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Haslemere Shops

When the railway came to Haslemere in 1859 the area began to earn a reputation for its unspoilt beauty. As tourists and new settlers arrived, so locals set up and expanded into new businesses, such as horse–drawn carriage hire and tea–rooms. Haslemere has sustained hundreds of independent shops and businesses. The national chain stores have largely been more recent arrivals. Woolworths came in 1951 and its Haslemere branch is said to have been the only store in Britain not to have the classic trademark red in its sign – a concession to the shop’s surroundings. The UK chain and the local store finished trading at the start of 2009. An independent, R. Miles ironmongers, holds the record for the longest continually running shop in Haslemere.

Track 37 General Carriers

Credit line: John Belton talks about parcels being delivered in Haslemere.

Transcription:

Interviewee: Part of the Midland Bank was the big house. That’s where Bill Stubbington lived. He was a sort of general carrier. He had a yard and that and there were stables there. I think I’m right that they used to keep the railway horse in there. Old Mr Bowem used to keep his railway horse in one of the stables there.

Interviewer: What’s a railway horse?

Interviewee: For delivering parcels. Because originally they delivered parcels around Haslemere with a horse and cart.

Interviewer: Do you remember this?

Interviewee: I can remember Mr Bowem, his daughter still lives up in the flats. I can remember the horse. He had a white one I can remember.

Interviewer: He used to pick up parcels from the railway?

Interviewee: There was a proper goods yard at Haslemere station at one time where the car park is now. And of course they changed from there when they got rid of the horse they went to one of these little three wheeled Scarman delivery trucks. But the stables were there. He used to have two or three stables – Stubbington. He used to do all the beanpoles. He was a sort of a general carrier. Done anything. Logs and all sorts of things. It was a real old fashioned yard. He had three stables there on that side and then on the other side there were the pens for the slaughter house.

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