Chance to step back into the shops of yesteryear ... ; EXHIBITION: 'Those Were The Shops' launches new season at The Old Rectory Museum

HAVE you ever wondered what Loughborough's old shops looked like?Well a new exhibition will give visitors a glimpse at the past.

The Old Rectory Museum, in Rectory Place, which is run by theLoughborough Archaeological and Historical Society is open to thepublic each Saturday till October, from 11am to 3pm.

The exhibition called 'Those Were the Shops' kickstarts thesummer season.

Set out to represent shopping in the town's Market Place andsurrounding streets, the exhibition is a mixture of artefacts andold photographs of stores which have become part of Loughboroughfolklore, including Simpkin and James, Clemersons and Zenobia.

Harking back to an era before home delivery meant Internetshopping with one of the supermarket giants, the display onCockerill's Family Grocers boasts a number of copies of the book,small printed notebooks used to record orders for each household,along with a tally of their bill.

Loaned to the museum by a local resident, visitors can view thebooks and compare grocery prices between past times and the presentday. The display on Marshall Greens Men's Outfitters of Baxter Gatecontain items generously loaned to the Museum by Mr Grewcock.

Also on display in the museum is a new tapestry depicting thetown, produced by members of the Creative Sewing Group of the U3A(University of the Third Age).