“Ground floor:
Perfumery, stationery, and leather goods, wigs and haberdashery, kitchenware and food. Going up…

First floor:
Telephones, gents ready made suits, shirts, socks, ties, hats, underwear, and shoes. Going up…

Second floor:
Carpets, travel goods, and bedding, materials, soft furnishings, restaurant, and teas. Going down…“

Anyone from the UK who remembers 1970s TV programming will probably recognise these lyrics… the theme tune to ‘Are You Being Served?”!

I was born in 1970, so my memory of this comedy series, set in the fictitious department store ‘Grace Brothers’, is informed by my childish interpretation, but as I mentioned last week, it was another sitcom that was funny for children and adults alike – it was definitely family viewing in my experience!

Innuendo littered every programme, but most of it passed me by at that age. There was much talk of Mrs Slocombe’s pussy (and yes, she did have a cat, but her leg was constantly pulled by Mr Lucas, the ‘Jack the lad’ junior in menswear, who clearly interpreted it rather differently!). Mr Humphries was the gay archetype, who’s strapline was ‘I’m free!’ when asked if he could serve a customer – of course, there was another double entendre right there. Old Mr Grace, one of the eponymous ‘Grace Brothers’ was always surrounded by a bevy of barely-suitably-dressed young ladies… it was typical 1970s – and certainly not PC. But really, I think that it was a perfect sitcom, taking the mickey out of the British way of the time. And it was harmless, in my opinion.

What has this got to do with cash? Well, the theme tune begins with the sound of ringing cash registers, fading behind the song, the lyrics being what a lift attendant might say whilst shepherding customers between floors.

Ah, reminiscing is such fun!

I’ve included a YouTube video below, so anyone who doesn’t know of the series can get more of a feel for what I’ve been writing about – enjoy!

It’s time for Stream of Consciousness Saturday, hosted by the lovely Linda. I seem to have gone down the 1970s TV route again, inspired by this week’s prompt of ‘cash’. I really enjoyed writing and thinking about this!

Please do head on over to Linda’s place, read, enjoy and why not take part?

And… here’s the new SoCS badge – eye-catching, right?