Friday 9 May 2014

Felling High Street


Isn't this a magnificent picture? I am estimating it to be the mid 1930's because I've been through a Trade Directory dated 1934 and E Shephard, Costelloes, Maypole Tea Co were there then and they are visible on this picture

Felling High Street

All pictures can be enlarged by clicking on them

Once a thriving shopping area Felling High Street has now had its day. It was active as, predominantly, a shopping street, from say 1880 to 1980.
See here, for prior to that time
But let's look at it in its heyday in the mid 1930's
Move down the left hand side (the even numbers) the top shop on the top photo is No 68 occupied by E. Shephard, a branch of the major department store in Gateshead
(In 1920 Liddle, Confectioner)
Next down is 66 occupied by Hudson and Moon selling wallpaper
(Carruther's Hardware 1920)
62 with the single dormer window is Amos Almond, Printer (down the alley)
64 is shown as Harrison, beer retailers (The Greyhound pub, which later had an additional storey added, was certainly No 62)
no 60
No 60 has Farmers and Cleveland Dairies( there from at least 1920)
No 58 is occupied by Mr Green, watchmaker (In 1897 Wm. Aitken, newsagent)
No 56 is Costelloes, the Pawnbrokers...see the three golden balls(1897 in previous building Cash Clothing Co)
No 54 has Scott the fishmonger (1920 it was Major & Hurst wet fish and in 1897 Cash Boot Co)
Who is in 52? Back in 1920 it was Lloyds Bank
Maypole Dairy is in No 50..see their name on the awning..been there since at least 1920
No 48 is James Wilson Ramsay Jeweller, Watchmaker. Later, he was at No 15 ..see below




No 46 has two entries in the Trade Directory...Hepple Hardware and A. E. Jones, boot repairer
No 44 has John Crosby, Baker and then Lipton Ltd..famous...
...as is the occupant of No 42, Montague Burton the tailoring chain


No 40 has CharleyYoung, the butcher. In 1913 it was J A Thompson, Draper
No 38 is Greenlees, a Scottish Co. selling their Easifit boots/shoes (Lipton was there in 1920)
The next block comprising Nos 36 thro 24 is the department store of James McGuinness*

The End of an Era
Closing Down Sale September 1939

No 22 has the Danish Butter Co. In 1949 it was the Cosy Cafe, per an advert in Felling News
No 20 is Luke the Florist and, at another time, R. Smith & Co, newsagent
No 18 has the famous ice cream makers Dragone and at another time, Lloyds selling household goods


No 16, and later No 18 as well M. Bell, Coats, Dresses & Millinery.

 Later still, 16 was occupied by Northern Radio Products


The occupants of 14 are unknown
No 12 sees Stainthorp the butcher
No 10 is unknown
No 8 is G. F. Ewbank the stationers, and at another time, William Young, Boots & Shoes
No 6 is Smiths the newsagency
No 4 Building Society Office
(
Felling and District Starr Bowkett Building Society 684th.)
and No. 2 unknown

The odd numbers side is a little more difficult to see


This pic gives a point of reference in the form of the Walter Willson shop shown here top right No. 27
Next down is  25 & 23 occupied by grocer Emerson Lowes and at another time Robson's Grocers Working Mam's Store and Hepple Hardware & Pottery
No 21 has James Duffy the greengrocer
No 19 is the butcher Ralph Wakefield..he was there from at least 1920


No 17 J.M. Milne, Boot Repairer ..only 9d for a Ladies shoe heeled
No 15  J. W. Ramsay, clock repairer
 (earlier he was at No 48)



No 13 is occupied by London and Newcastle Tea Co
No 11 Robt. Charlton, butcher in 1897 and Meadow Dairy in 1920
No 9 is Hutchinson's Wool Shop. It was Welch, confectioner in 1920
No 7 is Shield the newsagent and later S. Davidson. But it had Robt Peel, Mr Wright and way back, Samuel Barratt. 
Later it was...
...Quigley's record shop

Caxton House in Swan's Yard between the back of the Odd Numbers side of the High Street and St Patrick's Church occupied by Heslop, Printers

No 5 is T. P. Heslop the pork butcher. Prior to that it was Mrs Robinson. He purchased her business at No 5 in 1902. At another time there was A. Laidler, hardware

No 3 is the baker M. Cregg
No 1 is A & B Round, fruit and veg. and earlier Half Price Mantle Co. 
A great pic. Can anyone read the large letters across the upper floor of No 52

Isn't this another fantastic pic? It can be compared with the first picture. Use the two dormer windows next to each other as as point of reference. They are just down from Costelloe's pawnbrokers

This pic is later than the previous ones but can serve our purpose. The shop on the bottom left is what was Walter Willsons no 27

So going up on the left..the odd number side
No 29 is, 1920-1934, occupied by British and Argentine Meat Co
Nos 31 was a blouse shop and 33  unknown
No 35 is occupied by Ernest Walters, pawnbroker. The three golden balls may be seen on the right side of the first picture. Actually this pic shows the same shop, plus next door as the same Ernest Walters now running a Furniture store


Back to 1934, Nos 39 thro' 45  is the Halfway House pub
47 is Christian's grocery store, earlier it was Reynolds grocery
49 is Nichol
51 Robt Nicholson, Fruiterer/Confectioner
 53 unknown
55 is J. W. Robinson, butcher
57 is Coates, hardware
Nos 59 and 61 are unknown
No 63 is York fish and chips..it was once ran by Girling

Smiths Greengrocers No 65
No 65 is Smith, greengrocer
No 67 is Coates, confectioner
No 69 is unknown
No 71 is Coates, draper ("Cheap John's")
No 73 is Ledune, hosiery and glovers..later E. Chisholm


No 75 is Smith, fishmonger

No 77 unknown
No 79 is Grahams, grocer. In 1889 no 79 was home to the Felling Gazette..tho it was discontinued per this notice



Nos 81 thro 
85 is Edward Stokoe, Butcher. In 1913 it was W A Weddle & Son
87 is unknown
No 89 is Bell and Stephenson, wireless dealers
No 91 is Jenkins, confectioner
No 93 is Dodds, butcher
No 95 Halls, newsagent
No 97 is E.T. Hall, Newsagent




No 99 is Morrison, confectioner

Let's now go up the right..the even numbers starting with 70
70 & 72 are unknown
74 is the butcher shop of Eastman's Ltd
76 is Thompson's, grocers

78 is Mr James Fenwick Green's cycle shop



 Jack Green, his brother, a champion cyclist was President of Heworth Golf Club from 1938-41
Mr James Fenwick Green was Treasurer of the Golf Club & has a cup named after him. I have twice won it.
Moving on, two shops in a row owned by someone with a middle name of Fenwick..spooky, I calls it

80 is John Fenwick Simpson's chemist shop





82 is occupied by Meadow Dairy. In 1909 it was William Wilson who also had No. 84 

86 is Mary McGuinness*
88 was Dragone and/or Moores Stores
90 is Chisholm, greengrocer and/or Gallons, grocer
92 Thomas Sisterson, Chemist
94 Stuart Sisterson, Paint/Decoration
96 is also S. Sisterson ( earlier G. W. Burnett, Confectioner/Baker)

see more on Sisterson's


G.W. Burnett (see also delivery horse & cart below)
98 is John Myers, butcher
100 at one time B. Leask (later B & JW Leask), builder and funeral director
102 Robson, tobacconist, earlier Rickerby
104 Unknown
106 Wm Myers, butcher

*  I thought that James McGuinness, in addition to this emporium, 


had business interests elsewhere...here's a 1910 pic of the Belle Vue  pub in Low Fell
Click to enlarge
I was wrong. The J. McGuinness who had several pubs in the area turned out to be

John McGuinness...was is it his brother, I wonder? No, it was a pub company operating out of the Morecambe area based on this real ale snippet "Brysons have launched a new beer called John McGuinness Bitter" 

More on Felling High Street

Let's add a few more pics


The Greyhound, when Roys, House Furnishers were there. Note the building next door upwards

Here, that next door up building is gone but see next doors down

Harpers, J.N. Madden, Baker, R. A. Dodds, Meat






1989

And still shops are opening. How long will it last?

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This History of Felling Blog is a satellite of www.gateshead-history.com
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5 comments:

  1. In the 60's Dragones from Felling used to sell Ice Cream from a horse and cart.
    Has anyone pictures of this?

    ReplyDelete
  2. No but I well remember them coming around our street. When we asked our Dad for ice cream he always replied "no not buying from him he wipes his hands on the horses tail" Obviously no money to spare for ice cream then bless him.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I see you have JW Robinson Butcher as No 55 High Street. This is the fist mention of this I have seen on posts about The Felling High Street. My mother worked for Joe Robinson for many years and I remember she made up a poem:
    Now this is a pie, a very nice pie. For sixpence it goes down a treat. If you want any more just come in the door of Robinsons, 55 High Street.

    ReplyDelete
  4. My Grandparents Dick and Pat Robson had the Old Greyhound in the high street late 1940s until 1962. They then went to the Jubilee at the top. I was Born in the Jubilee in 1965.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Was there a law's store in felling

    ReplyDelete