Going shopping in the 1950s
by Sylvia Webborn
We explore the shops from Southend, along The Dunns to Newton Road and up to Chapel Street.
If you lived in Southend, many people found that they had no need to go as far as the village as everything they needed could be obtained nearby.
Starting from The George Public House:
The Post Office, Gladstone café, Hazel Hole (chicken on spits) Pelosi’s café, can you remember the next shop?, Hall’s vegetable shop, Owen’s milk, Smale’s veg, Eastman’s the Butcher, Chrissie Skinner, Grocery; Rees the bakers; Home Way Café; Dick Barton’s fish and chips; Owen the fishmonger; Scott ice cream/café /Alf’s café / later the Bees’ Knees Restaurant;
Ceaton’s newsagent; Macnamara Grocery. There was also a taxi office, Bookies and shoe repair shops, although later the premises were taken over by Macnamara when they extended their shop; Mary’s café / sweet shop.
G. & C. Pelosi Southend Café
Still outside the main shopping area, in Cornwall Place were Fulford’s grocery; Sometimes however, you wanted to venture further.
Tivoli Fruit Shop
Tivoli Confectioners and Tobaconist, owned by Peter and Edwina
Walking towards the centre, past the bowling green you came to Meesen Sweets; Tivoli Garage; Lewis sweets; Batcup veg and grocery; Kemps (later Somerfield’s supermarket / Kwick Save / Co-op then Mountain Warehouse ); Post Office; Unitage Grocery; K’s Café; Jack Jones Baker/ Strawford’s Baker; Boots the chemist.
Across the Square into the seaward side of The Dunns:
Forte’s ice cream parlour; Matthews’ jeweller; Art and Craft; Harry Libby travel Agent / Carpet Shop; Oddfellows hall; Miss Killa’s shoe shop; Johnsons the Cleaner; Hugh Henderson, the Photographer; Tucker, the Newsagent; Lloyd’s Bank; SOS shoe Repairs; Café / Harry Libby
Back along the landward side of The Dunns:
Sanders, Greengrocery; Collier’s Café; Donald Bryan, Photographer; Eric Owen, Garage; Peachey’s, grocery; Nag’s head Public House; Costa / later Dark Horse Public House, Co-op, Furniture and Clothes; Ace the Butcher, later Woodley’s; Davies the Cobbler, Whitford, shoes and handbags; later Joshua's Barbers, with Taylors, the Grocer on the corner.
Boots and Fortes both stand at oppisite sides of the entrance to Oystermouth Square
The Snack Shack had replaced Sanders on the corner of The Dunns and Newton Road.
Then starting at Sander’s Corner and into Newton Road:
Sanders became Jack Jones, Cake Shop / Shack Café / Alamo, the Leather shop and then a Computer shop
White Rose Public House
Bert Hughes, Jeweller / Britton, Jeweller
These premises have now all been amalgamated into the White Rose
Mumby James, fishmonger / Garner’s fishmonger
John Rosser, greengrocery / Peter Hall, green grocery
Cowley’s newsagent / Firth’s newsagent / Lewis News
Firth the newsagent at number 9, was owned by Tim and Sherry Firth, with shop assistants Mousie and Jean.
Charles Griffin, Grocery / Bryn Lewis, Clothes
Bowen, Grocery / Hughes Grocery / Jennifer Burt, Hairdresser / Vogue hairdresser
Cash Hardware
Dolly Smale, sweets / Off Licence
Tucher’s music / Tom Macnamara / Mumbles Electrics
Mrs Hayes, Wool Shop (assistant Mrs. Cummings) / Holt’s sweets / Travel Agent
Wallace Shoe Shop / Killa Shoe Shop / Whitford’s shoe shop
Rosser’s Butchers / Johnson’s Dry Cleaners
Miss Davies, Swansea Bakers / Strawbridge Baker / Sweetman’s Baker
Maypole Grocer / Baker’s vegetable shop / treasure
Beynon’s Plumbers / Treasure
Beynon Toy Shop / Betty Sanders greengrocery / treasure
Across Walters’ crescent:
Varley the Chemist / Newbury, the Chemist
Castleton:
Harry Baker / Reed roast chicken / Indian??/ Covelli's fish and chips/Francescos Fish & Chips
Across Chapel Street:
Chanter’s Hardware
Daniel’s the grocer
Brocks sweet shop
Miss Nora’s Clothes
Moriarty’s Clothes
China Shop
Clothes Shop
Eynon’s Bakery
Irene Sheldon, Hairdresser
Reed veg
organ shop
Across Stanley Street:
Star Supply
Across the road and down the hill again:
George’s Sweets / Selwyn Shute ( school ‘tuck’ shop)
Hairdresser
Daniel, Dentist
Gift Shop
Book Shop
Newsagent and Silas Macey, Barber / Castle news
Castleton Walk Arcade pictured in 2012, The building was opened in July 1927 as the Regent Cinema and later it was a nightclub, known as The Casino / Showboat / Tiffany’s / Knuts / Studs / Howard’s / and Bentley’s.
Across Castle Avenue:
Harry Davies veg / Turgoose Grocer
Regent Cinema / Casino / Showboat / Tiffany’s / Knuts / Studs / Howard’s / Bentley’s
Strawbridge, bakery
Dress Shop/ China Shop / Bookies/ Miss Nora’s
Hodge’s Mensware
Rees, the Butcher / Clem Thomas, Butcher
O’ Neil’s Electric / Tom Macmamara TV / Welsh Craft shop / Partizan
Chamber’s the Fishmonger / Barclay’s bank
Dewhurst the Butcher / Gregg’s bakery
Bryn Lewis Clothes / Gregg’s bakery
Stratford’s Chemist / Wendal Nicholas / Murphy’s Chemist
Withey’s veg / Lloyds
Miss Morris Grocery / TSB / Opticians
Moss the Chemist / Chanter’s painting and decorating / Victoria Wine
Midland Bank / HSBC Bank / later Greggs Baker.
The Regent Cinema opened, July 1927
Moss The Chemist
Midland Bank