Where Bradfordians worked, played and shopped 80 years ago
Roger Jones takes a look at the West Wilts Directory of 1940.
A copy of this 342-page book recently came my way. It was printed and published by B Lansdown and Sons at the Wiltshire Times office in Trowbridge and sold for sixpence (21/p).
The Directory provides a description of the towns and villages of West Wiltshire 80 years ago. I arrived in Bradford in 1980, 40 years ago and the half-way point between 1940 and 2020. The town has changed somewhat in the 40 years since 1980 -but had clearly done so too in the previous four decades.
Bradford on Avon's population then stood at 4,735 although that was the figure given in the 1931 census, the latest available so around half of today's population. The male/female breakdown reveals that there were some 15% more females. Was the reason that so many men had been lost in the Great War?
A few lines from the description of Bradford are as follows:
"Bradford on Avon is considered to be a very pleasing, exceedingly picturesque, and very healthy town, and is well defended from the north and east winds.... Bradford was at one time the central town in the West of England for the manufacture of superfine broadcloths. The cloth industry has died out, and the manufacture of indiarubber tyres and other rubber goods is now the staple of the town."
Places of Worship
A list of Places of Worship is prefaced by this note: "In the present state of emergency [i.e. War], most of the Places of Worship are holding services in the afternoon. Should this emergency continue, it is likely that the Churches will revert to their normal times, in any case, during the summer months."
The Saxon Church was "open to the inspection of visitors on payment of a fee of 3d each. Free on Sundays, 2 to 6 pm." Services were held every Sunday at St Mary's Church, Tory. The Roman Catholic church of St Thomas More was preceded at this time by the Oratory of St Thomas More at Druce's Hill House. The Methodist Chapel on Coppice Hill still functioned and had yet to amalgamate with the then Congregational Church in St Margaret's Street to become the United Church we know today. The other non-conformist places of worship were as they are now, apart from the Providence Baptist Chapel in Bearfield which is no longer; nor was there a Quaker Meeting.
Banks, police and local government
Banks included Lloyds and Midland (later HSBC) in Church Street, both of which have abandoned the town in recent years. The Penny Bank run by the Co-operative Society is also listed.
The police presence specifies an inspector and three constables. Special and Petty Sessions were held at the Town Hall (the grand building on the corner of Church and Market Streets) and the Urban District Council met monthly in the Council Chamber in Westbury House. Bradford branch library, with the very restricted opening hours of 7–8 pm on Tuesdays and Fridays, was found at Church Army House in Church Street.
The Co-op was a major presence in Bradford on Avon, with numerous departments housed in separate premises throughout the town
Nichols & Bushell describing its wares as ‘High Class’ is perhaps an attempt to distance itself from the Co-op
A useful emporium in uphill Market Street, where Oak Hair is now located, more recently remembered as Stan Green’s cycle and toy shop. How many of those British makes of cycles and radios do you recall?
A timetable for access to the public baths (where the library is today) was available on payment of a fee to
the superintendent. Regarding the UDC Fire Brigade it is noted that, ‘On the outbreak of fire a maroon is
fired from the rear of Westbury House, on notice being given to the Police. The fire Engines and appliances are housed at the rear of Westbury House; the keys are kept at the residence of the Captain and at the Police Station.’ Spencer-Moulton and Co’s rubber works maintained its own Fire Brigade consisting of workmen from the firm.
There were Conservative and Liberal Clubs and a Workers’ Union. The local parliamentary constituency, Westbury, was represented by a Conservative MP, as were the neighbouring constituencies of Chippenham and Devizes. Labour trailed in third place after the Liberal candidate in Chippenham and Westbury but there was no such candidate in Devizes. Perhaps this contrast points to the fact that there was a significant cohort of industrial workers in Westbury and Chippenham.
Local surnames
Glancing through the Bradford General Directory, street by street, reveals a number of local surnames which make a frequent appearance, such as Bainton (and Dainton), Banks, Bigwood, Bryant, Burbage, Dagger, Gerrish, Greenland, Hillier, Hulbert, Kettlety, Maundrell, Mizen, Niblett, Powney, Raisey, Scrine, Timbrell, Uncles, Vincent and Wicheard (also spelt Witcheard).
Employment
The greatest change in Bradford’s townscape today is the departure of the rubber manufactories which employed such a large proportion of the town’s workforce. And it’s no surprise that many businesses – shops, pubs, eating places – have come and gone. One which has made a recent return is the Co-op with its supermarket in the Lamb Building and the nearby Co-op Funeralcare.
When I came to live in Bradford there was a small Co-op mini market which occupied the shops which are now Christine’s and Cloud and Cove. Indeed, the mosaic floor panel at the entrance is evidence of this. Formerly the Co-op had a much greater presence: Ex Libris Bookshop at No 1 The Shambles was the Co-op butcher – the attractive green tiles within are a survival.
No 32 Silver Street housed the Co-op Central Grocery Department and No 12 St Margaret’s Street the Co- operative Boots and Outfitting Department.
Next door, at No 2 (now Dorothy House) was situated the Co-op Society Drapery Department. There was even an out of town Co-op at the corner of Bath and Winsley Roads.
At No 3 The Shambles (now Gilou’s) was Davis fishmongers, whose fading sign can still be seen above the shop front. No 5 (now Strawberry Blue) housed ‘Electric Light Showrooms’. In the days before privatisation I recall it was occupied by Southern Electricity, where I paid my electricity bills.
One significant loss after 1940 was Knee’s store (Ironmongers and Furnishers), found in a building beside Cobb Farr estate agents which was demolished in an attempt to ease congestion at this pinch-point. Knee’s was an offshoot of the much lamented Knee’s store in the centre of Trowbridge. At least the name lives on: this location is still known as Knee’s Corner.
Nearby, at 1 and 2 Silver Street (now Bread and Butter and the Barber shop) was Ward’s bookseller and newsagent. I can just recall this business which had branches in Trowbridge and even one in Bristol. One treasured survivor from 1940, then 1980 and now 2020, is J Alex Brown, then described as ‘Ironmonger and House Furnisher’. It’s still an ironmonger – and much else besides.
The Midland Railway goods depot, public weighbridge and the coal merchant were found at the station. All these are no longer, and neither are the many rail sidings which are now asphalted over to provide car parking. The station itself is surely as busy as at any time in its 160-plus years history. What will Bradford look like in another 40 years, in 2060?
