Picture 1 - 1900's (Thanks to Roy Mitchell for these four photos)
Here's four cracking photos/postcards from Roy Mitchell. This one was taken outside what used to be Jimmy Smith's shop in King Street around the early 1900's. Written on the back of this photo is " GEO Keith Photographer, Stanley Perthshire". Roy recently came across the following enquiry. "Does anyone have the words for John Allan's shop?" The enquirer used to hear a version recited in rural Perthshire in the early 1950's when a common saying was "It's like John Allan's shop - meaning like Aladdin's cave". There is a short piece in "My Village" by R Menzies Fergusson (1893) in which the author refers to a song called John A'things (Allan's) shop. The fictional village is based on Stanley and his version went like this: "John A'thing's (Allan's) was the place for gear, for everything you could mention. You could get heuks that's fit to shear and swords to gang a'fencin'. For beef, mutton, pork and fish John A'thing had in store; I never saw a shop like John's, it was groaning to the door". Roy has ordered the book so look our for more info on this soon.
Store Street postcard - no date.
This postcard was sent from Stanley to London and is postmarked 7th September 1907. There is a similar photo on page 4 of the photos page but in black and white.
This postcard is stamped 6th August 1907.
