IN the fifties tartan shopping bags were almost compulsory as this shopper is demonstrating. At her feet is a wee dug which shows that folk had a more relaxed view then on shop hygiene. The reason a photographer was there is that the St George's Co-operative Society had just installed this refrigeration unit in a Glasgow shop in January, 1959, and it was regarded as a bit of a technological breakthrough. The company announced they were going to put refrigeration units in all their shops over the next four years at a cost of £50,000. Not sure what the packets of Copex are however as this is a brand which does not appear to have lasted. Nor did the St George's Co-op which would have amalgamated with all the other small societies.

If you are ever chatting to a pensioners and the conversation has dried up, ask them what their Co-op number was - they never forget.