Take a walk down 1950s' Broad Street

Les Loveridge has provided the Bridport and Lyme Regis News with his memories of walking down Broad Street in Lyme Regis, where in the 1950s, residents were able to shop for all of their requirements.

Les said: "As no one had a car, shopping out of town only happened at Christmas or special occasions."

At the top of Broad Street at the Silver Street and Pound Street Junction looking down on the right hand side was the Regent Cinema.

Next door was Joe Butchers the Tobacco shop and newsagents, then the Wool Shop and the Volunteer Pub.

Les remembers a notice board outside that advised any interested young lad if he been selected to play for the Lyme Regis Football first or reserve team for the following Saturday, something Les said was an 'unbelievable and exciting prospect'.

Les said: "The teams were picked by the committee during the week, I believe on Tuesday nights and the not always popular decisions, were posted on that board, which is still there now."

Next door to the pub was Dunster's, three floors of books and toys for children of all ages.

Paul and Sons estate agents, where Mr 'Birdie' Lillington, according to Les, "would always try to steer Lyme towns folk in the right direction, in times of both personal and Lyme town disputes."

Then there was Haddon's clothes store, selling ladieswear in the lower half and menswear in the upper, and followed by Midland Bank.

Les then leads us on a slight diversion, to the path between the bank and Baker's the Hair Dressers, owned and managed by the Baker brothers Ron and Lynsey, led to the Holmcroft Residence of Ken and Mrs Wright, whose family was made up of two daughters and four sons, all involved in the Lyme Regis scout group and Les' good friends.

Back on Broad Street, Les takes us to Bosence, where Les' mother always sent him to get whatever she wanted.

Next to Bosence's was a bread shop and café with a bake house behind it, run by baker Percy Deem, whom Les remembers as 'always positive, cheerful and joking.'

Mr and Mrs Hammett owned the shop and later ran a shop at the top of Charmouth Road in the Timber Vale caravan park, supplying fresh bread, cakes and groceries for caravan owners.

Then Les remembers the Electricity shop showroom, where his family paid their bills, and Scannel Langford's hardware shop was next door.

The alleyway leading to the Three Cups Hotel car park provided an entrance to the garage located down there, with one of the mechanics being 'Will' Darkie Perry.

The Three Cups Hotel was owned then by the Lloyd family along with possibly the Royal Lion, almost opposite, and Les remembers that very few residents used either as a watering hole.

The Cups was bordered on its lower side by a steep drive, which housed at the top a storeroom for Wallis and Tomlin Electrical shop, which fronted on Broad Street.

The Pound Dairy, milk bar downstairs and café upstairs was where the teenagers used to congregate, and Les remembers the proprietor Mr Wyatt and assistants were always accommodating.

Next door was R.J Stratton's Hardware shop and adjacent was George's Sweetshop, with Ernie Wiscombe next door with his Radio and Television shop.

Les recalls that Ernie had a bottle of whiskey on the shelf for 'medicinal purposes'.

Between Ernie's shop door and the front door of Holman and Hams Chemist was an alleway which had two glass doors, always open, which led to the Free Masons Hall and the Marine Parade.

Outside of Holman and Hams are a small set of steps leading from the pavement to the main street and further down a set of larger steps leading from the now much higher pavement to the street, an area known as 'the shambles', where up until the 1850s, farmers and butchers could sell their slaughtered meat.

Above the Shambles on the pavement was Mike Hartley's green grocer, Mr Wellman's house and tailors, R.K Brewer groceries and Ramsbothoms Solicitors.

Above Bell Cliff is Colby's, owned by Douglas Fortnam and his wife, and Douglas later went on to become a much-respected mayor.

Finally on that side of the street was a hairdressers owned by Joan Gollop and the Bell Cliff Café was opposite.

Under the Bell Cliff was Mr Leeper's Sweet Shop and Dair delivery business, and looking over the Bell Cliff Railing directly opposite was Mrs Keeley's Ice Cream Shop, next to the Rock Point Hotel, then the 'Vaults Pub', and around the corner Frankie Salter's Fish Shop.

Across the bridge from the fish shop on the same side was Bragg Department Store, selling household goods and ladies and gents clothing, in competition with Haddon's.

On the corner of Coombe Street was Gordon Williams bicycle shop and next door Percy Foxwell's small grocery shop and 'the Cabin', a newsagents run by Mr Turner and opposite the Lyme Museum.

We are now in Bridge Street, and Les will turn around and go up the the other side of Broad Street next week.