Shops of yore

Didn't Unit Sales sell out to TEXAS?

I think they did, Mick. They gave the first hundred customers a yellow rose.

Google comes up with Sainsbury's archives which lists a newspaper article in June 1984 regarding Texas Homecare taking over Unit Sales. Sainsbury's took over Texas Homecare in 1995.

I recently noticed the R Gilbert shop in Broadgate had a Waltham sign on it, which was a surprise as I knew they were an American company. I found out that Gilbert also used Waltham movements in their own brand watches, as well as local Coventry movements and others. I then found out that Waltham was founded by Aaron Dennison, who when he left Waltham came to England and founded the famous Dennison Watch Case Company in Birmingham!

Looking at those Christmas Dinner photo's of the Hogarth staff of the early 1950's, how many stores did they have, and when did they stop trading? My mother and grandmother shopped there when I was a youngster.

The "engineering company" was right opposite my house, no.20. The corner fish and chip shop was run by the Keepings - not good BTW. The butcher shop was run by a guy named Harris, didn't know he was Polish. I was brought up in no.20 (first house on the right) from ~1946-7 until I went to uni in '63. BTW Matlock Road did yield one "famous person". The actor Harold Innocent was raised by his parents in a house at the canal end. He did quite well.

The Innocents lived at no.66. Harold has long been on our list of 'Famous Coventrians'.

John Manners, Upper Precinct, which was on two floors with an office on the third floor. I worked there for a year in mid-fifties prior to college in Bristol.

I know I have linked before but Ager's have added some great info and some smashing extra pictures to their history page.

Hello holttom. You're a long way from home but welcome. Matlock Road was a nightmare for me in 1962. We lived at no 50, the canal at the bottom of the small garden, the fish shop had gone. I was 34 years of age and had been a gambler for over twelve years and had travelled around Europe gambling, income tax were chasing me and so were employment. You remember those dammed insurance cards and the stamps? In-laws and parents urging me to settle down. The first thing I did was to buy a tv and the van came round two days later before I had time to get a licence and fined me three quid. I got a job at the Humber, they found out my background, and sacked me, but the unions took no notice, gave me a job at Leyland. Then my wife was expecting, every damned phone in Foleshill vandalised on the day I needed one. The neighbours were Irish, and several nights a week we could hear clog dancing and Irish music through the thin walls. Not a pleasant house for me, we moved to Lythalls Lane. I hope your memories of Matlock Road were better.

Hi all, I believe some of the Matlock Rd houses belonged to Courtaulds Estates. No 20 is recorded as the Thomas family, as late as 2010. The late Mrs Thomas was a registered childminder. Mr Thomas was a Courtaulds Electrician. I also knew a previous resident at No 20, Tom Holt. He was an estimator. He taught me in 1966/7, I was a trainee accountant at the time. That's the first house next to the entrance to Lustre Fibres. Thank you for your posts on this.

Hi holttom, Was your dad my estimating tutor at CEL?

Yes, that's my Dad. The house was rented from Courtaulds. Dad worked there until early retirement. The house was dreadful, as was most of the street, but we did our best. BTW Philip, just read your blog.... so sorry to hear about your loss.

Hi all, What a cracker. God bless you. Doing business & finance I received honours! Your dad was fabulous both at his job & tutoring. He complemented me on the use of my slide-rule. I remember him, with such affection. Yabadabadoo!!!!!!!

He was a lovely man. Got me interested in maths, bought be a lovely sliderule (Aristo) and I eventually got into uni at Birmingham. The rest is history. Dad died (terrible cancer) in 1987 and I ended up in America. But I still have fond memories of times in Coventry in my youth. What a town!