Sheila Burnett – We shopped in Ryde most often

Simon: When did you first start noticing Elizabeth Packs or Pack and Culliford or probably …

Sheila: Well probably right from the very beginning because we did move around shopping. We didn’t just shop in Ventnor. We had the Dentist in Ventnor, we had the Hairdresser’s in Ventnor. We tended to go into Ryde quite a bit and of course as soon as we got to Alverstone, we’d do Ryde quite a lot. As I say, we went into Packs when it was next door to Fowler’s.

Simon: That’s the one where French Franks is now.

Sheila: That’s where French Franks is yes.

Simon: So, they had the whole of that building didn’t they?

Sheila: Yes, upstairs as well.

Simon: So did you explore the different floors?

Sheila: Yes, oh yes. And then of course they moved over the road and downstairs they had Day Wear, Knitwear …

Simon: In Cross Street.

Sheila: … and then upstairs they had a complete big Bridal Suite and then they had another area which was much more ‘dressy’, cocktail dresses etc, and then they had the Café which we used a lot (laughs).

Simon: So, do you remember your first time into … because it was Pack and Cullifords at that time.

Sheila: Not particularly, no. I know that if I wanted something ‘dressy’ I would obviously go there and of course I’d already met Molly and she was working in the other shop across the road, so I used to go in and see her … So, I used to go and have a chat with her and see what I needed because in those days where I was dancing with the Caledonian Society, if you went to certain of the do’s, you needed something quite ‘dressy.’

Simon: I was just thinking through that two people turning up with the same outfit to the same ‘do’, have you quite had that?

Sheila: We haven’t quite had that, no (laughs).

Simon: The Staff probably had a mental picture of ‘well those people are going to this event, so we won’t sell them the same thing.’

Sheila: I think ‘cos Molly we knew because of Scottish Dancing, so I think she sort of kept an eye on us all. She’d say, “I have got just the thing that would suit you” and go and find it and sort of say, “how about this?” (laughs).