Sweetie Shop Survivor
Sweet shops are a dying breed. Gone are the
days of a 6d mix up, a quarter of black-jacks, the worn
wooden counter and the ding of the bell on the way out.
In these modern times we have "pick n' mix".. rows upon
rows of imported confectionery in plastic bins and the
obligatory barcode stamped upon everything. It's mass
market and served to us from a conveyor belt accompanied
by the soulless beep of the scanner and wrapped in a
cellophane bag... measured of course in grammes.
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Traditional Glass "Sweetie Jars" |
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In complete contrast "Mollies" (Molly Murphy), at Wine
Tavern Street in Belfast's Smithfield area, has served
the local community with sweets and provisions for over
a hundred years. At the dawn of the 1990`s however the
Castlecourt Shopping Centre opened its many doors, casting
a huge shadow over Smithfield. Most of the smaller shops
in the surrounding area buckled under the strain of
competing with convenience and choice under one roof.
"Mollies" closed down and fell vacant for a number
of years before being resurrected in 1997 in its new
guise as "Old Tyme Favourites" run by Martin Donnelly
and his brother Michael.
Customers come from all over the world to make the
pilgrimage to buy from the huge range of old fashioned
sweets on offer.The guesstimate is over 200 types.
The shop floor is a minute 3 feet by 6 feet , yet several
American customers have bought the sweets by the box
load, sending relatives in at every opportunity.
A tradition exists for sufferers of a bad chest or
cold to suck on "Jakemans Throat and Chest Sweets",
as an alternative to more medical cough sweets.
Even the humble Brandy Ball is sought after in high
numbers as its availability, even on the mainland UK,
is scarce.
The shop`s days are numbered however, as a new wave
of retail landscaping is about to wash over Smithfield.
The area is to be enclosed under a giant roof stretching
from the existing Castlecourt Shopping Centre, northwards,
which will envelop Wine Tavern Street. The shops will
be demolished (Old Tyme Favourites will relocate) and
drones of bright new shiny "retail units" will take
their place.
The Top Five sweets sold at the shop are pictured below.
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Midget Gems |
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Sports Mixture |
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Clove Rock |
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Raspberry Ruffles |
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American
Hard Gums |
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What are your memories of buying sweets as a child?
Did you visit the shop when it was "Mollies"? Perhaps
you live abroad now and have found a similar haven for
your sweet tooth? Please tell us. |
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