A RECENT feature looking back at the story of the Co-op in Bradford, by regular contributor VINCENT FINN, got a lively response, with readers recalling their own memories of working or shopping at the stores.

“I worked at Sunwin House until it closed down,” writes Carol Dyer. “It was a happy place to work. In September Sunwin celebrations took place ahead of 12 months interest free credit - always popular and people would wait for it. I worked on the payment desk on the top floor. It was all hands to the pumps as it was so busy. Customers could spend their stamp books, they were worth £2 each on purchases instead of the normal £1.”

Gary Woolley writes: “I remember the Greengates Co-op when they uncovered original tiles on the front, from when they had separate areas for the butcher and fishmongers. I have photographs of Sunwin house from when it was built, my firm carried out the fibrous plaster work then, all the plaster mouldings etc. All the older end who are no longer with us called it the ‘Corp’.”

Here Vincent looks back at Denholme Co-op: “Bradford Co-op groups gave way to Co-op Wholesale Society (CWS). The brand name was changed to Co-op Food Fare and the identity of stores by number gradually disappeared. Maybe some readers could identity their local shop by its number. Our shop was Number 33 Gilpin Street, Bradford Moor.

A relative of mine started work in 1943 at Number 47 shop on Gain Lane, Fagley. In his 53-year career he managed dozens of shops including the warehouse at Dudley Hill. A couple I remember were at Undercliffe, Duckworth Lane, Wakefield Road, Lapage Street, Sunwin House and Thornbury next to the Farmers Inn.

When the original Denholme Co-op opened there were 20-plus shops in Denholme. The floor above the Co-op shop was a burling and mending room.

The Co-op building was pulled down in the 1970s. The original shop backed up to the catholic church. They were both pulled down. The Baptist chapel in Chapel Street was used as a shop for a couple of years after that. Denholme folks will remember that period.

In the mid-1970s the Co-op building was torn down and the entire block was levelled to make way for a new Co-op, which was called Denholme Food Fair.

The new store was opened on the same lot, now with an enlarged car park at the rear. I think this is now the only shop in the village.

The manager who oversaw the demolition, temporary move and building of the new shop stayed on as manager until the 1990s.

As the Co-op movement grew there was one in just about every neighbourhood. Co-op Societies were named for their area, others were called Co-operative Industrial Societies. The idea was that they were owned and run by and for members. You paid an initial ‘joining’ fee and members shared in any profits earned by their local society. When you bought anything you were given a receipt and a copy was kept at the store. At the end of each quarter the ‘dividends’ paid out by your society were advertised with a poster in the shop window.

The stamps that replaced the ‘divi’ were only a passing fancy to compete with S&H Green Stamps. You might recall that a whole book of stamps, that took a lot of sticking, was only worth at best £1 - that’s why folks quit licking and sticking.”