THIS week we start a fascinating series of memories of shops in Dorchester's thriving high street.

Before the now pedestrianised South Street became the town's main shopping thoroughfare, it was High East Street and High West Street where shoppers would flock.

Dorchester historian Derek Pride has compiled a 'walk through time' detailing all the shops from years gone by in the High Street.

Mr Pride was born on May 17 1941 at Lower Bockhampton near Dorchester.

He remembers: "Our shopping trips to the market town were on Saturday mornings. My mother was a school teacher and so this was the only available time almost all shops being closed on Sundays in the 1940s and 1950s."

My mother and I would walk along the river path from Lower Bockhampton past Stinsford and over the water meadows to Grey’s Bridge, onwards past the Exhibition Hotel, the Noah’s Ark Inn and the White Hart. Our first stop was Dyer's Stores grocery and provisions store. We would be greeted by a male shop assistant; all the staff at that time seemed to be male. My mother would be asked, 'What can I get for you this week, Mrs. Pride?'

"The assistant would produce a book with carbon inserts to make copies and with regular items such as eggs, bacon, butter, cheese, etc already in print and blank lines to write in the less common items.

"The list would be completed and the prices added, my mother would pay and the order would be delivered to our home early the following week."

Our walk through time begins at the bottom of the hill, in High East Street, dropping by at number 5, where you could find Dyer's Stores. Before it was Dyer's the Kelly Directory of 1895 shows it was a grocers back then - William Bishop.

Our next stop is 6 High East Street, home to Channon and Sons motor engineers. The plate glass in the framework part of the upper storey survives today. In this photo of Channons, which was taken around 1905, you can see a very early ‘horseless carriage' displayed in the upper storey of the building

In the other Channons photo we have, you can see staff pictured during the First World War. The garage made parts for gun carriages and was one of the earliest in the area to employ women. Edward Channon is seated centre in a hat, his son Ernest is on the left and Ernest`s wife is second from left.

The garage premises had workshops and showrooms through the archway going right back to Salisbury Street. The garage closed in the late 1990s and residential accommodation was built on the workshop and yard area. On June 1, 2002 wine shop Majestic opened in the part which was the showrooms and is still there today

The last occupier was Mr Rosindell and it then became a Thai restaurant.

This shop is the subject of a well-known photograph showing bullocks being driven out of the shop back in the 1950s when animals were driven up the street to the cattle market. If anyone has a copy of it we'd love to see it!

At 12 High East Street, now home to the Balti Express Indian takeaway. In 1895 the shop was run by William Crocker and Son, Coopers. At one time, it was the Singer Sewing Machine Depot run by M. Thomas (1955).

We also have an advert for Gould's drapery at 13 and 14 High East Street, a name still familiar in South Street today. The building was previously George and William Moreton bootmakers and later H.B. Hayman, hairdressers before becoming Goulds. On April 26 1902, Goulds opened their drapery shop there. After Goulds moved, it became Stopforth Florists and is now Kitchen Style Dorchester.

*We'll be resuming our stroll of Dorchester's shopping street next week.