Rolling rolling. Rolling down the river

There were three shops around my house when I was little and growing up . 

Wallies, Granny Brown , and McSweenie.

Wallies was closest - I was in most days, to collect the paper, cold meat for lunch, 2p bag of sweets.  

Granny Brown was along at the far end of the street, past the nice houses and the people in the nicest houses didn't like little scoundrels like me being around there, so I tended not to go. 

I didn't like it when I did go, it was dark, and filthy and Granny Bain  was almost as close to death as I had experienced and terrified me.  No teeth, hairy chin, twenty minutes to walk back and forward behind the counter. 

It was also the hang out of secondary school kids, who terrified me (still do) 

McSweenie - was at the bottom of the road, a long, long way away.   And I didn't go there, because I was almost at the town. 

McSweenie had things like scraps, remember the little angels, and cherubs on clouds.  LIttle Boys and Girls in Dungarees with Buckets. 

They also had Marbles. 

I loved marbles, didn't have a clue how to play, so I also lost them frequently, but boy I loved holding them and peering into them.  Looking at the glorious colours, and the air bubbles. 

I didn't always have money to spend on scraps, or marbles, or what the latest craze was at schools (Jacks), so I didn't have them all the time, or a lot of them. 

But guess what!  I'm an adult now.  And I can Buy marbles for myself, and peer at them all day long and refuse to play with anyone, and keep them for ever.