Far Gosford Street

Yes it was. That entire row was set back quite a distance. Don't recall it being a carpet store though? It became a bingo hall between 1963 and 1968. Was closed due to a tightening of the gaming laws that same year and then mysteriously destroyed by fire in 1970 while awaiting a new owner.

That's correct. The Paris was previously known as the Crown.

Thank you Dutchman. It was the shop next to it that was the carpet store. It's coming back now. I remember the Paris too, further down. Anyway, it's 9.30am the sun is out & so should I be. I don't want to miss any history, turn your back for a minute and it's gone! Best wishes.

Social security building was down there on the right hand side coming from the town also further up was a record shop, on the opposite side was a second hand shop there used to be a veg shop going down the hill on the left when I was a very young child.

Anyone got any memories of Hits & Misses (or to give it's correct name of "Hits, Misses & Vintage Records". My brother was the owner and I worked with him for many years. I have a few photos (and video) of the interior and a few of the garden out back. I believe it's now (or was) an Arabic restaurant?

There are some photos of Far Gosford St on Skyscraper City here

yes I recall it I mentioned the record shop page 4 last comment on this thread, I use to go in and buy most of my records there in the 70s.

I remember the top of Far Gosford Street in the late 50s early 60s. Between the bank and the church I can remember there being a chemist, Tuckers drapery shop (where my friend worked), just a few doors down from Tuckers was the Moo Cow Milk Bar, and I seem to remember a post office being close by. Across the road there was a shoe shop, I think it was True Form and later became Freeman and Hardy Willis, I think Moores cake shop was also on this side of the road and the shop next door to the Scala was Cookson's which was another drapery shop that mostly sold curtains.

Very close Tricia, it was actually called Cook's. The Scala (later Odeon) being set-back meant they had significantly more window area than other shops in the area.

Wasn't that the shop that became Cookson's Warehouse? I remember being told, in the early 70s, that Cookson's building was one of only four left in the city that had a Cotswold stone roof. It was hard to see, but it certainly looked like it was Cotswold stone at the time. I don't know if any are left now.

I think you are right K. The photo shows the name of the shop as Cooks, but from the style of the clothes and car, it was much earlier than the 50s and 60s when I remember it as Cooksons. Maybe it changed its name.

Yes Tricia I remember it as being Cooksons when I worked in Far Gosford St in th 60's, as you say the name must have been changed.

I've just noticed Hugh Seymour the opticians across the road; I seem to recall there were other branches around the city. I think the shop next door to the opticians is the Busy Bee, if I remember correctly the shop sold baby clothes and knitting wool.

Folks Am I right about the Cotswold stone roofs? If I remember correctly (again!) there was one on the old pub (Ma Brown's?) in Spon St, as well as on Cookson's?

My friends father Mr Toy used to be landlord of the Hand and Heart, on Saturdays used to earn 6d for taking my trolley to collect a block of ice from the ice factory. This was situated up a yard opposite the Gaumont cinema, between a pram shop and fishmongers. Used to wrap it in sacking to stop it melting. Call in my gran's on the way back for a drink she lived in the yard next to the New Inn.