My yearly pilgrimage a 50 mile round trip to the Edgebaston club shop as no one else close to Stourbridge sold cricket kit back then they were also the only ones to stock the England kit also most of the stuff in there was top end with top end prices. I brought the GN test opener pads from there when they first came out I remember they cost me £85.00.Also spotted one of the first GN pro performance bat s in there when I tested the ping in the shop it was so good i cancelled my pre season handmade new bat order from Robertsbridge
Boundary Sports on Pershore Rd (I think) in Birmingham I still have a pair of white shell suit batting bottoms that were once all the rage!!!The place was an Aladins Cave of all things cricket
Used to go and see Bernie Facer in his shed in Buckden, the club always had Baronets as club bats as he pressed them so hard they never ever broke.
Your right about Bernies bats never breaking he was also the guy behind the early Hawk bats.
I used to get the bus into Gillingham from Strood, and visit 'Hubble & Ames' (Jack Hubble & Les Ames - both ex-Kent keepers); bought my DF GT 1000 and later a DF Magnum from there. I small shop I seem to remember with tons of bats along the wall and at eye level with an upstairs that sold hockey gear if I remember (although it was many many years ago!).Carefree days; jumpers for goalposts, chalk stumps on the wall etc. etc.......