No 37 High Street
  
 

Ronnie Waters remembers the interior of this shop in the immediate pre-war years, as reminiscent of the Victorian period, complete with typical grocer's wooden shelving.

1896
Edward Robinson - Grocer and Draper (K1896). Kelly's fails to give a street number for this business but there is enough evidence to be reasonably confident that 37 is the correct address.

1907
H J Debney & Son - Grocers. (SVL1907). This is one of three Southwold shops owned by the H J Debney company. The others are in Stradbroke Road and his department store at No 7 South Green. There is a further store across the Blyth in Walberswick. Henry Johnson Debney himself died 17 years ago in 1890 but the business still carries his name.

1908
Richard Mawhead - Grocer (K1908). Richard Mawhead does not appear to have stayed long; this is his last year of trading.
 

Date uncertain
R W Case - Confectioner and Tobacconist. "Shaving materials and toothpastes, brushes and combs etc, up-to-date fountain pens, stationery, writing pads and picture postcards etc."
 
1922
Henry C Buckler - Tobacconist, Stationer, Sweets   (SSW1922). See advertisement, right.
 

1933
 Henry C Buckler - Newsagent and Tobacconist(K1933)

The Late J B Harris, in his unpublished memoir about childhood holidays in Southwold, writes "There was Buckler's just beyond the Post Office, who sold all holiday things and also was the local, under-cover, bookmaker's collector. [note: bookmaking was illegal outside racetracks until 1961] I discovered this when my mother was taking an elderly couple somewhere in our car. Mr Smith needed to stop at Buckler's for some cigarettes. After rather a ling time he came back to the car but, when asked about the cigarettes, realised he had not got any!" Reproduced with kind permission of J B Harris's widow, Mary.

1937
Mrs Mary Buckler - Newsagent and Tobacconist(K1937, SRB1939)

Mrs Mary Buckler - Newsagent and Tobacconist

 

1952
Mrs Mary Buckler - Newsagent and tobacconist (SRB1952).

1953
Forename Darwood - Newsagent and Confectioner. (SRB1953, 1954)


1967
Mr & Mrs S H Rimmer - Stationer, Tobacconist, Newsagent (SER1967)

 

Mr & Mrs S H Rimmer - Stationer, Tobacconist, Newsagent.

1979
Dick Manning - Mannings - Stationer, Tobacconist, Newsagent. (Source: Photo right)


 

1984
Dick Manning - Mannings - Stationer, Tobacconist, Newsagent. (PPP1988)

1987
John & Pat Purdy - Newsagents. The Purdys take over the shop in October this year.
 

John & Pat Purdy - Newsagents
 
 

2014
John & Pat Purdy - Retire in January this year, selling the business to...

Jane Miller, OBE. The store is managed by Aleyna Murray-Sutton and John (Will) Windell manages distribution (Source: Lowesthoft Journal 28 Feb 2014)
   

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.


1907 advertisement in the Southwold Visitors List

Advertisement from the Southwold Shopping Week programme, 1922

1929 advertisement in Southwold Wesleyan Church Guide
Courtesy of Heather Osmer

1969 Advertisement in the Programme of the Leisure Activities Exhibition organised by the Rotary Club in the Spring of this year.

Manning's shop photographed on Saturday
30 June 1979 by David Baker whom we thank for supplying it.

Click the picture to view more of this scene

Dick Manning, newsagent - mid 1980s

Dick Manning, Manning's Newsagent, photographed in the mid-1980s.
Reproduced from 'To the Town' by kind permission of Stephen Wolfenden

Click the picture to enlarge