Ida Mountjoy

Many older Breamers will remember Ida Mountjoy and this shop. An interesting feature of the shop was the coloured glass which always gave the shop a dark interior. I believe that Ida sold second hand books and comics. The back of the photo suggests that the dog was called Bob. This building was used by Des Cassidy as the Bream Newsagent.
Keith Reynolds added (Feb 2009): "... the shop is
still up and running as Bream Newsagents. It has been run in the capable hands of Keith and
Kath Reynolds since September 2008.
Keith further added: (Aug 2011) "... Bream Newsagents closed as a newsagent in September 2009 and is now the Forest of Dean Model and Sweet Shop selling over a 140 varieties of sweets also model railways kits etc. ".
- As of May 27th 2014 the Model and Sweet Shop closed down.
The photo was taken by Morton, the photographer from Parkend.
Part of this shop was used at one time for selling accordians, in fact
Ella Dawe was one of a group of Breamers had an accordian group that
practiced there. This was probably in the 1930s.
Phil Horsley adds "
Ida's dog used to sit on the papers on the counter until payment was made !!! You could buy comics off
Ida, read them , take them back when read and exchange them for other secondhand
ones in the window, mainly costing half an old pence.There was also
a small bench in the shop opposite the counter where one could sit and
drink a bottle of pop, if bought, Ida would appear looking thro' a row of
sweet jars which were lined across the counter at head height. She was a
lovely person well remembered."
John Palmer added (July 2015): "... At the back end of the war about 1945 I built my first radio with bits that I scrounged from here and there and also managed to ge a pick up arm which I fixed to my Dads wind up gramophone and I Bought my first records from Ida Mountjoy one of which was The Donkey Seranade.That was a long time ago!".
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