Moorland Road, Weston-super-Mare published by Pat Hase on Sat, 31/10/2020 - 16:27
Member, David Tyler, is looking at the residents of Moorland Road, Weston-super-Mare over the years. If you have any connection with Moorland Road please reply to this Query with a comment so that we can show how this road has changed over time. It was a vibrant shopping area in the mid 20th Century and is now gradually reverting to being the residential area it was originally.
I’ve posted some variations on this theme in the past but as there seems to be a renewed interest in the old street I thought I’d have another go!
My Grandfather and namesake John Harding lived during the ‘30s and the War years at No35 with his wife Louise and their sons - Harold, David, Roger, and Hubert. He was a tailor and outfitter. The business finally closed in the late '50s. Here’s a view of the road - two actually. Both cobbled together from a couple of snaps taken on the same day.
John is not standing outside his own shop - he must have nipped up the road for a packet of Woodbines!
The photo is looking back towards the seaside end and you can see the shop at the corner of Charlton Ave and Moorland Rd - detail here - No35 is further along.
Below is No35 - I’ve circled a section of the left hand window in red because of something intriguing -
Here it is with a further highlight in green -
In the first image we can see a reflection of the upstairs window of No34 across the road and below it some lettering which seems to be signage in reverse - in the second it’s been righted.
Below how No34 looks today with No35 reflected in the two small right hand windows!
But what does it say? - my 1949 Kelly’s has the premises as occupied by ‘Payne Albt. Wm’ and ‘Payne B. confctnr’
I’m assuming that means ‘confectioner’ - a sweet shop perhaps. But by 1949 the Kelly’s is out of date by a decade at least.
Does anyone have an earlier one that can shed some light on ??P? SA?SOM.?
The other thing which haunts me is a memory of the sign outside The Moorland Pedlar at No87 - it was of a Pied Piper sort of chap with a pointed hat I think - we used to have a photograph but it’s disappeared - I’m hoping someone may have a recollection too - even a photo!
According to the 1939 Register - Albert & Blanche PAYNE have a shop at 34 Moorland Road and while he is a shopkeeper and salesman she makes home-made sweets, cakes and jam. I can only assume that the notice in their window was for a brand of product associated with their business. Have no idea what it might be though!
Submitted by Paul Tracey on Mon, 23/11/2020 - 10:53
Comment submitted on behalf of John Harding - Sydney - Oz
Thanks Pat -
I thought of that too - but if you compare the distance from the bottom detail of the bay window to the lettering it would seem to be written on the shop signage board - (which in the modern photo is the area painted yellow) - where the Paynes would have had their own name rather than one of the lines they sold - so the photo may be earlier than 1939 - not sure when Jack Harding first opened his business but it may have been before the Paynes began trading at No34 -
The first ‘Wills Gold Flake’ photo has a bus coming along Moorland Road - it looks an earlier type than more streamlined buses of the ‘30s - admittedly transport companies keep their machines running as long as possible so that may not mean the bus is contemporary with the snapshot - but perhaps Jack is standing there 5-10 years before 1939 - in addition the window shot may not be contemporary with bus shot either - the family albums are a bit disorganised like most peoples’ - it’s only forensic pendants like me who get obsessive about the details!
Anyhow if you have access to earlier Kellys…
And of course there’s the Mystery of the Moorland Pedlar too…
In the 1921/22 Directory May's Dairy, St James Street, Proprietor A Hugh MAY, established 1862, was advertising Genuine New Milk, High Class Butter, Devon and Raw Cream daily, New-laid eggs and honey.
David Tyler has found The Moorland Road Dairy at 48 Moorland Road in 1964 and 1974 and the Bristol Co-op Dairy was at the same address in 1949. I can remember shopping at the Moorland Road Dairy in the 1970/80s when it was a grocers shop.
In 1939, I can see a Dairy Shop at 134 Moorland Road, with the Head of the Household an Alfred VENNELL and also living there are Albert & Beatrice HULLEY. Is that the entry you have found? Is that your family? If not, at what number did you find your family?
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