Hazells Histories

HAKENS CORNER

This postcard of 1916 has on it Hakens Corner at 35, Cornhill. R F Haken had branches in Staffordshire, Birmingham and London selling all kinds of merchandise, such as China, earthenware, glass, hardware,  furniture etc. Their warehouse at 5, St Andrews St North. Number, 35, would later become an outlet of The International Tea Stores. Since its closure Thorntons Chocolate and Coffee Café traded here,  now Café Nero. The adjacent shop at no 34 was the watchmakers of C W Wilson later to become another Jewellers Shop, Croydons, it is now a branch of H Samuel jewellers.

STEAD & SIMPSON, 43 ABBEYGATE STREET

This building was rebuilt after the terrible  1882 arson fire which saw much of Abbeygate Street’s south-side gutted. Founded in 1834 by Edmund Stead and two brothers, Morris and Edward Simpson, Stead & Simpson grew into the largest footwear manufacturer in the world by 1885. Though having its own factories in Daventry and Leicester competition saw these close in 1973. In Bury the company eventually moved to 19-21, Cornhill but went into administration in January 2008 to be purchased by Shoe-Zone. Currently Scrivens Opticians and Hearing Care specialists, one of 170 UK locations are at no 43.

With thanks to award winning local historian Martyn Taylor.