Rather bad photo of what was the Joke shop in New Brighton. This was on the corner of Tollemache and Albert streets. I stand to be corrected but think this was going before the King street one opened?
Used to walk through the park on a Saturday & spend my pocket money there. Stink bombs, pepper sweets, trick soap, telescope that blackened your eye & the silver things I used to put in my Dad's cigarettes that exploded when he lit them. Happy days.
I seem to remember that the joke shop owner also had a Punch and Judy set up which he used to have on the beach at New Brighton in front of the Tivoli and also in Central Park when the Gala was in town or am I getting mixed up with someone else?
I remember the King street joke shop, you walked up some small triangular shaped steps into the shop, I also remember getting some xray glasses and stink bombs there and a false chopped off finger. the memories.
I was trying to remember about the entrance to the shop. it was high up ,and the entrance to the next door shop was very close. I remember buying a second hand Watkins echo chamber in there in the early 70's it was a really old one in fact it had valves in it. I paid £8.00 for it, and it didn't work properly, so I took it back and he ever so nonchalantly suggested it would be alright for £4.00....and like a mug I accepted the £4.00 and left with it. I can't remember where it went now ...but I could probably get about £150.00 for it on ebay even not working now..... they are super rare.
Yes it was robbed a couple of times in the 60's and 70's. He had a rather dodgy anti theft device in the form of a metal grill inside the little side window (this was the one that got broke) with a cable running to it and a little orange bulb in a holder was also connected. A sign said something to the effect that if the bulb was lit it indicated that the grill was charged with 250 volts.
I remember the joke shop fondly haha. stink bombs, itchy powder fake dog poo and all the stuff lads as juveniles love. My dad had the shop next door for a few years as a gents hair dresser. I always remember my dad asking his customers ' any thing for the weekend' and hinting at the durex signs lol.
