Now, despite all the new restaurants, wine bars and gift shops that present themselves along Beech Road, it is easy to overlook the continuity of businesses.
So, take this old image of the road, from some time around the turn of the last century, and it is possible to spot the bakery on the corner with Neale Road, and the newsagents at the junction with Chequers Road.
And long with these there was the wine merchants of Mason & Burroughs, which continued to trade under the name of various companies until as Victoria Wines it closed about a decade ago.
Added to these, there has been a pet shop at various locations along Beech Road, and a stationer.
Some like the newsagents can claim to have always traded as such right back to when Mr. Nixon opened in the early 1900s.
And while Mr. and Mrs Nixon were new to the trade, his father had run the stationers, in what is now 68 Beech Road and his grandparents had offered up beer and cheer in the Traveler’s Rest from the 1840s.
Nor is that the end, because Mr. Nixon’s great grandfather ran the pub over the water in what is now Jackson’s Boat, while Mrs. Nixon’s grandfather was Brownhill the wheelwright.
Today, the newsagents is run by the Etchells family who have been there since the 1960s, and next door in what is now a Chinese takeaway, opened as fish and ship shop at the same time as Mr. Nixon began selling newspapers.
All of which leads me back to Mason & Burrows, which is now occupied by épicerie Ludo, a place I have long been a fan of. For here can be found a wonderful range of freshly baked bread, an equally interesting selection of wines and lots more food in between.
For those of us who missed Buonissimo after it closed, the return of a deli on to Beech Road is most welcome, and I have to say that Ludo and Darren go out of their way to source my requests.
So, there it is, …………… and for those who didn’t know, the Co-op at the bottom of Beech Road, follows in the footsteps of the one that stood almost opposite.
Of course, patterns of shopping have changed and our tradional shops which included a grocer, a green grocer, butchers, hardware store and even a televion repair shop have gone, replaced by the advent of cafe society, the gift shop and the hairdressers.
Location; Beech Road
Pictures; Beech Road circa 1900, from the collection of Rita Bishop, épicerie Ludo, 2018, courtesy of the owners, and café life, 2014, from the collection of Andrew Simpson
 |
| Beech Road circa 1900 |
And long with these there was the wine merchants of Mason & Burroughs, which continued to trade under the name of various companies until as Victoria Wines it closed about a decade ago.
Added to these, there has been a pet shop at various locations along Beech Road, and a stationer.
 |
| Mason & Burrows, 1900 |
And while Mr. and Mrs Nixon were new to the trade, his father had run the stationers, in what is now 68 Beech Road and his grandparents had offered up beer and cheer in the Traveler’s Rest from the 1840s.
Nor is that the end, because Mr. Nixon’s great grandfather ran the pub over the water in what is now Jackson’s Boat, while Mrs. Nixon’s grandfather was Brownhill the wheelwright.
Today, the newsagents is run by the Etchells family who have been there since the 1960s, and next door in what is now a Chinese takeaway, opened as fish and ship shop at the same time as Mr. Nixon began selling newspapers.
All of which leads me back to Mason & Burrows, which is now occupied by épicerie Ludo, a place I have long been a fan of. For here can be found a wonderful range of freshly baked bread, an equally interesting selection of wines and lots more food in between.
 |
| épicerie Ludo, 2018 |
So, there it is, …………… and for those who didn’t know, the Co-op at the bottom of Beech Road, follows in the footsteps of the one that stood almost opposite.
Of course, patterns of shopping have changed and our tradional shops which included a grocer, a green grocer, butchers, hardware store and even a televion repair shop have gone, replaced by the advent of cafe society, the gift shop and the hairdressers.
 |
| Cafe Society, 2004 |
Pictures; Beech Road circa 1900, from the collection of Rita Bishop, épicerie Ludo, 2018, courtesy of the owners, and café life, 2014, from the collection of Andrew Simpson
It wasn't a T.v repair shop it was a washing machine repair shop in which my father Tom Delaney ran from 1973-1992, it was situated on the corner of beech rd &Stockton rd
ReplyDeleteIn 1977 the off license was called Mackies and my maiden name was Wright and now I’m a Mason how strange is that when it originally was called Mason & Burrough’s
ReplyDelete