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In about 1931 Mr C.S. Brookes acquired these premises and the shop next door at 44 Suffolk Road for his furniture making and retailing business, Cheltenham Cabinet Works Ltd. This company previously had its showroom and factory at 152 High Street in the late 1920s and, even earlier, were in Portland Street.
They had a very commercial approach to marketing their products, including eye-catching illustrations, sale offers and other discounts and an emphasis on the high quality of the work.
During World War II Mr Brookes made these premises available for the fire watchers guarding against the dropping of incendiary bombs by enemy aircraft.
Cheltenham Cabinet Works survived the war unscathed and were here until 1957, when this part of the shop was taken over by a printer called George Hooper. That company later came to be owned by A.J. Ingles and it was still here until at least 1975. By about 1991 the shop was once more selling furniture; this time it was Manor House Antiques and the items in the window resembled the bedroom suites sold as new by Cheltenham Cabinet Works Ltd 50 years earlier!
By the early years of the 21st century the trade had changed and these premises then accommodated the Cheltenham Holistic Health Centre for complementary medicine. In 2020 they moved on and the gentlemen’s barber shop El Barbero relocated to here from just around the corner in Great Norwood Street. The shop belongs to Paco and Carolyn Delgado.
Paco, who comes originally from Gran Canaria, has lived and worked in Cheltenham since 1982. He had his first salon in Cambray Place, before moving to 154 High Street and then to Montpellier. He also owns the ladies hairdresser opposite in Suffolk Road that bears his name.
Researcher: Stuart Manton (Jan 2023)
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