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Bell and Nicholson Drapers' Warehouse Department Store

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Shellsearch

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Does anyone have any information on this establishment or employees at all ?
One of my relatives used to work here from 1936 onwards as a telephonist, and I am trying to find records of who else was employed by the company at the time, it would also be great to see a picture of the store !
Many Thanks
Michelle
 
hi michelle...not sure if this is of any help to you but in the 70s i worked for a warehouse company who did things like buttons..zips..cottons..needles etc...they were called bell nicholson and lunt and the premises was opposite the evening mail city centre....im just wondering if the lunt was added later and they are one and the same co..maybe worth your while trying to find out if they are still in business..if so they may have there own archives of previous workers and even photos of their old building...

lyn
 
Hi Lyn
Thanks for your replies
I'll follow up your lead ! Please let me know if you remember any other gems about it !
Cheers
M
 
When I met my ex OH in the 60s, he was working in the warehouse at Bell and Nicholson (later to become Bell, Nicholson and Lunt when they merged with Lunts, another wholesaler). He was promoted to being a rep on the road when, sadly, another rep was killed in an accident. We thought we were the bee's knees driving round in his company car - a vauxhall victor estate with a bench seat in the front.
 
Hi seabird, Did you ever come across a guy called John Robotham? (I think thats how he spelt his name) he was a rep for Bell & Nicholson in the late 1950s.
if my memory is correct his Dad rept; for Wendy Wools ,He was originaly from Nottingham but had moved to Sutton Oaks Rd Streetly Sutton Coldfield.
Good skater & Nottingham Panthers Ice Hockey Club Supported.
Any recall??????
 
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Hi Baron - sorry, no, I don't recall any names from Bell and Nicholson as I didn't get to meet many of ex's workmates from there. Shortly after his promotion to rep he moved onto a job working for the Ladybird agents who were based in the Rotunda - that would be in the mid to late 60s.
 
I worked in Cardiff Branch and went to Colmore Circus every Monday. I met my wife at Bells and we have now been married 35 years !
 
They had, I am sure a warehouse in the Torquay area during the 1960/70's and maybe later. I guess they had wholesale outlets in many other places seeing that Birmingham, Cardiff and Northampton have been mentioned.
A search only refers to this Forum and the intrusive Facebook and Friends of websites.
 
They had, I am sure a warehouse in the Torquay area during the 1960/70's and maybe later. I guess they had wholesale outlets in many other places seeing that Birmingham, Cardiff and Northampton have been mentioned.
A search only refers to this Forum and the intrusive Facebook and Friends of websites.

They had a few branches around the U.K. Plus of course warehouses such as Emlyn Lewis in Swansea, and Wilkinson Riddell Larkin who were in the group. I had to use a truck with Lawrence Bros upon it. So many were under that umbrella which eventually became Courtaulds Distributors. The new truck I had in Feb 76 was the first of Bell, Nicolson & Lunt's to be in the Courtaulds livery. It was then matching several companies in South Wales who had this livery. We had to carry goods sometimes from the Nottingham based Bradbury Greatrex who too must have been in the group. I think it must have been quite a large concern.
 
A great photo from John Ball's website and this extract from the 1962 Kelly's Directory.


Bell & Nicolson Ltd. who. drapers, Cannon ho. 18 Priory,
Ringway 4. T A " Textiles " ; Central 7055

 

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We worked on the roof of that building c1990 demolishing a parapet wall that ran all around the outer edge of the building from Steelhouse Lane to Corporation St. I think it was to enable the addition of that top floor. The reason I remember it is because of the complaints I had to deal with about the noise from Lloyds Bank computer department that was located in the building. Nobody else complained only them, and because of them we had to do the whole job by hand using no machinery.
 
I worked at Bell Nicholson Lunt at Priory Queensway in the early 70's. At reception was Linda Timbrell, Ann Boland and Lynn Bridges who handed out the customers order slips. Mr Law I think was in charge of security, an ex police officer. I remember some of the staff in the departments, Roger from the furniture department who married a customer from Polesworth, Mac I think was in menswear and Leo who handed out the customers purchases as they left the building.
I remember there were 2 caretakers who lived at the top of the building and there was Ron who wore a very smart navy blue uniform and guarded the rotating entrance door and lobby.
 
I worked at Bell`s for about 12 months starting mid 1957. I worked in the shirt department. Mr Law was the manager. There were three of us young men, one was Bob, the other a Johnny Fewins. I think he was related in some way to the actress Dora Bryan. There were three middle aged ladies (well they seemed middle aged to a twenty year old) and an under Manager. he taught me the pricing code. OFREDSWAYM. O was naught, F was 1, up to M being 9. That`s where I learned to wrap and string tie a pretty smart parcel.
 
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