No 69 High Street
 

This Grade II Listed building dates from the late 18th Century and is the only survivor of a row of four. The top floor was added in about 1906. It is named "Olde Banke House" but the name predates the opening in 1896 of Barclays Bank next door at No 67. (See Forum note below)

1896
Allan Manby - General & Furnishing Ironmonger (K1896). Allan Manby's extensive store develops as a gunsmith and cycle agent and sells "all descriptions of sporting goods" according to an 'advertorial' in a turn-of-the-century tourist guidebook to 'Southwold and Neighbourhood'.
Click here to read the article.


Allan Manby - General & Furnishing Ironmonger.

 
1915
Allan Manby
- General & Furnishing Ironmonger. Manby's advertising also now emphasises their car-hire business. (SRT1915)
 
1924
Allan Manby - General & Furnishing Ironmonger, Motor Garage (K1924)
 

1933
E P Beavan - Ironmonger and General Furnishing Monger (K1933, 1937, SPM1935, SRB1939). Mr Beavan also sold sports equipment, model yachts and fishing tackle and ran a car rental and lock-up garage business.

J B Harris ("Memories of Southwold 1920 - 1939") writes "...the young man in Beavan's was an eager beaver. A shopper came in asking for a cream-making machine (not uncommon then: they emulsified saltless butter and milk). 'I have not got one of those but I have got an electric orange and lemon squeezer'!" Quoted by permission of Mary Harris.


1943
E P Beavan - Ironmonger and General Furnishing Monger (SPM1943, SRB1946)

1947
Frederick W Woodward - Ironmonger and Builders' Merchants (SRB1947)


 

1950
Frederick W Woodward - Ironmonger and Builders' Merchants (SRB1950)

Lilian Woodward - now runs the business following the death of her husband, Frederick.

 

C 1975
Margaret (Peggy) Uffindel
- On Lilian Woodward's death, her daughter, Margaret, inherits the business which is managed by her husband, Douglas Uffindel. The business continues to trade as 'Woodwards' Ironmonger and Builders' Merchants
.

Douglas and Margaret's son, Peter Uffindel explains: "My father technically worked in turn for Frederick, Lilian and Margaret. He was never the proprietor but actually ran the business and was the “ironmongery” brains."


 

Douglas Uffindel - Manager, 'Woodwards' Ironmonger and Builders' Merchants

1987
Geoff Chuck - 'Woodwards' Ironmonger and Builders' Merchants (Source: Forum comment -see below)


 

1995
Geoff Chuck - 'Woodwards' Ironmonger and Builders' Merchants.

1999
Property is taken on a 10-year lease by Waveney District Council as a Tourist Information Centre.


 
 

Tourist Information Centre - Waveney District Council

2014
Tourist Information Centre closes. Moves to temporary base in Child's Yard

Southwold Books - a branch of the Waterstones chain.

   

Do you have any memories or records about this address? Can you correct any of our information or fill in any of our blanks? If so, please email Barry Tolfree
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SOURCES:
BSD - Bernard Segrave-Daly
BCS = Bygones & Characters of Southwold by Barrett Jenkins
C = Census
CP = Cinema Programme 1958
CSP = Coronation Souvenir Programme 1953
G = Gales Trade Directory
GRO = General Register Office
K = Kelly's Directory
LM = Local memory
M = James Maggs' Southwold Diary 1818-1876
MCG = Methodist Church Guide 1930
NA = National Archives
PP = Pantomime Programme 1933
PLR = Petrol Licence Records

POD = Post Office Directory
PPP = Pier Pavilion Programme 1924, 1926
RCE = Rotary Club Exhibition 1969
SCM = Southwold Catholic Magazine 1923
SCTG = Southwold Corporation Tourist Guide
SER = Southwold Electoral Register
SFP = Southwold Scouts Fete Programme 1947
SG = Southwold Guide
SGCH = Southwold Golf Club Handbook
SLHR = Southwold Local History Recorder 1980s 1990s (Mrs R. McDermot)
SMHS = Southwold Museum & Historical Society

SN = Southwold & Neighbourhood 1903
SPM = Southwold Parish Magazine 1895 -1954
SR = Southwold Recorder 1927, 1932, 1934, 1935
SRB = Southwold Rate Book
SRT = Southwold Railway Timetable 1915
SSAS = Southwold Sea Angling Society Handbook 1909
SST = Southwold Summer Theatre Programmes
SSW = Southwold Shopping Week Programme, June/July 1922
STG = Southwold Town Guide 1930
SVL = Southwold Visitors List 1907, 1930
SVCP = Southwold Victory Celebration Programme 1946
SWCG = Southwold Wesleyan Church Guide

TTR = 'The Town Revisited' - Portraits of Southwold by Stephen Wolfenden 2000
TTT = ''To The Town' - Portraits of Southwold by Stephen Wolfenden 1988
W = White’s History, Gazetteer and Directory of Suffolk 1874

 
Note on dates
Unless otherwise stated, dates given do not indicate the years in which the business started or finished but those for which there is firm evidence that it was trading at this address. Sources in brackets; key at bottom of page.





Olde Bank House (with its 'Dutch Gable') in the early part of the 20th Century.
Southwold Museum P021
Click the image to see the complete photo.

Allan Manby bill head 1898

Allan Manby bill head from 1898
Reproduced from a collection in Southwold Museum.
Click the image to enlarge


Allan Manby offered "all manner of sporting goods".. Click the image to read an article from an early 1900s visitor guide.


Advertisement in Southwold Visitors' List 1907

Advertisement in the Southwold Railway Timetable 1915


Mid 1920s advertisement in Southwold Town Guide
Courtesy of Heather Osmer
Click the image to enlarge

Allan Manby Luggage label, probably from 1920s.
Image courtesy of David Baker



A 1930 advertisement for E P Beavan

Mr Uffindel of Woodwards Ironmongery shop

Mr D Uffindel (front) owner of Woodward's ironmongery shop, photographed in the mid 80s.

The other staff, from l to r, are David Garrod, Norman Simpson and Stephen Goodrich.

Reproduced from 'To the Town' by kind permission of Stephen Wolfenden

Click the picture to enlarge

1990 advertisement in the Southwold Summer Theatre programme