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Shoppers in St John Street, Coleford, Gloucestershire.

A photo of people shopping in Coleford.

St John Street in the 1950s. It appears to be quiet enough for people to walk in the road!.

Terry Morton-Rush added: "... in St John's St.. the light building behind the bigger van was in those days Hunt's Radio TV and Furniture shop.The little shop on the corner behind the Players advert was run by a Mrs Bermard selling sweets and cigarettes".

John Ricketts added: "... Shops on the L.H.S. are as follows:- Mr Burborough butcher; The Wine Vaults (under arch) run by  Mr Blanch the town chemist; Facing at the end of the street The Masons Arms".

"On the R.H.S. after Mrs Barnard’s shop,  South Hereford Co-operative Society corn stores ( animal/pet food, garden requisites and the odd budgerigar! Affectionately called Shacs.) recently a flower shop; Next private residence( door canopy over) of Mrs Mary Matthews formerly was the base for Mr Wignell’s  undertaking  business; next was a cobbler’s shop; then Hunt’s; then Bert and Dora’s café where there was some of the filming of 'Between Two Rivers' was shot".

Geoff Wells added: "... The cigarette and sweet shop was run by Mrs Barnard, her daughter used to live on Gorsty Knoll and do B&B. Up the street on the right was the billiards room where my dad and his brother used to go. In the fifties and sixties my uncle Fred Wells had a butchers shop on the left".

Dave Nash added: "... As John Ricketts says the butcher's shop on the left belonged to Mr Burbrough. The business was then taken over by Harry Ward ... who was an employee of Mr Burbrough. ... In the foreground rhs Lloyds bank now has its cashpoint, the area encompassing part of Mrs Barnard's shop - most of which was demolished to enable a rear entry to the Angel Hotel".

David Evans added: "... Interesting picture of St John's Street in Coleford. I have been thinking about this street recently as I remember buying a Claud Butler 'racing' bike from Hunt's Electrical Stores. They didn't usually sell bikes but around 1955 they took a consignment, or maybe it was just the one bike, from Claud Butler. It was my pride and joy back then and I brought it to Australia with me when we came in 1959. I don't have it any longer, surprise, surprise! Now I have a Peugeot bike. I remember the Lloyd's bank and also a chippy just around the corner on the right-hand side which is now a Chinese Takeaway. Funny but I don't recall mr Burburough the butcher, but in the little recessed area on the left of the photo Mr Barter had his fish shop. His daughters went to Monmouth to school at the same time as my late sister Barbara".

Bill Nash added: "... There was always a rear gate to the Angel even when the sweet shop was there (used to go through there to fetch my dad out of the 'back room' 'cos his lunch was cold and mum a tad heated!!!) Molly Gwilliam (a vague relation of mine always referred to as Aunty Molly) took over from Mrs Barnard and when it was demolished (to give some parking to the Angel and other alterations - when the Winchurch family ran the pub) the sweet shop moved to the Market Place near what became the Chemist (was Coleford's first 'Supermarket') Don't forget to note the Swan Inn the sign of which is just visible on the left above the little gaggle of women. I went to School with Harry Ward's son Steven and I remember well old man Burbrough still working in the shop in his 'retirement'after Harry had taken over - The Ward's lived on Boxbush Road ...".

David Dowle added: "... The building next to Burborough's was called the Wine Vaults, if my memory is correct. Moving up the left hand side but out of view would have been The Swan public house (roughly where the group of women are standing) and then Pont & Adams grocers. The building half visible at the top of the street and facing down St John's Street was the Mason's Arms. I also recall that, before Dot and Bert Young had the cafe that there was a snooker/billiards room on the first floor".


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