An Off Licence In South Arbury Many Years Ago?

An enquiry from Ray:

I find this blog a great resource. I have some ideas and will email you again ASAP. In the meantime I have a question. My Nan, who died six years ago, used to speak about going to an off licence in South Arbury when she was a young woman many years ago, and I don't think it was in the Carlton Terrace shops.

Have you any idea where it was?

Answer: Hello, Ray! Thanks for getting in touch. Quite right about Carlton Terrace - there was no off licence there years ago, but there was one at the Carlton Arms. It was through a door between the bay windows at the front of the pub. It had a lovely bell 'ting' as you entered - very full and melodic!

One of us Arbury Archivers remembers being taken there by his mother in the late 1960s/early 1970s to buy fizzy pop, crisps, and something for Mum. He used to wonder where the person behind the counter used to appear from, not realising that the pub's bars were connected and the person was working behind them.

Our Archiver's grandparents' empty Guinness bottles could also be taken there - and the small refunded deposit on each bottle used to buy Black Jacks and Fruit Salads at Stop's newsagent's ('Stopsiz') - with Gran and Grandad's blessing, of course!

Please do send us your ideas. Glad you're enjoying the blog!

UPDATE: 19/04/2022:

Just found this photograph of the Carlton Arms in 1959, its opening year - complete with off-licence. One of our Arbury Archivists was overcome with nostalgic tears at the sight!😢

Copies of many of the photographs featured on the blog can be obtained from the Cambridgeshire Collection at Cambridge Central Library. This wonderful resource also contains huge amounts of other material, and we recommend that anybody undertaking Cambridgeshire history research makes the Collection one of their first ports of call.

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