The Traditional Sweetie Shop

I had a revelation today. Could it be that I am getting old? Am I turning into an old lady who always has a trusty paper bag of sweets in her handbag for emergencies? My wonderful 93 year old Aunty Alice has an endless supply of «Uncle Bens» or «Rushton Mints» in her tardis of a handbag and used to whip one out for me when I was a little girl and fell over. These sweets would break your milk teeth and drag out your fillings yet they stopped the tears immediately.
The Traditional Sweetie Shop opened in October 2009 on Higher Lane in Urmston and it welcomed me in like an old friend. Jars and jars of adored favourites sit patiently behind huge glass cabinets, waiting to be weighed and they always seem to know when I walk through the door. It is not that I have a particularly sweet tooth, I prefer to claim that I have low blood sugar levels and one midget gem will single handedly prevent me from fainting. So I enter this confectionary haven, intent on buying a traffic light lolly each for the children and I go crazy. There are jazzles, cola cubes, bonbons and sherbet; ABC’s, cola pips and fizzers. The owner never judges me when I stand sheepishly with 8 white paper bags in front of me full of my sugary friends. I always wonder how shops like these stay open. As lovely– and necessary– as they are, my mountain of candy only comes to £3. For 8 bags!!! I know it’s weird to complain about how cheap this is but surely these shops must need a million customers a day to achieve any profit?
Anyway, I shall stop worrying because The Traditional Sweetie shop has quickly become a local favourite. Mums call in for their naughty secret cravings, grannies go there for their colesfoot rock and cough candy and rush hour is between 3.30 and 4.30 when kids stream out of school and head there like flies to jam. This is not just a sweetie shop, it is a nostalgic walk down memory lane as well.

As though the promise of traditional sweets isn’t temptation enough, you can’t help but be drawn in by the window displays of this Urmston shop. On one side boiled sweets and Sherbet Dip Dabs hang from white branches. On the other side an old fashioned coal fire and armchair set the scene for a display of Mr Fitzpatrick’s tonics and cordials, which date back to the 1890s. Though not this particular batch, of course.
I realise that there are lots of online shops selling traditional sweets but there’s something quite special about seeing them all set on in front of you in their jars. Sherbet Pips, Kola Bottles, Pear Drops, Chocolate Limes. .. Of course you no longer ask for a quarter, you ask for 100 grams and while we were there two kids came in with their pocket money asking for 25 gram mixed bags. The Traditional Sweetie Shop is a family run business and the staff were all very friendly and happy to help.
Needless to say we didn’t come away empty handed. We bought three bags of sweets and a bottle of Mr Fitzpatrick’s Blood Tonic.