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Foster Brothers Clothing Company Limited

The interesting thing I spot in the broadsheet of 1937 is that Foster Bros. were still a small company with their Black Country roots still evident.
The 1930 flyer in post 65 suggests 130 branches nationwide. I wonder how many the eventually had before they ceased trading.
I note the price tags, (posts 51 and 59) have cut numbers. Assuming - and it is a big assumption - that the numbers were consecutive and had, at some period, commenced with 1, would make these two tags about the same date.


Post amended to take account of post 65.
 
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I suggest the tag might be from the Coventry Road branch. It was there in 1929 and was close by. Probably can’t be 100% sure as it might have come from City Centre High St shop. Viv.

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James,

Back to the fireplace, the tiled fireplace as in your front room, and was probably originally fitted to both rooms, is much older. The replacement one has tiles with two edges rounded and these tiles didn't appear on fireplaces until well after WW2 if am not mistaken.

Maurice
 
Here you are Alan. A much later one - 1952 - but FB still advertising in football programmes. I expect it was an effective way to reach their potential customers. Viv.

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Viv,

I was taken into the Kings Heath one a few times by my mother in the very early 1950s to buy trousers and shirts. I've always hated shopping for clothes and still won't do it. My other half will wade through eBay, leave the screen set up with about half a dozen shirts or woollies that she thinks might appeal, and I delete what I definitely don't like, and the leave the rest to her. I consider the fashion business a scam and an abomination on the world, but that's just me!

I also remember Pearks, but I think we more often than not used Wrensons just a few doors away. What is good about this picture is that every building is different with different shaped bay windows at first floor level, not today's boring & identical glass & concrete structures. But I'm wandering - nice picture, Viv.

Maurice
 
have been racking my brains trying to remember if there was a foster bros on the lozells road..i recall buying our dad a green shirt (his favourite colour) from a mens shop along there and i thought it was fosters but it was a long time ago

lyn
 
Foster Brothers also had a shop in Gooch Street, Balsall Heath.
Mom's uncle, Alfred Brown was the manager and Nora was the assistant in the glass cubicle who handled the crock money containers on the overhead wires. We used to go to the shop every August to be fitted out with clothes for the start of school again in September.
Boomy
 
So much of many townscapes today consist of quite uninteresting and bland appearing architecture. It seems mostly aimed at little or no maintenance which of course is a cost cutting scheme.
It might suggest why so many people like to visit those towns which possess a variety of shop and other buildings which are thought pleasing to the eyes.
 
boomy said:
Foster Brothers also had a shop in Gooch Street, Balsall Heath.
Mom's uncle, Alfred Brown was the manager and Nora was the assistant in the glass cubicle who handled the crock money containers on the overhead wires. We used to go to the shop every August to be fitted out with clothes for the start of school again in September.
Boomy
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I was the last manager of Gooch St prior to its closure and subsequent demolition in 1973..Has anyone got any photos of the Gooch St branch?
 
boro keith said:
Hated Fosters mom always took me there because they accepted Provy checks
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there was not nothing wrong with having provy checks. dont forget your mom had to pay them back with what little dosh she had. be graitfull.

back in the 50s and 60s, on the low income our parents were paid, often necessitated the taking out of a Provident cheque to spread the cost of buying school uniforms or other clothing – and also the cost of Christmas, even though we only had the one present each.

A £1 cheques would be paid back at one shilling a week, plus an extra one shilling. So twenty-one sillings for a £1 loan. It was manageable – and the man from the Prov called each week to collect the shilling. I remember Wades used to accept them, and Horn Brothers, plus a lot of small outlets.
 
For information.
Foster Brothers clothing company started in Pontefract Yorkshire by William Foster in 1876, and in fact there were no brothers . William thought Foster brothers sounded more professional, and thus FOSTER BROTHERS CLOTHING COMPANY WAS BORN.
Sadly, business in Pontefract didn’t realise the success he expected, so he moved to Birmingham, and opened his first shop on Coventry road, and from there, the business expanded with ultimately in excess of 300 branches.
I joined Fosters in 1969, as a young man of 18, and worked in the Pontefract branch which was resurrected some years post 1876.
My manager was John Humphrey.
I remember going to HO… Bradford street. We went on buying trips, and went round the warehouse picking stock for the branch.
I remember well the company boys wear buyer was a lovely man, his name was Wilf Hubbard.
The company eventually moved to Marshall lake road in Shirley, where Mr High was joint Chairman and managing director.
I worked for Fosters from 1969 -1993, and managed several shops , and eventually became an area manager in 1976 in the midlands.
Please feel free to ask me any questions.
GRAEME HEWES.
 
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