Old shop names and signs

Shops and 'retail units' often pass through a number of incarnations. Shopfitters are usually brought in to give the space a new look (regardless of how long or short a time the previous owners have been trading) and, often to strip out the frontage and build a new one. The name boards above shops go back many decades and, although many are lost at the first re-fit, some stay in place beneath later trading names. Sometimes – often for a brief period – an old shop name is exposed and we have been fortunate enough to have noticed some and been tipped off about others by visitors to this website. We've included traders' names painted on the walls of shop premises, too.

Ipswich examples
'BAKE OFFICE', 81 Great Whip Street
'BARNES OF IPSWICH LTD.', Upper Orwell Street
'THE BLACK BARN', Bond Street
'A.E. BLASBY, BUILDER', Argyle Street
'BOARD OF TRADE LABOUR EXCHANGE', Princes Street
'BRAND & SONS' in Tacket Street
'The “BRITISH FLAG STORES.”', 62 Wellesley Road
'WILLIAM BROWN & CO. (IPSWICH) LTD. TIMBER IMPORTERS',  Greyfriars Road
'BURROUGHES BROS. CORN', 137-143 Felixstowe Road
'CLAYDON HALL DAIRY', 135 Bramford Lane
'W.J. COE LTD. GARAGE', 15 Crown Street
'Collins's Agency' (mosaic step), 6 Norwich Road
'CONFECTIONERY WORKS', Woodbridge Road
'ERNEST C. CROSS LIMITED: HAULAGE CONTRACTORS', Commercial Road
'CROYDON Jeweller', 50-52 Tavern Street
'EDME BAKERY', 6 Dogs Head Street
'EGERTON'S', 3-5 Northgate Street
'ELLIOTT ST. BAKERY', 66a Gibbons Street
' "EMENY" NEWSAGENT', 60 St Helens Street
'A. GAMMER, FAMILY GROCER', 181 Felixstowe Road
'A.A. GIBBONS, Flour Mills', Benezet Street
'GREENS [Builders Merchant]', Woodbridge Road
'GRIMWADE 1898 RIDLEY & CO. (IPSWICH) LTD.', Friars Street
'HALES. CHEMIST', 12 St Helens Street
'HAWARDS BAKERS', 188 Felixstowe Road
'HAWARD'S BAKERS', 81 Great Whip Street
'C.J. HAWES', 49 Wherstead Road
'HILL FARM (HENLEY) CO.', 96-98 St Helens Street
'HOME & INDUSTRY (CONTRACTORS) LTD.', 1 Sherrington Road
'HUNNIBELL & SON', 22 Butter Market
'J.W. HOWE.', 126 Felixstowe Road
'J. JONES, BUTCHER', 314 Foxhall Road
'R.H. KENT CORN', 1 Dove Street
'KENT BLAXHILL', Wolsey Street
'W.B. KERRIDGE. TAILOR.', 119 Bramford Road
'KERSEY & CO. MOTOR BODY REPAIRS', 2 Hervey Street
'the laughing onion', 4 Tacket Street
'MAJESTIC SECURITY SERVICES LTD.', 68a Norfolk Road
'V A. MARRIOTT. LTD BUILDERS', Handford Road
'MARTIN & NEWBY', 4-8 Fore Street
'MARY'S', 114 Woodbridge Road
'THE MULBERRY TREE', 5 Woodbridge Road
'H.H. NEARS LTD COACH BUILDERS', Charles Street
'PALMERS BAKERY' / 'The STRADBROKE BAKERY', 5A Norwich Road
'H.W. PARKER. PRINTING WORKS', 22 Fore Street
'PETER'S ICE CREAM', 52-58 Grimwade Street
'J. POOLEY & CO. (IPSWICH) LTD.', Ranelagh Road
'P.J. PRENTICE OUTFITTING', 185 Felixstowe Road
'PROSPECT HOUSE', 38 Christchurch Street
'ROBERTSON'S FLORIST', 102 St Helens Street
'ROSE & CROWN BREWERY', 77 Norwich Road
'A. ROUSE, GROCER', 184 Bramford Road
'ST MICHAELS WORKS', Bond Street
'SCARBOROW' [OPTOMETRIST]', 1 Dial Lane
'F.E. SEAGER', 171 Brunswick Road
'HARRY SEAMAN BUILDER', 4 Argyle Street
'SB' [Scott's Brasserie], 4a Orwell Place
'SENNITT'S', 18 Carr Street
'Serjeants paints & wallpapers', 37 Norwich Road
'S. SHANKS BAKERY', 7 Tuddenham Avenue
'SHELLEY'S' barber shop, 86 Norwich Road
'SHORTIS MOTORIST'S DISCOUNT STORE', 544-550 Woodbridge Road
'SUFFOLK RD STORES', 32a Tuddenham Avenue
'SWEETS & TOBACCO', 158 London Road
'SYMONDS FOR KODAKS', 12 Upper Brook Street
'TEMPTATION' [gates], 70 Carr Street
'H.W. TURNER', 104 St Helens Street
'WALTON SURGICAL APPLIANCE CO.', St Matthews Street
'CHAS: WEST', 171 Brunswick Road
'S. WILSON CUTLER', 48-50 Upper Orwell Street
'WHERSTEAD RD GARAGE', 487 Wherstead Road
'WIGGIN CHEMIST.', 34 St Matthews Street
'WINES, BOTTLED ALES AND STOUT' [Peatling & Cawdron], 238 Bramford Road
'WOOLWORTH'S', 26-32 Carr Street
'WOOTTONS CURE FOR CORNS', 47 Camden Road
'WOOTTONS Hairdresser', 7 Tavern Street


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