Austin's Library, Petersfield

As mentioned in an earlier post about the ironmonger F. A. Allsworth, until the late 1950s Lavant Street was one of Petersfield's main shopping streets. Originally, near the junction with Chapel Street, one could find Llewellyn Eley Bradley's shop. Although according to an article in Petersfield Life he was a jeweller, this is certainly wrong. Indeed other sources and a picture in the collection of Petersfield Museum indicate he sold books, stationery items and a whole range of fancy goods, including toys. Actually one of the toys in Bradley's shop was most certainly the inspiration for Adventures of the Little Wooden Horse by Ursula Moray Williams. The author of this classic book for children, published in 1938, was born in Petersfield and spent her youth in the Hampshire town. An article in Portsmouth News about that link also includes a copy of the picture of Bradley's shop mentioned above.
As for Llewellyn Bradley, who was born in 1877, he is also remembered for his photographs of Petersfield, several of which were printed as postcards. I have not found what happened to Bradley over time but it appears he sold his business in the early 1930s (possibly earlier). Indeed according to the 1933 edition of The British Book Trade Directory, Austin's Library was trading in lieu of Bradley's. Austin's Library appears on a picture of Lavant Street taken c. 1955 (the first shop on the left) but what happened to it after that date is unknown to me.

The ghost sign, which promoted both businesses, is found round the corner from the shop itself and would have been seen by people coming from the town centre and heading towards the shops of Lavant Street and Chapel Street or going towards the train station at the end of Lavant Street. Since both offered essentially the same services and goods, all that was needed when Austin's Library took over from Bradley's was to change the name on the first line.

Llewelynn Bradley / Austin's
Stationer, Newsagent
Books, Toys & Fancy Goods
-- Library --
Location: Chapel Street, Petersfield, Hampshire / Picture taken in September 2011

Wells & Rush, Petersfield

Back in the 1920s Chapel Street in Petersfield was a busy shopping street and the double fronted drapery shop of Wells & Rush offered ladies from this Hampshire town a wide range of cloth and garments. This piece of information comes from an article published in the Petersfield Post and is the only one I found about this particular shop.

Wells & Rush.
Sash Drapers
And
Milliners
The picture above was taken early on a summer day. Below is the same ghost sign, ten hours later.


Location: Chapel Street, Petersfield, Hampshire / Pictures taken on: 20/07/2008

Allsworth the ironmonger, Petersfield

Between 1859 and the 1960s, that is to say for as long as the railway was the principal means of transport, Lavant Street, the main thoroughfare to and from the station, used to be Petersfield's main shopping area. At the station end stood the Railway Hotel (now demolished). Walking from there towards the town centre in the 1950s, kids would look with eyes wide open at the windows of A. T. Emm Toyshop. Ladies would stop by Morton's Shoe Shop and a few meters further down the road would wonder whether their partner would buy them those jewels on display at Llewellyn Bradley *. Meanwhile men would comment on the new cars inside Fred Tews's showroom or could decide to get a new suit at Martin & Triggs, Outfitters. At the town end of the street, Austin's Library was a bookshop that cattered for the whole family.
Another shop found in Lavant Street was F. A. Allworth's.

F. A. Allsworth
Ironmongers &
Tool Merchants
The last two lines were painted twice, with '&' replacing 'and' in the process. The originally lettering was actually more elaborate with deep shadows in red. As for the first line, it was painted three times but I haven't been able to read the names of the previous shop owners.

The Francis Frith website has a picture of Lavant Street taken c. 1955 from the corner with Chapel Street. Austin's Library is immediately on the left.

*: according to an article in the magazine Petersfield Life. However other sources state Llewellyn Bradley sold books, stationery items and fancy goods. His shop was certainly taken over by Mr Austin, the owner of Austin's Library. Unless, of course, Bradley had two shops selling completely different kinds of goods.

Location: Lavant Street, Petersfield, Hampshire / Picture taken on: 20/07/2008