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HIGH STREET - 1911 - 1932

Bannisters / Bridge Hotel / South Lane

Text By Laurie Stonehouse

The first three pictures are old postcards showing the local celebrations for the Coronation of King George V in 1911.The remainder were taken in 1932 and show the large store owned and run by Bannisters. The High Street is slightly different now, Bannisters store is long gone and the Barclays Bank building was demolished in 1981. The buildings in the photo following on from the National Westminster Bank to the corner of South lane were damaged during the Second World War and this area was rebuilt during 1953 when our present Queen ascended to the throne. The shops and flats that now occupy this site were aptly named Coronation Buildings.
One of my favourites is the one showing Bannisters & Sons shop which has many signs on display, can you read them? I've included a close up image of the shop window. Looking further down is a view onto Denton Island with a glimpse of the row of cottages known as Sefton Terrace. The Bridge Inn still has the gigantic words (HOTEL) on it's roof. (I'm not so sure that the Local Planning Authorities would allow this in 2009). The street name sign seen on the wall above the Southern Railway's Information Board says South Lane which was the twitten that ran from the High Street to Dacre Road (now South Way) and this twitten is still here in spirit modifed now to form the short walk into Newhaven Square and then along the path between Somerfields and the Multi-storey car park.

Coronation - 1911

H Hills Collection

Coronation - 1911

G Amy Collection

Coronation - 1911

G Amy Collection

High Street - 1932

G Amy Collection

Bannisters / Sefton Terrace - 1932

Edited from the top photo

South Lane - 1932

Edited from the top photo

This page was added by Laurie Stonehouse on 27/07/2009.

Comments about this page

Does anyone remember when Bannisters became Sargents Grocers? My mum worked there part-time when I was at primary school in the mid-sixties. I used to go there after school when she worked in the afternoon and remember the old wooden drawers full of loose sugar, dried fruit etc. The grocery shop was on one side and the butchers on the other. A lot of housewives in those days would put their order in the shop and it would then be delivered by Percy Jenner, who was quite well known locally at the time. No plastic packaging then, things like bacon and cheese were wrapped in greaseproof paper and seemed to taste so much better!

By Helen Wagstaff
On 03/08/2009

Looking back at this, I've just realised that Sargeants was a bit further up the High Street and not where Bannisters was. The building is still there. Anyway, does anyone have any memories of it?

By Helen Wagstaff
On 05/09/2009