Stoney Stanton Road

There was a bakery and cake shop in the terrace of buildings just before Cross Road. We bought hot cross buns from there at Easter. There was a bus stop outside. Across the road was the post office and later a very good Cypriot owned chip shop. Further down towards Eden Street was a general shop, Pearson's, one of very few in those days (50s) that opened on a Sunday. Back then everything was so familiar because we walked everywhere and everything we required was to be found in a finite area. I find it difficult to posit places now because all of the reference points have gone, that's progress.

Going back through Ancestry, JT Coleman's father was Thomas who called himself a cordwainer, through the decades he is listed at several addresses but in 1881 he was in Paradise Row. And in 1861 he was in Stoney Stanton Road but house names were not given in that census. Thomas's father was James. In 1851 he called himself a Shoemaker. He was born in 1799. So it looks like they have been in the trade back to the early 1800's but not actually with a shop. JT is still going in 1921 but he only seems to have daughters, one of which was an accountant, so it looks like he had no one to continue the business.

David Pearson was the only one of the Pearsons I remember from the 1950's, they sold everything from fruit and veg out the front in wooden boxes, and general provisions inside. You would have to be alert as they also would come walking through with sacks of coal that they sold from their back yard.

My goodness what a mystery! As you can see from the plate ( difficult I know as light reflections don't help ) the white metal tray is quite elaborate and gives the impression of something more substantial than just a cottage industry. I am impressed with what has been posted, people have dug deep. I guess the mystery may be solved one day. Bless you all.

Just a thought, are there any stamp markings on the back ? I don't think it was a cottage industry as such. There seems to be several members of the family in the same trade. There was a brother as well in the early days and several generations working from home. I think in those days several businesses were run from home. Many grocery shops were started in front rooms. Locals would just know where to go to get their shoes mended and made.

Thank you this is very illuminating.

Hi. There are no markings or engravings on the back of the tray. I get the impression it was made as possibly a promotional item? I am very impressed with people's attention to this item.

The STRONGS grocery shop that was on the Stony Stanton Road

What a great photo. I'm guessing that rabbits were a unavoidable side line from arable farming.

Stoney Stanton Rd is a long road with many variations in the architecture. Over the years there have been many alterations and additions, some courtesy of Mr Hitler, and others in the name of 'improvements'. There are not many properties now with this layout of doors and windows, the only similar one that I could see was a ladies clothes shop almost opposite to Eagle Street - the frontage is painted pink.

Apparently, I am lead to believe it was at the end of Broad Street.

In 1937 there was an S Strong Fruiterer at 479 which was a few doors north of Bright Street.

My grandfather Sidney

Does anyone remember the cafe on the corner of Bright Street and Stoney Stanton Road? It would have been about 1973/74 and the proprietor owned a rather special Ford Capri, a Broadspeed Bullit, built by the Broadspeed company from Southam. The car was bright yellow I think. I only ever went in there once so my memory is a bit hazy. There was a far less salubrious cafe tucked away in Peel Street, I never went in there.