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34 Suffolk Parade (formerly 18 & 19 Suffolk Parade South)
This shop has the distinction of having been in the same trade longer than any other in Suffolk Parade. From at least 1838 it was a grocer’s, beginning with Mr John Lapidge, grocer and tea dealer. He was originally just in the corner shop at number 19 but at some time the two premises were combined.
By 1850 the business had transferred to Mr J.B. Stevens but within 10 years Mr Charles Malvern was the grocer here and remained so until the mid 1880s. He was an agent for The One Wine Company, which claimed to be the only bottlers using Imperial measures (pints and quarts) and for W. & A. Gilbey, Wine Importers and Distillers.
Mr T. Wilkins briefly took over to be replaced in 1887 by Mr C.J. Davies, who was also a wine and beer merchant. The Great Norwood Street Post Office was run from these premises at this time.
From about 1904 this became White’s Stores and then, at various times, White Brothers and Edward Charles White, grocers and post office.
In April 1909 the shop suffered a fire and the business relocated temporarily into 8 Suffolk Road (now number 5). The fire was discovered by Mr Schwamenkruge next door, at 2 am, who rode to the fire station on his tricycle to raise the alarm. Meanwhile Mr White rushed to the shop from his home in Montpellier Villas to rescue some of his private papers and those associated with the post office.
The fire brigade received the alarm at 2.15 am and despatched a first-aid hose cart, a ladder cart and the ‘Theobald steamer’ fire engine, which had been presented to the town by Mrs Theobald, of Bournside House, in 1904. When the brigade arrived on site the staircase and the whole of the first floor were alight. It took 2 hours to get the fire under control, by which time a large amount of damage estimated at £1,000 had been caused. A considerable quantity of highly inflammable sugar stored in the basement may have added to the conflagration.
Dry goods were measured out from drawers under the counter, whilst butter and cheese were cut by hand and sold by weight. Orders could be delivered, should the customer require.
Allan Whittern ran the business until his death in 1982 and was succeeded by his son, Alan, until the shop closed in December 1991.
The film gives a strong impression of food shopping in the days before self-service supermarkets and would probably have been recognisable to Mr Lapidge, who was here more than 150 years before. To watch the film follow the link here, by courtesy of the Media Archive for Central England (MACE).
Since Whittern’s closed the shop has been an antiques store and more recently a ladies fashion boutique called Bodega, with some of the interior fittings still preserved from the grocery shop.
