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Leo Bloom, Great Hampton St.

mikejee

mikejee

Super Moderator
Staff member
Came across this picture and reproduction advert from Leo Bloom. The shop (151-153 Gt Hampton St) disappeared between 1950 and 1955. The advertising was apparently very self-confident, as can be seen. At the time, as was usual, adverts covered the front page, and usually had a topical point. Thus , when Belisha beacons were tintroduced in 1934, it read "Although the ministry of Transport wishes pedestrians to be distinguished, the best way to do this is to wear Loo Bloom clothes.". Another (when West Brom. reached the Cup final in 1935) mentioned the "FINAL decision on a suit should be made at Loo Blooms West Brom shop"
mike
PS.Have reposted after hacking, but this time posted entire article

LEOBLO7E4.JPG
 
Mike, Thanks for posting that - great picture of the shop with the gas Light outside. Do you know if it was just Leo Blooms that advertised in this way or did other companies do it too. Using something topical in the advert would definitely make the reader notice it.
Today the only time I can think this is done is linking products to football/World Cup such as TV's and Beer.
 
I've been looking through some old cuttings I collected when I lived in brum. This was from a cutting in an article in the Evening Mail 23.10.79. It was a bit browned, so I had to touch it up a bit.
Mike
 
mikejee said:
The shop (151-153 Gt Hampton St) disappeared between 1950 and 1955
mike
Click to expand...
Interesting to see the photo's and advert. I bought a suit in the mid 50's and said this in the 'Bespoke Tailoring' thread.
I remember the first 'made to measure' suit I bought as a 19yr old from a shop called 'Loo Blooms' on the corner of Colmore Row and Livery Street. The tailor rolled cloths out on a table in the doorway so I could see them in daylight. I chose one and then spent 15 minutes being measured. Two weeks later I went in for a fitting and put on the partially made suit which I remember had lots of large white stitching. The tailor ripped some of it apart and re-pinned it and drew chalk marks in places. Four weeks later I went in, tried it and it fitted perfectly, It was marvellous - I will always remember that suit I had all those years ago.
Wonder why they changed the name - maybe easier to say.
 
mike..keep searching those cuttings...that pic of gt hampton row is a peach of a find as they are very hard to come by..my neck o the woods so i am chuffed....

lyn
 
The cutting says that "he changed the name because the people couldn't pronounce Lou properly". Not sure what that means, but originally he came from Hanley in the early 1900s, so maybe they pronounce it a different way up there to Brum.
mike
 
I remember Loo Bloom tailor when i was 16/18yrs circa1946/47. often gazed into his shop but could not afford a made to measure suit on wages £3 a week. Len.
 
This shop owned by Loo Bloom was in Worcester St and was taken in 1958. I do seem to remember it but I'm not sure that I ever shopped there. Perhaps it had gone before I was buying my own clothes.

Phil

CityWorcesterStreet1958.jpg
 
Hi Phil i can,t remember Worcester St but the building at the back rings a bell was it down the bottom of Corporation St? Is that a Standard Vanguard Mark 2 parked outside. Dek
 
Phil, My memory of Worcester St is that it sloped down from the back entrance of the market hall, my Dad had union striped flannel shirts made, which he wore with a seperate stiff starched collar made by Beaumonts Shirts, after WW2 they moved to Coventry Rd by The Blues ground. Len.
 
My memory of Worcester St was it ran at the rear of the Old Market Hall and ran from New Street quite near the top of the Bull Ring to Edgbaston Street somewhere near the end of Queens Drive that ran through New St Station.

Phil
 
mikejee said:
Came across this picture and reproduction advert from Leo Bloom. The shop (151-153 Gt Hampton St) disappeared between 1950 and 1955. The advertising was apparently very self-confident, as can be seen. At the time, as was usual, adverts covered the front page, and usually had a topical point. Thus , when Belisha beacons were tintroduced in 1934, it read "Although the ministry of Transport wishes pedestrians to be distinguished, the best way to do this is to wear Loo Bloom clothes.". Another (when West Brom. reached the Cup final in 1935) mentioned the "FINAL decision on a suit should be made at Loo Blooms West Brom shop"
mike
PS.Have reposted after hacking, but this time posted entire article

LEOBLO7E4.JPG
Click to expand...
My Auntie was his Secretary in the 60's and 70's at the Colmore Row show, which was run by Lou's son, Philip Bloom.
 
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