Interestingly, the advert at the bottom of the 1950's directory for Huntley and Palmers, who moved to Reading sometime just after the second WW, reminded me that Mr & Mrs Palmer were the godparents of my aunt. My grandfather stayed with the Palmers just before the 1st WW for a short while, when serving in the army, then in Hertfordshire, somewhere near Ware I believe. After the war he was a carriage driver and then a London Bus driver, but also done some private chauffeuring, which included the Palmers, who befriended him. They became godparents to one of his two daughters, my aunt, the other being my mother. Unfortunately I never knew my grandfather, as he died while on holiday in Weymouth, in 1939.
Regarding Hooper & Ashby, there was a builders merchants in Bartholomew Street in the early 60's, which was very close to the Bricklayers Arms. It ceased trading around 1965/6, and on the Monday after Newbury Carnival it went up in flames, taking many dwellings between Bart. St and Cheap St with it. The Bricklayers was damaged, and a launderette in Cheap St., then opposite the P.O. burnt down. It was thought that people (probably youngsters) got into the disused builders merchants, and went upstairs to watch the carnival out of the windows, and probably were smoking and dropped cigarettes on the timber floors. I do remember that it was a monday afternoon, and there were at least eight appliances fighting the fires, which as I said, spread through to Cheap Street. That may have been Hooper and Ashby's, although I also remember the name of Edwards & Godding also. I think Bishop's cycle shop was also badly damaged, and possibly never re-opened.
Huntley & Palmers were in Reading long before WWII - they started there in 1822.
Can you remember more about the fire you describe? Especially the date, I'd like to look up newspaper reports. It would even help to know what month the carnival took place in those days
LocalRes, wrong pub! for Hooper & Ashby, would have been The Nags Head and H & A is now housing-Bartholemew Court
Absolutely right..I was born in Hooper & Ashby's 'company house' a couple of doors from the Nags Head..At that time Dick and Eliza Elgar had the pub and also a connection with Swansdown Coaches...I grew up with Harry & Jimmy, their two sons. Only to add-still no photos of Hoopers, as it was then, have emerged!
LocalRes, wrong pub! for Hooper & Ashby, would have been The Nags Head and H & A is now housing-Bartholemew Court
Sorry, I didn't make it clear. I know Hooper and Ashby were further down Bart Street, it was not their premises which caught fire, but I cannot remember the name of the one that was near the Bricklayers Arms. It was the mentioning of a builders merchants that jogged my memory.
There used to be a coal merchant where the Barts St car park is. My grandad, Monty Walker, worked there. He also played football and I think he had trials with Spurs.
There used to be a coal merchant where the Barts St car park is. My grandad, Monty Walker, worked there. He also played football and I think he had trials with Spurs.
The coal merchants were Baverstocks next to Vockins & Taylor(builders)
There used to be a coal merchant where the Barts St car park is. My grandad, Monty Walker, worked there. He also played football and I think he had trials with Spurs.
Monty Walker ran an independent coal delivery service in Newbury from the late thirties up to about the early fifties but his yard was at the top of Craven Rd or Gloucester Rd and he had some space in the railway yard off of Cheap Street. He was never represented in the town centre. As far as I know he only had one coal lorry, a Ford Thames, driven by George Dixon.
Monty Walker ran an independent coal delivery service in Newbury from the late thirties up to about the early fifties but his yard was at the top of Craven Rd or Gloucester Rd and he had some space in the railway yard off of Cheap Street. He was never represented in the town centre. As far as I know he only had one coal lorry, a Ford Thames, driven by George Dixon.
I am new to this so hope I have done the right thing to get answers. I do not live in Newbury but a cousin did and a few relatives were born in or around Newbury. I was looking at this page and saw the Whitehorns bakery picture. A cousin who lived in Newbury said they thought this bakery was the first in Berkshire maybe England to have a doughnut machine. Also that they had houses for some of their workers to live in. I thought that might have been just something big companies like Ford and Cadburys did. Was it common for smaller companies to do this. Was Whitehorns a big company with more shops? They must have been quite good to their workers. Just wondered as I am interested in social history. My cousin also remembered they had a tearoom and that they made amazing bread. Her family were not well off and their mother would send the children down at the end of the day with pennies to buy unsold bread and cakes cheaply. Are they still around? On another note does anyone know where Woodspeen East was? A distant relative was born there. Thank you.
Woodspeen East was, unsurprisingly, the eastern part of Woodspeen - now pretty much covered in buildings. Roughly speaking a triangle east of the Oxford Road, south of the River Lambourn and north of the Kennet and Speenhamland. All absorbed into the Borough of Newbury in 1878 along with Speenhamland and a chunk of Greenham.
Regarding Hooper & Ashby, there was a builders merchants in Bartholomew Street in the early 60's, which was very close to the Bricklayers Arms. It ceased trading around 1965/6, and on the Monday after Newbury Carnival it went up in flames, taking many dwellings between Bart. St and Cheap St with it. The Bricklayers was damaged, and a launderette in Cheap St., then opposite the P.O. burnt down. It was thought that people (probably youngsters) got into the disused builders merchants, and went upstairs to watch the carnival out of the windows, and probably were smoking and dropped cigarettes on the timber floors. I do remember that it was a monday afternoon, and there were at least eight appliances fighting the fires, which as I said, spread through to Cheap Street. That may have been Hooper and Ashby's, although I also remember the name of Edwards & Godding also. I think Bishop's cycle shop was also badly damaged, and possibly never re-opened.
Came across a report on the fire while looking for something else in the NWN. The fire was in 1969 - on a Tuesday afternoon, Sept 30. According to the initial NWN report it was arson - three fires being lit in disuses buildings on Cheap St, Bartholomew St and in an outbuilding between the other two.
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