POWIS St, and MACBEAN St area
Approx' 1900, Edmund Carter ..drapers
These premises in Powis street were built in two stages between 1894 and 1900. Th give an idea of their position in Powis street, Number 40 is now H.Samuel jewellers
An Interesting shot showing Marks and Spencer before it was extended on both sides.. The building on the corner of Calderwood st is Ascots camera shop, which also incorporated A.J.Wings chemist.. Smarts menswear was previously a menswear shop called "Weaver to wearer" Marks and Spencer first appeared in Powis street around 1912-14. Michael Marks arrived in Britain as a young man during the early 1880s, after leaving his birthplace in Poland to escape anti-Semitic discrimination. He came to Leeds, a growing industrial town with a population of over 160,000. He was attracted by its large Jewish community and job opportunities in the thriving clothing trade. At the time Marks couldn’t speak English and had no money or particular skills, but a chance meeting led to him setting up his own business and this would become the M&S you know today. Michael Marks originally traded as a pedlar, carrying his goods around the countryside. In 1884 he took an outdoor stall in Kirkgate Market, on a 6ft x 4ft trestle table. This market only ran on Tuesdays and Saturdays, so Marks also took stalls in nearby Castleford and Wakefield, where the market days were different. In 1886 he moved to the indoor market at Kirkgate, which was open daily and offered shelter from the weather. He began hiring sales assistants to run the stalls. The girls worked long hours, but Marks did his best to improve conditions, giving them wooden platforms to stand on to keep their feet off the cold stone floor. Selling simple stock such as haberdashery and hardware goods, he adopted the slogan ‘Don’t ask the price, it’s a penny’. This fixed price system and the open display of goods was very popular. Customers liked being able to inspect the goods and knowing exactly what they would cost, with no need for haggling. By 1890 Marks was running five Penny Bazaars in Leeds, Castleford, Wakefield, Warrington and Birkenhead. Tom Spencer bought into the firm in 1894 and for £300 became a partner . In 1903 they registered the company name of Marks & Spencer Ltd with a capital of 30,000 £1 shares. The site of 55- 63 Powis street was first occupied in the 1860s, by Joseph Grisbrook & Co who were a Cabinet makers and upholstery company. A few years later the property was rebuilt and continued to trade as a Cabinet makers, now run by Samuel Barnes. The shop was let in 1890 to Herbert Bray & Co and was now a furniture shop. The upper floors were let as flats . By 1912 a Penny Bazaar was operating on the site, this was probably run by Marks & Spencer although they did not own the property till 1914. The Penny arcades were replaced in 1921-22 with a normal shop front. Around that time M & S began to rebuild and rebrand their shops as “Superstores” In 1934 they took on an architect called Robert Lutyens who was responsible the ‘Look’ of M & S that most of us are familiar with .. Rebuilding of the Woolwich store in the present format came in 1934-5. And in 1936 extensions were made around the back of the corner shop, to provide entrances in Calderwood street and Thomas street . The last piece of the store came in 1967 when they acquired the corner property which was Ascot Cameras..
You see that in this picture Burtons have moved from their premises at the north corner of Hare street . On the left side, the supermarket FJ Wallis has now been replaced by a branch of Brentford nylons. The picture can be fairly accurately dated because 1984 is the year when the roads were covered in block paving .
Summer 1961. Powis street postcard
The signs on the cinema show that "Devils Daffodil" 1961 was the current film and also playing was "Expresso Bongo" from 1959. You can also just about see a sign advertised a live appearance by Bruce Channel ( google him )
June 1909.. 18-20 Powis street .. Wallis & Sons
Wallis and sons were at this address until the property was rebuilt in 1922-23 for J.Lyons tea rooms
Upson was an upmarket bootmaker and shoe shop.. The address shown would be roughly where the east end of marks and spencer now stands.. In more modern times the Upson brand was renamed as DOLCIS shoes
If you look into the picture there is an empty plot of land where Argos and Clarkes shoes now stands, this used to be Furlongs furniture store.. Their lease ran out in 1959 and it was not renewed, as one of the conditions of renewal was that the building had to be rebuilt.. The Ogilby estate let the site in 1964 to developers, Alec Coleman group.. The site was rebuilt during 1964-65 but finding a tenant was not easy and it was not until 1969 that FJ Wallis finally opened a self service supermarket. A later tenant was Brentford Nylons before Clarkes moved in. Also look on the left side of the picture and you will see Boots the chemist, before it moved into Hare street.. Boots were in Powis street from 1910 till 1960.
Old receipt from Garretts
Approx 1890.. A J Wing Chemist
This shop was on the corner of Powis street and Calderwood street, which was then known as William street. It was closed and demolishe shortly after 1960 to make way for the expansion of Marks & Spencer
Early 1980s 103-105 Powis street
The shop to the left of picture was a mens outfitters called Male Call. From 1910 till about 1960 these two shops were a branch of Boots the Chemist
Memo on the left... Fosters on right and Safeway in the distance.. Safeway was previously Presto ..
Lots of shop names in this picture to bring back a few memories On the left... Fashionways..Salad Bowl.. Martin ford..Dunns.. Superdrug On the right ... Ravel shoes.. Smile fashion ..Granada tv rentals..Top Man...Segas.. stephens jewellers... H.Samuel
Approx late 1950s Parsons hill
Trolleybuses parked at their terminal on Parsons hill
This view shows Cuffs before the rebuild of 1939
Approx' late 1980s .. Powis street
Outside the Shakespeare pub a lorry seems to have dropped its back wheel into the pubs cellar doors. The lorry appears to be around 1974 vintage, but the street was not covered in block paving until the mid 80s
This site was rebuilt in the mid 60s.. when Furlongs closed in January 1960 ,The site laid empty for a few years first occupied by Wallis supermarket around 68 and then Brentford nylons... Now Clarkes shoes are the leaseholders.. Argos also forms part of the new building and a job centre was based in the upstairs offices. Another occupier for a few years was George Scoble bathrooms. Barnard close was previously known as Eleanor street
Pryce & Sons Printers were originally based in Woolwich new road, they took these premises around 1890.. This address is roughly where the shop 'Blue inc' currently stands
1951 Powis street Hedley Vicars
Hedley Vicars celebrates 100 in Woolwich. Next door you can just see part of the Star and Garter pub which would have made the corner of Hare st and Powis street .. both buildings were demolished a few years after this picture
Look closely and you will see that Marks and Spencer have not yet built on the corner of Calderwood street..This redevelopment occured in 1964-5 The corner shop is called Ascotts cameras, which also incorporated AJ Wings Chemist . On the left side of the street is a branch of Tesco (opened 1958 ) in the shop that was Specsavers and next door to them is the Singer sewing machine shop. Singers also sold other domestic electrical goods.. Beyond Singers is a shop called Harris .. also a sewing machine seller. The Harris shop became Mothercare at the end of 1962 , So that dates this picture between 1958-61
Number 66 Powis street was rebuilt in 1930.. .. This property was previously a small Tesco grocers in the 1960s and PeterLord in 1984.. Currently ( 2013 ) it is a branch of Specsavers.