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.
Submitted by John Harding on Sat, 21/11/2020 - 5:58
Moorland Road.
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 But by 1949 the Kelly’s is out of date by a decade at least.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…
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