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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 14 Petworth Road Shop Otherside

Credit line: Joe Nobbs talks about the shops that used to be in Petworth Road.

Transcription:

Interviewer: What about the other side of Petworth Road?

Interviewee: Wasn’t much there. There was the pub, Stone’s, the china shop, which has been there since the year dot, where Woolworths used to be it used to be Partner Stores.

Interviewer: What did they sell?

Interviewee: Grocers. When Boujours, the clothes shop next to us went, Partner Stores took that over. Eventually the International took Partner Stores over and that became the International next door to us till they moved down West Street.

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