Do you remember the shop?

Johnson Bros. Department Store
By Alexis Grossmith

This photograph was taken around 1965 in the soft furnishing workshop of Johnson's Department store.

When we didn't have many orders for curtains or loose covers the staff had to make draught-excluders to be placed along the bottom of doors. Firstly a tube was made from scrap material which we then had to fill with sawdust, compacting it down until the tube was full before stitching across the end of the tube.

In the picture from right to left are Emily Gore, Dorothy Wiltshire and Mary but regrettably I cannot remember the name of the girl on the extreme left.

Photo:Making draught excuders

Making draught excuders

From the private collection of Alexis Grossmith

This page was added on 12/05/2012.

Comments about this page

Hi, my father, Patrick Dawes (known as Charlie) worked at this store, as a carpet fitter and cabinet maker, along with my mother and her twin sister, Elizabeth and Margaret (known as Betty and Peggy) Woods.

By Sharon Witney (21/09/2012)

My Mum also worked in the soft furnishing department from 1946 - 1958.  Gwen Bishop later returning as Gwen Leggett. She tells me she knew and worked with all the ladies in the photo.

By Karen Pattinson (22/09/2012)

I worked as a bought ledger clerk in the office for Mr. Watts in 1948. All addition and subtraction was done in our heads because there were no calculating machines at that time. I left their employ when I emigrated to Canada.

By Frank (29/04/2013)

My late father started work at Johnston Bros in 1929 and stayed until his death in 1971; his name was Harry Buckland and he started as apprentice cabinet maker and French polisher. At a later stage he transferred as an outside representative measuring for new carpets, curtains etc.

By Peter Buckland , (30/04/2013)

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