clothes, but he must have bought one from Pack and Cullifords, very posh, and I remember distinctly it was lime green with white piping, a little bow that did up at the back, and it was sort of … I think it was Egyptian with the pyramids on and little Egyptian figures. And later he bought me a pair of leather sandals from Pack and Cullifords with the peep toe which were all the fashion. I remember they were bright … I think they were bright red (laughs) so then I thought I was the bee’s knees.

Simon: I guess it shows how special item from there were, if you can recall in that detail.

Jane: Yeah, I’ve got a photo somewhere. I must have only been 6 or 7, and think I wore it for my school photo. We had a special photo in those days and it’s as clear as anything. As soon as I saw it I thought, ‘Oh my God, I remember that dress’ but it is weird as you say. Most distinct. I can’t really remember any of my other clothes that I … I think he might have bought me a bathing costume there as well, with the little frills round the bottom, which was all the rage for young girls then, but it was very special and it lasted … the quality, I mean I grew out of it rather than you know threw it away and bought another one. It was, yeah, I clearly, clearly remember that dress.