Author Archives: buildingourpast

Kays Modern Food Stores

Posted on April 20, 2022 by buildingourpast

Kays’ shop at 3 High Street, Ely, is a surviving remnant of a grocery chain that had over 100 small branches throughout much of South-East England and the Midlands in the middle of the 20th century, before the age of … Continue reading →

Posted in Grocers, Provision Dealers and Dairies, Shop Stories | 3 Comments

The Fifty Shilling Tailors and John Collier

Posted on April 12, 2022 by buildingourpast

The Fifty Shilling Tailors was one of the most successful ‘wholesale bespoke tailors’ on the British high street through the 1920s, 30s and 40s. In later years, when it became impossible to sell a made-to-measure suit of clothes for a … Continue reading →

Posted in Fashion and Clothing, Spotter's Guides | 7 Comments

Queens and GEM: Building Asda, 1965-1970

Posted on March 30, 2022 by buildingourpast

When Asda (capitalised as ASDA from 1985) came into being in 1965 the grocery and provisions trade was undergoing a radical transformation throughout the British Isles. Small counter-service shops were gradually being superseded by self-service ‘supermarkets’, defined as having a … Continue reading →

Posted in ASDA, Grocers, Provision Dealers and Dairies | 6 Comments

Grouts of Palmers Green

Posted on August 18, 2021 by buildingourpast

Grouts, one of the last old-fashioned drapery shops in England, shut its doors for the last time on 20 April 2002. The photographs published here were snapped on the previous day, Friday 19 April 2002. Little stock remained but customers … Continue reading →

Posted in Shop Stories | Leave a comment

Foster Brothers

Posted on July 20, 2021 by buildingourpast

Circumstances surrounding the founding and naming of Foster Brothers, the men’s clothing retailer, are rather mysterious. When the founder, William Foster (1852-1914) died, his obituaries noted that he had opened his first shop with his brother in Pontefract in 1876. … Continue reading →

Posted in Fashion and Clothing | 14 Comments

The Coliseum in Stockton-on-Tees: Unpicking W. Basil Scott’s ‘First English Steel-Framed Building’

Posted on May 23, 2021 by buildingourpast

Today it is generally accepted that James Frank Doyle’s Royal Insurance Building in Liverpool was the first significant steel-framed building to be erected in the UK. Although it was designed around 1895-96, it was not erected until 1900-03. The Scottish … Continue reading →

Posted in Department Stores, Shop Stories | 2 Comments

Buttercup Dairy Company

Posted on May 19, 2021 by buildingourpast

A Potted History of the Buttercup Dairy Co. Ltd. The Buttercup Dairy Co. devised one of the most artistic and coherent retail house styles to be found on Scottish high streets in the 20th century. The shops of few other … Continue reading →

Posted in Buttercup Dairy Co, Grocers, Provision Dealers and Dairies, Self-Service Shopping | 2 Comments

A Brief History of Wallis

Posted on February 11, 2021 by buildingourpast

The Wallis chain of women’s fashion shops was a familiar presence on British high streets for 97 years. It started out as a standard ‘costumier’, selling dresses and coats – called ‘mantles’ in the trade – including furs. The first … Continue reading →

Posted in Fashion and Clothing | 23 Comments

Multiple Multiples: Disentangling the Story of Millets

Posted on December 16, 2020 by buildingourpast

Millets, the outdoor retail specialist, has maintained a strong presence on the British High Street for over 100 years. Recently I began to dig into Millets’ company history for my forthcoming book on chain stores. Before long I had stumbled … Continue reading →

Posted in Fashion and Clothing | 35 Comments

The Story of Dorothy Perkins

Posted on November 28, 2020 by buildingourpast

Dorothy Perkins, like Etam, started out as a specialist in ladies’ underwear and lingerie. As with Burton, Dorothy Perkins’ stablemate in the Arcadia retail group, the commonly related history of the company doesn’t always fit the evidence. The usual version … Continue reading →

Posted in Fashion and Clothing | 1 Comment