Union Street

I wonder what the two old men who are pictured in this photo were talking about? The picture was taken in Union Street in the early 1900s and the old railway arch can be seen in the background. The shop on the left is the 'New Penny Bazaar' and the sign on their window reads, ' Look around and see the goods - you will not be pressed to buy!'. Two ladies, one holding a small child, are looking in the window. It would be lovely to be able to see what all the items for sale were. Cheaper than today's 'pound shop', everything appears to cost just 1d. I suppose a penny went a lot further in those days! Marks and Spencers started up their 'Penny Bazaar' over 125 years ago and to celebrate this, offered many items for sale last year at just 1p. The older shops used to keep everything behind the counter and once a customer had asked to look at an item, they then felt obliged to buy it. The Penny Bazaar's sign tried to make people feel more comfortable about just browsing. The shop beside the bazaar advertises, 'Cricket, Football and Tennis Wear'. At one time, there were shops like these up and down Union Street. The tramway would have ran along the road to the right of the photo together with horses and carts, hand carts and bicycles. Much has changed over the years and a lot of the quaint, interesting shops have now disappeared either due to bombing in the Second World War or modernisation in the years after. Even in the 1970s, I remember many second hand shops along Union Street but these have been cleared away to leave wide open spaces or newer run-of-the mill buildings with little or no character. It's certainly changed a great deal even in my lifetime and, to me, seems to have lost a lot of the charm that it once had.

Spooners

Many people will remember the Spooners store on Royal Parade. The older photo shows Spooners as it was before it was totally destroyed by enemy bombing in 1941. Spooners was established in 1857. Spooners was founded by Joseph James Spooner and their original ornate building stretched from Bedford Street around the corner to Old Town Street. Spooners advertised themselves as house furnishers, drapers, milliners and cabinet makers. Before the war, Spooner's Corner, as it was known then, was a very popular meeting place. Like many other shops in the town, they had their own orchestra playing in their restaurant. The shop featured its own fashion department taking up a whole floor and it even had its own theatre to perform fashion parades. In 1902, Spooners was nearly totally destroyed by a fire when a shop assistant accidently set fire to a display commemorating the coronation of King Edward VII.

  

After the war, both Spooner's and Yeo's moved to adjacent buildings on Royal Parade. The new store was officially opened by Lady Astor on the 10th May, 1956 although it had been trading since October 1954. Both Yeo's and Spooner's were later taken over by Debenham's and the buildings still look much the same today as they did over 50 years ago.

The Pier at Plymouth Hoe

Here's a lovely photo of the old pier at Plymouth Hoe. Waiting in front of the entrance is a horse-drawn tram with adverts on the side for Spooner and Co. A man wearing a boater sits on the top deck and appears to be holding a long whip. Two other people also sit nearby including a woman completely dressed in black. The clock shows the time as 12.30pm and a sign just under the clock says, 'Concerts every afternoon and evening'. There are some interesting adverts on the pier itself including ones for 'Pickford and Co' and another for 'Giant Remedy Box's Pills'. Another sign is for 'Sunlight Soap' and there are many tin signs which, unfortunately, I'm unable to read. Above the main entrance are the names, 'Ferrari and Pizzotti'. The duo opened the Grand Swiss Cafe and Restaurant at 167 Union Street in 1884.

Apart from a few pedestrians, there seems little activity in the photo and all of West Hoe looks deserted.

It's hard to imagine today that this wonderful grand pier once stood where it did. It would be lovely if it was still there today.