Kettering

The Royal Hotel (left) vied with the George in attracting a superior local clientele. Next door, the drapers, Pritchard’s, has a sun awning to prevent the window display fading. Beyond we can see the façade of the Midland Bank, now HSBC. The neo-Georgian building beyond was to be rebuilt as the Granada Cinema (see K13065, pages 36-37). Lloyds Bank, on the right, is on the corner of Market Street. The policeman, possibly on traffic duty, is talking to a man whose cap and breeches suggest a chauffeur or AA patrolman. Meanwhile a butcher’s boy cycles down the middle of the High Street, a reminder that delivery to the door was expected in 1922. Making the deliveries was the first foot on the career rung, followed by serving in the shop.
An extract from from"Kettering Town and City Memories".

Hitchman’s, the chemist on the left, was on the corner of Silver Street and Gold Street. Their own medicines were made up in the dispensary, where they made a well-known sulphur pill for skin problems and an ‘extract of honey’ hand cream. This sort of chemist often had scales for weighing babies, as well as alluring bottles of coloured liquids as window decorations. The young mothers had almost certainly been getting free advice on childcare from Hitchman’s. Notice that however poor they were, women wore hats when they went out - even on local errands. This corner would be dominated by Burtons in the 1930s.
An extract from from"Kettering Town and City Memories".

On the right the Old Post Office Buildings, faced in red terracotta, were a triumphant memorial to the Victorian splendour of the town, and to Gotch and Saunders, the architects.
An extract from from"Kettering Town and City Memories".

Until the 1930s the south side of the market, facing the camera, was bordered by a row of buildings which would be later demolished. The gabled stone building (in front of the church) housed the Market Offices, and was also a drop-in centre for the unemployed. It was built of stone from the Session House, which had stood in the market until 1805. Paynes the bakers were in the pale upright building with advertisements for wedding cakes on the frontage. They were the first commercial ice-cream makers in Kettering. The Albion Temperance Hotel is nearest the road. When this block was demolished it was replaced by a car park.
An extract from from"Kettering Town and City Memories".

This view from the middle of the Market Place is not much altered since 1922. The view towards the Royal Hotel and Lloyds Bank is almost unchanged. On the right the Victorian Corn Exchange has become the Variety cinema. The fusion of industry and shopping was usual in the town. Baker & Son, boot manufacturers, have their headquarters next to Pears & Sons, the dentists. The stalls were provided by the stall holders until the 1930s, when uniform stalls were supplied by the Borough Council.
An extract from from"Kettering Town and City Memories".