Did you know these people?

Is this Debenhams?
Photograph donated by Trevor Chepstow

Is this Debenhams Store in Brighton? Do you know?

This photograph was given to me by Gerald Spicer and shows the auxiliary fire brigade in action at Debenhams store during the Second World War.

The ladies shown in the photo are probably staff and have taken the task of rescuing bales of fabric from the store. It is possible that the store had been bombed and, because of all the water present through the store, it was safer to transfer the stock to a safer storage place.

Comments about this page

  • Good source of information. It helped me with my World War II project for school.

    By Emily Biggs (22/06/2004)
  • This picture helped me with my portfolio senior work. Thank you.

    By alison elkins (05/12/2006)
  • Surely you mean Plumber’s? If you are talking about the Debenhams which used to be in Western Rd opposite Waitrose, that’s what it used to be called back then.

    By Sara Robinson (19/08/2007)
  • I think that the store was in fact Plummer Roddis before it was taken over by Debenham’s.

    By Alan Phillips (14/04/2008)
  • The building that was Debenhams in Western Road was built by Wilds and Busby c1823 and was known as The Priory or Priory Lodge. It was converted into a shop in 1898 for my grandfather’s cousin Albert George Sharman. The store was called Sharman’s, it was taken over by Plummer Roddis in 1920, I am not sure which year Debenhams took it over, possibly the 1950s.

    By Anita Bouzzite (01/05/2008)
  • I worked at Plummer Roddis, Western Road, Brighton in 1971. The Plummer Roddis group had been bought by Debenhams some years previously, but this was before all of the stores were renamed Debenhams. (I think that may have happened in 1972.) In 1971 the general manager was Peter Millington. I was the store’s merchandise secretary and, although just 21 years old, was number three in the food chain. Display manager was John McAtee, now living in Prestwich, Manchester. Big thanks to Anita Bouzzite for the back story.

    By Jack Martin Leith (06/05/2012)

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