Terrett Taylor, Ironmongers

Clock Tower, High Street And The Tump c1960
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This photograph brings back many memories of the Coleford of my childhood. The area round the Town Clock has changed a few times over the years mainly to accomodate the increase in traffic. The building on the far side of the clock in the High Street was a huge ironmongers called Terrett Taylor & Co. It was owned in the 1950s by Mr H. J. Walker and my father Fred Fowler was the Manager, having worked there from the age of fourteen in 1924. It was also a Builders Merchants with an extensive yard stretching back to the railway station. Once a year my father would enlist our help with the stocktaking which was a massive task and many hours were spent counting screws and weighing nails. The shop itself had many rooms which were a joy to explore. In the main selling area were two long wooden counters with drawers both underneath and behind. Further up the High Street on the left was the Post Office, and opposite a Cinema owned at the time by Miss Marjorie Reeves who would not tolerate bad behaviour from any of the customers. I saw practically every film shown there in the fifties, attending every Monday and Friday and paying about 1/6 each time. The Cinema still exists today.