Well, it’s been a long job but at last it’s nearly there. Castle Street, in Douglas, is almost finished. Personally, I can’t wait.

The difference between the old and the new is amazing. The top speed of Pullyman 1 is 1mph faster on the new blocks as compared with the old. And believe me, when you are talking about 7mph and 8mph, it means a lot.

Castle Street has waited a long time for this work to come to an end, and speaking as a one time shopkeeper, albeit a long time ago, I can only feel sympathy for the long suffering Castle Street businesses.

I’ve written many a word in this column about how, over the years, things have changed in retailing.

The supermarket invasion, and the big names from across the Irish Sea that have come over and gone back. The specialist shops where you could find whatever you wanted, all lost and gone. And in latter years the two pronged invasion of catalogue shops and internet shopping.

What we once knew as ’The Street’ has seen many changes. The Street was actually just Strand Street, but I think most folk would include everything from Lord Street to Church Road as a single entity. Or should I have said between the Co-Op and Greensill’s Corner? I’m off again with the ’I remember the days’ hat on.

The Douglas shopping centre was actually three streets. Duke Street, Strand Street and Castle Street. They were all part of the same but also had their own identity. So this week, to celebrate the make over and the smart new look, we shall share some memories of Castle Street.

At the far end of Castle Street on the sea side corner, there was a large white shop called Greensill’s chemist.

To the best of my memory it was finished in a white glazed brick, and I think that it was a summer-only business. I remember that it sold a range of perfumes and the like called Mona Bouquet, but Greensill’s was probably better known as being next door to the famous Rendezvous Cafe, the place to be seen. You may remember the two guardians of the door Freddy Bell and Billy Collister.

On the land side of the top end of the Street was a large fancy goods and gift shop called Webbs, and in its current role as a pub it is still known as ’Sam Webbs’. Back on the sea side in no particular order or time scale, I can well remember the back door of Reece’s billiard saloon where we spent many an hour on the billiards or table tennis tables Max Glanz’s watch and gift shop. There was the ’Old Curiosity Shop’ pub, the Singer sewing machine shop, Percy Dawson’s children’s clothes, Nods for rods fishing tackle, and Felices coffee shop and ice cream parlour.

The final business on that side is Mrs Gould’s Jewellers. This shop is alive and well and has been for many a year, but its next door neighbour, also a Jewellers, G.H. Corlett was established in 1835. This family business is not only the oldest and most continuous in Castle Street, but probably in the whole of the island. The current guardians of this unique business are Gary and Pauline Corlett and long may they continue.

Back to the other side of the Street and I can recall some blasts from the past that include Redpath’s shoe repairers, Brew’s butchers , Sam Copeland’s Manx Rock shop, George Corlett, jeweller and Kermode and Bignall, shoes.

And last but not least, Andrew Scarff who specialised in what was known as ladies foundation garments, a grocer, (Pegrams), a chemist (Purcells), and the Irish Linen Shop.

I’m sure there are others that have slipped my mind, and some that I may have got wrong. Old memories are contagious. Have you ever found a layer of old newspapers under the carpet that you are replacing? Work stops immediately and the old papers are read from cover to cover.

You never know, one day in the future someone may discover an ancient copy of the Manx Independent and ask the question. ’I wonder who this Pullyman was?’