HECS on this building stands for Hyde Equitable Co-operative Society.
The co-operative movement started in nearby Rochdale and spread rapidly especially across the North of England. Each town had their own society and their retail might was as strong as that of the major supermarkets today.
This building stands on Market Street opposite the start of Dowson Road. The upper floor houses the offices of a Chartered Accountant whilst the bottom is a carpet saleroom.
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This photo brings back memories.
When you went to a Co-op shop you gave your co-op membership number to the person on the till and they recorded the amount of your purchase and gave you a ticket or entered it in a book. Every year you got a dividend, known as 'the divi'. Another benefit was that they delivered your groceries free of charge. You left a weekly list of your requirements with the shopkeeper and they'd be delivered to your doorstep in a cardboard box at the same time every week. You could also buy milk-tokens, small plastic discs, which you could leave on the doorstep with your 'empties' - your returnable milk bottles. Our family found that the Co-op was a very civilized way of shopping. I can still remember my mum's old Co-op number. It was 32684.
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