The mention of Hubbard and Martin's on another thread leads me to ask if anyone can remember the names of the shops on Grange Rd. on the right, between Charing Cross and Vincent St.
The ones I remember were Hubbard and Martin's, bakers, Bibby and Perkins, gents' outfitters and school uniforms with a barbers in the basement. Rushworth and Dreaper's, records and musical instruments, and, on the corner of Vincent St., Boots chemists.
There must have been others: anyone fill in the gaps?
The numbers were, 239-257
239/241 Boots
243/247 Bibby & Perkins
249, Maison Dore, later, Hyman Jacobs
251, Jones Ryalls, TV & Radio, Rushworths & Dreaper
253, Hubbard & Martin
257, Midland Bank, George Sturla, Draper.1973
Boots later became Famous Army Stores
Sturla's also had two quite large shops on the Haymarket in Birkenhead, one next to the Wellington pub and the other just across the road next to the Chester Arms pub. They sold clothing and shoes and other stuff such as curtains, bedding, etc
I remember that every August, school clothes would appear in the window for their 'Back to School Event' - a chilling reminder to kids that the six-week holidays wouldn't last for ever!
George Sturla, died 1931,
Probate, £163384 0s 11d
Who remembers Sturla's cheques?
Yes I remember Sturlas chequers Spellbinder, that's how our school uniforms were bought. Most people used them when I was young.
Remember Mrs Reader (Reeder?) who used to call round every Saturday morning for the weekly payment for the cheques?
on the corner of that block as you reached Vincent Street was a church with about 6 to 10 feet of ground at the front with a few grave stones on it.
Ooops Sorry chaps, the church was on the end of the next block down. corner of Horatio Street and Grange Road.
Yes, Jim, corner of Horatio St. It was a primitive Methodist church.
Didn't Sturla do well? that was a huge sum of money he left. It was just a few years before my parents bought our house in Ben Nevis Rd. for £750.
I'm curious as to why the Midland Bank and Sturla's share the same address. The bank was obviously at ground level; was Sturla's on an upper floor?
Midland Bank closed, not sure when, Sturla's moved in and were there in 1973 (Phone Book)
Midland Bank at the top of Grange Road at Charing Cross closed in early 1990's.
Can't give an explanation, the Midland Bank and George Sturla shared the same address in 1973(Phone Book)
The Midland Bank was still there in 1982 (Phone Book)
If Plantpot remembers it shutting early 90s,
Did Sturla's occupy office space or shop space?
Description: 1973
Description: 1973
Description: 1982
Even the 90's seems early for a major bank to close a branch in a prime position. Or maybe I'm out of touch; had the decline of the area happened by then? It's still puzzling to have the bank and Sturla's with the same address: looking at the phone book, the assumption is that it was a shop, since offices at Kirkby and St.Helen's are shown as such.
HSBC took over Midland Bank in 1992, prior to that Midland had been concentrating on their telephone banking service First Direct. Midland were only just recovering from their flawed incursion into American Banking.
I asked 2 mature neighbours, both have no recollection of Sturla's operating as a store from the bank premises, they would know, expert shoppers and brought up in the Grange Rd area. One reckons George Sturla did open a shop on a corner opposite Woolworths, it was only open a short while.
Sturla must have had office space at the Bank building, the 1964 phone book may prove office space was available.
Description: 1964
Yes, office seems likely.
A picture says a thousand words, or so they say.
Here is one from the 70's by the looks of things. It's been on WiKi before, because that's where I got it from.
As well as Derwent, wasn't there a DER TV shop nearby? I remember when colour TV came out, both shops had colour TV's on display. Subdued lighting was recommended, and the shop fronts around there rarely saw any sunlight during the day, which probably accounts for the lack of photographs, and so was ideal for showing the trade test transmissions on BBC2 during the day.
Anybody remember the likes of 'Crown of Glass' and 'Plastics'?
I was going to create a thread about this anyway, but this seems an apt forum.
My Great Great Great Grandfather owned a photography shop on 119 grange lane.
Not sure when it closed or whether the building is still there. It makes it difficult as its now called something else (the road) and I think the address numbers are different?