SHOPPING C.1906.
The Borough Guide had only 5 adverts within its 36 tiny pages and that is surprising considering that it is the adverts which usually foot the expenses of publication. Consequently , to supplement these I have resorted to yet another mine of information, one which is no longer printed. What a shame!! It is of course the Whitehaven News County Annual Diary.Just look at the price of the booklet ...It speaks volumes about the times!!!
However, let's get back to the original source where pictures indicate that the main shopping street was King Street while Lowther Street was becoming a good second.
KING STREET......packed with family run businesses.
K
LOWTHER STREET...still contains some private residences.
Perhaps the Corporation set the example.
Today....despite the prolific number of
suppliers I doubt if many would agree
that "Everyone can afford it."
King Street was the main area for clothes shops and when they became soiled you simply took them then to Dyer Brown the forerunner of the Lakeland Laundry.
In the absence of H Samuel , Mr Collis would provide you with jewellery which was probably far from a certain gentleman's "tat "
On the other hand , if you were practically
minded Mr Wright was there to help out.
The "News" diary contains a nice mixture of worded and pictorial adverts .Although electricity had been available in town from the late 19th century , it was not available for cooking .Gas and coal were the main sources of power in this respect and several outlets provided cooking facilities . Whittles , for example, based in Roper Street , were very proud of their "New Cumberland " range while the Gas Company challenged this with their "Incandescent " gas cookers.
On the streets there was an abundance of family run shops to cater for every need. The competition between the many clothes outlets must have been intense . On the corner of King and Lowther Streets stood the London & Manchester Warehouse while further up King Street stood Borrowdales.
On Tangier Street ,opposite the present Gaiety, stood one of the town's many warehouses . This one belonged to Metcalfes , a wholesale grocery establishment.
Our principal shopping precinct has long been King Street and way back in 1906 it was packed with family run outlets offering every item you could have wanted. Food was on offer at grocers, butchers and wet fish outlets . Here where the Halifax stands today at number 41 Mr Dalzell offered his meat and was prepared to deliver same to your door. Next door the Maypole grocery outlet enticed shoppers with attractive window displays and a variety of items hung above the front entrance. Competition was always present and Liptons at 51 probably kept a close eye on the offers of their competitors.
Fresh fish and game could be had from the Cowman |Brothers at number 15 and in those days it was a common sight to see all manners of meat , fish, game and poultry hung outside in the open for sale. Today it might cause great concern!!!!!
Furniture was available from Mr Brown at number 44 while Mr hall would have sold you the latest in pianofortes.On the other hand if you were going on holiday, Mr Gunson would have been your choice of shop four new outfit.
How our shopping habits have changed since 1906 !!!! Sadly , the arrival of the supermarkets has brought about the gradual, but inevitable ,demise of the family run business. Only recently we saw the closure of two of the last of these on King Street when Messrs Lamb and Birkett closed their doors forever.