BOURNE IN PAST TIMES

A series of archive photographs

TEXT BY REX NEEDLE

 

Hardware shop in 1920

Photographed in 1920

One of the busiest shops in past times was that which sold household necessities, the everyday items required for domestic efficiency, and here in Bourne during the early years of the 20th century we had Johnson Brothers who occupied the premises at the corner of West Street and South Street, dealing in hardware, ironmongery and agricultural implements.
Staff would arrive early in the morning to create an impressive display of goods on offer across the frontage of the building which was soon adorned with samples of their pots and pans, basins and bowls, cutlery and crockery, brushes, forks and spades, everything required for the smooth running of house and garden and as a result, business was always brisk with a steady stream of customers most days.
The shop was originally owned during the 19th century by Henry Osborn and later by F J Clarke whose stock was so extensive that he also sold ploughs, guns, iron bedsteads and kitchen ranges. By 1905, the business was being run by Johnson Brothers and the now familiar firm of Harrison & Dunn took over from them in 1945 and remained in occupation until 2012 when they moved to their present location in North Street and the building is now occupied by a carpet retailer, having been used as a hardware shop for more than 160 years.

This feature was also published by The Local newspaper on 24th March 2017.

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