THE DEPARTMENT STORE

Grace Brothers Department Store
became possibly the most famous store in the world for a while thanks to
the BBC-Television Series, Are You Being Served?

Are You being Served Theme Music

Click here to watch the episode, The Father Christmas Affair

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OTHER DEPARTMENT STORES

OF MY YOUTH – 1

Barker’s of Kensington was founded in 1870, acquired by the House of Fraser in 1957 and vacated in 2006

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When I was a child, many areas of London had their own distinct department store in addition to the usual collection of shops. Although not overly common, people occasionally traveled from where they lived to shop at a particular department store either to browse or shop in the hope of finding something special.

I have been unable to find a photograph of a restaurant or cafe of a department store of the past; this photograph shows the Lyons Corner House in Coventry Street and shows some of the waitress, called Nippys

Sometimes these stores housed a restaurant or a cafe where morning coffee, luncheon and afternoon tea were served to those with extra cash available and who needed reviving. I remember that the stores with restaurants were generally elegantly decorated with potted palms placed strategically about the dining area. I also remember a few of these stores even having a string quartet, generally consisting of lady musicians, who offered genteel entertainment for the clientele. I always felt especially grand when entertained by such virtuosos.

The only music I can remember being played was the Minuet by Boccherini (1743-1805)

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I remember traveling on the 653 Trolleybus from Mile End Gate on a number of occasions with my mother and going up to Hackney – or was it in Clapton? – to visit Spoke’s (Henry Spoke’s Limited). Although I did not enjoy shopping, I have to confess that this department store held a certain appeal to me, but more of this a little later.

Henry Spokes Limited

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As with Dawson’s, the passage of time has helped me view these establishments with some compassion. Since each of these department stores did have their own distinctive look and flavour, they helped distinguish between the different areas of London and so made them interesting to visit. In addition, I am sad to see what has happened to many of these stores: they have either gone or else are now under a new banner and part of a chain.

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I recommend that the reader listen to this piece of music by Arvo Pärt (born in Estonia in 1935) and entitled Spiegel im Spiegel and performed by Tamsin Little & Martin Roscoe

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WICKHAM’S DEPARTMENT STORE

THE HARRODS (OR WAS IT THE SELFRIDGES?)

OF THE EAST END

Close to where we once lived when I was a child was another large department store. Wickham’s. This store was also a place that I was not especially fond of, but luckily for me, neither did my mother! She found the goods for sale uninteresting and expensive. I found the place to lack sparkle, which meant that the Toy Department was dull. As a result, I was not taken there to suffer while boring goods were purchased.

Wickham’s Department Store & Spiegelhalter’s Jewelry Shop on Mile End Road in 1956

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The only member of my family that ever shopped there, funnily enough, was me! I went there once to its tiny Toy Department, which was hidden away a corner of the basement, to buy a board game ……. Snakes & Ladders.

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The Wickham’s Department Store was on the Mile End Road in Stepney close to the border with Bow. I remember passing it on Thursday evenings when my parents took me to the ABC Cinema, which was separated from the store by a bank that was always neatly painted in white. The store was open in those days and each ground floor window had a display that I failed to find of interest.

Left: The Bank; Upper Right, The ABC Cinema; & Lower Right: The Genesis Cinema (photograph provided by Mr. Paul Bland)

I remember the store’s wooden slatted floor and the noise customers made as they walked through a department. Although the décor was gloomy and lacked any sense of colour, the large windows allowed the interior to be bright. I also recall that the staff were less zombie-like than those of Dawson’s! The lady who sold me my Snakes and Ladders was very nice and wrapped it with great care for me to take home.

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Wickham’s was designed by A.J. Evans and built in 1927, but its building did not go exactly as hoped.

The original plan of the store called for it to replace the series of small shops that occupied the site. Unfortunately for Wickham’s, one shop in the centre of the terrace of shops would not sell and remained in place.

The little shop that would not be sold was at 81 Mile End Road and was originally a jewelry shop owned by Mr. Otto Spiegelhalter who had been in business at this site since 1880. He had come to London from Germany in 1828 and had originally set up his business elsewhere in Whitechapel before moving to the Mile End Road. Once Mr. Spiegelhalter died, the business was taken over by his brothers. As a result of the First World War and the feelings that it invoked, the family changed its name to Salter.

Spiegelhalter’s Jewelry Shop; this photograph appears at Casebook: Jack the Ripper

Once it was decided where the Wickham’s Department Store was to be built, it was assumed that the owners of the shops occupying the chosen terrace, would quickly be acquired. Indeed, all of the shops were bought, all that is, except for the one owned by The Salters. No matter what The Salter family was offered, the family refused to sell their shop.

As a result of the failure to gain the whole terrace, Wickham’s Department Store had to be built around the remaining shop. The store was built in two parts, each with a façade of Doric Columns between the first and second floors and with a tower associated with the left part of the store. Even as a child, I found the store interesting to look at.

Looking at the store, an observer can easily get the impression that Wickham’s expected The Salters to eventually sell out, as the two parts of the façade appear ready to accommodate their joining once the demolition of little shop was complete. However, this was not to happen.

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The store was heralded as the Harrods of the East End although I have read that it was also referred to as the Selfridgesof the East End.

Harrods (Left) & Selfridges (Right)

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With falling sales, the Wickham’s Department Store was closed during the 1960s (I have been unable to find the exact date of closure). With its closure, various parts of the store were rented out by various companies, and as far as I can tell, there appears to have been no real plan to use the whole building for other purposes. I remember seeing part of it being used as a Blockbuster outlet at one time and another part being used as a Tesco Express. I am sure that other areas of the store were used by other companies.

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This Photograph was taken by Rickedmo in 2005 and appears at Wikipedia

Meanwhile, with the closure of Wickham’s, The Salters business continued between the two parts of the now defunct store. It was not until 1982 that the little shop closed. Apparently, it was used as a Off-Licence for a while, however in 2014, when I last saw it, it sat derelict and, I was told, without a roof.

Derelict, 2014

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Since discovering that Wickham’s Department Store (and Spiegelhalter/Salter’s Shop) was no longer open for business, I have been unable to understand how it is that Tower Hamlet’s Borough Council has allowed such a building to remain empty or partly used while slowly decaying for many years.

A Staircase in the erstwhile Department Store

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Recently, I read that a design has been taken to the Council together with the proposal that the erstwhile store and little shop be converted into office space. This proposal has not been met with universal approval. Apparently those against the idea are not in favour of the plan to demolish the former Spiegelhalter/Salter’s Shop and replace it by an entrance to the renovated building. Seeing that the poor former shop has decayed to the point that little of it remains and is roofless, I am in favour of the conversion and I would like to see it begun as soon as possible.

Part of Mr. Matt Yoman’s (of Buckley Gray Yoman) design for the conversion of the site into office space – awaiting permission to present this collage

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Again, as with Dawson’s, time has caused me to look more favourably on the Wickham’s Department Store, and I live in hope that some use can be found for it before it finally decays and has to be demolished.

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