THESE fantastic old photos give us a glimpse into what people in Greenbank were doing to celebrate the king’s coronation.

They were found by resident Marcia Hornby who came across them while cleaning her home during lockdown.

She is not sure exactly when they are taken, but they are believed to date back to the coronation of King George VI in 1937 at the latest.

Gerrard’s Stores, which was located on Chester Road, was owned by her grandad Alec Gerrard, and Marcia says she has very fond memories of working there as a child.

Northwich Guardian:

Sydney Street

“I worked in the shop a long time ago around the age of 16 or 17,” she said.

“It was a very popular greengrocers in its day and my grandad used to travel to Manchester markets to buy fresh produce.

“The stores also used to sell hares and pheasants which could be seen hanging outside, and my grandad used to enter Hartford Horticultural Show with his huge selection of fresh vegetables.

“I remember there being a huge till similar to the one from Open All Hours and a lovely red tilled floor which we used to sweep every day.”

Northwich Guardian:

Harry's store in Davenham

Alec’s original shop was located on Sydney Street, and this street is also pictured decked in Union Flags to celebrate the king’s coronation.

Being a shopkeeper was a profession which ran in the family, with Alec’s brother Harry owning a store on Church Street in Davenham and sister Alice running a shop on London Road.

He had two other brothers - John, who owned a farm in Gorstage, and Horace, who moved to London and became a famous artist and sculptor.

Examples of Horace’s work can be viewed in the Tate Britain gallery.