WELCOME to the bright new world of local shopping, as seen in late October of 1958.

The shopping centre at the heart of Walcot had not long been completed, and the Adver ran a feature to let people know what was available in and around Sussex Square.

We said: “For thousands of housewives who went to live at Walcot there were, at first, many problems.

“Not the least of them was the long trek to the shops.

“Gradually, deliveries and mobile shops helped to ease the situation and then a few shops were opened.

“Now the real thing – shopping centres – are making their appearance. The latest is Sussex Square and caters for a wide variety of needs.

“The food shops comprise two butchers, two grocers, a baker’s, fishmonger’s and greengrocer’s. Others include a draper’s, ironmonger’s, post office and a dry cleaner’s.”

At Walcot Hardware, customers were invited to “walk around in comfort” and choose from items including bowls at 2s11d (about 15p) and floor polish at 10d (about 5p) a tin.

Re-New Cleaners ran a special offer for coat cleaning at 4s 11d, or about 24p in decimal currency.

Walcot Drapery and Babylinen offered brands including Land O’ Nod, Cherub, Bairnswear, Banner and Tick O’ Tee.

Our photos of the square showed a bright and airy open space, and we also included an image of St Andrew’s Church, whose clean and rather austere lines were tempered by the welcoming windows dominating its frontage.

Sadly the building was found some years later to be unsound, and had to be demolished. The current church is the former church hall.

With traditional gender roles very much the norm, there was no suggestion in our article of men taking on family shopping duties.

We added: “The completed centre now forms the hub of an estate where 7,000 residents can have their day-to-day shopping needs met. Because of the way the centre has been planned, a housewife can, in one journey, take her children to school, do her shopping and change her library books.

“And while she is shopping she does not have to worry about traffic. It is all excluded from the square.”