Back in the 1950s, life was simpler for consumers, especially for those living in rural Ireland.

There wasn’t much of a variety of goods or stores to choose from. When you needed something, you simply went to the local shop, paid whatever price was on the item, and took it home.

Most people only went to the shop anyway when they had to. Money was tight so consumers restricted themselves to buying the essentials.

Shopping centres were unheard of so there wasn’t much competition either, unless you travelled to the big stores in the city and that journey was often too much trouble.

Except for December 8, often referred to as farmer’s day, when country folk headed to the big smoke for what was the traditional Christmas shopping day. It’s also the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, and as Catholics were required to go to Mass that day, many treated it as a holiday and a chance to stock up on presents.

Advertising was limited in those days, so there was little temptation to spend money unnecessarily. It mainly consisted of notices in shop windows, except for the Cork Examiner whose front page was often almost entirely devoted to advertising.

In 1958, they advertised a pure mohair coat “in the newest and most attractive styles and colours” for £16-16-0 at Grants, “Cork’s Real Value Store”.

You could always have the correct time with a watch, readers were told, from G.P.Holst, Watchmaker and Jeweller, 29 Marlboro Street, Cork, “for a fine range of watches, clocks and........

© Evening Echo