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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 8 List High Street Shops

Credit line: Joe Nobbs talks about the shops that used to be in Haslemere High Street.

Transcription:

Interviewer: Do you remember much about what the High Street was like?

Interviewee: Yes, Paris Hat Shop was still there, that’s where Mitchells the Fabric Shop is. When I was a kid there was a pub, the King’s Arms House that used to be a pub, White Horse much the same but lots of work done inside, NatWest Bank still the same, but the manager used to live above it I don’t think he does anymore. Lloyds used to be a chemist called Blaker’s, it was King’s Woods and before that it was Reed’s and then it was Blaker’s. [Next to it] used to be a hairdresser, there used to be the vets, Reggie Philips. What is now Cubitt & West was divided into two because Miss Philips had the vets going round the back and the front was a jewellers, also by the name of Philips, whether the two were related I can’t remember that. Then we had the chemists and where Gregs used to be that used to be a hairdressers, after that it became Midhurst Granaries and after that it became Bucks. Then where Liphook Valet is now, that used to be Haslemere Dairy, and Haslemere Dairy used to deliver milk from there. I don’t know where it came from but behind the Dairy there used to be lots of odd outbuildings and Dad used to garage a car round there. Then we had McFisheries, and where Boots are that used to be a Green’s Garage, and then Pink

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