Bury St Edmunds historian Martyn Taylor revisits some of the shops and businesses that once occupied the town’s Guildhall Street

A heavy smoker, Anne probably got through quite a bit of her stock every week! On entering her shop, it always seemed to smell of boiled cabbage. As I recall she always wore black, her jet black hair slicked back into a tight bun, but it was the make-up she wore that made you wonder who she actually was – the face powder was laid on with a trowel with dark eyebrow liner and red lipstick-laden lips.

Now, with the Trustee Savings Bank at no.8 (formerly Bury Permanent Building Society premises) about to become a residential property, other businesses are moving on. Estate agent Buck Marshall have relocated from no.9 to Eastgate Street, its former premises becoming another estate agent, Shires, while another Jackson-Stops (yes, an estate agents) has moved into no.11 (many years ago Pudney Electrical).

Yet another estate agents, Bedfords, established some 55 years ago, is currently at no.15, on the corner with Churchgate Street. This was once the secondhand book and junk shop of Mr Leslie Peachey. His son Bernie, always referred to as young Mr Peachey, had a shop further down the street. Always professional and polite in their dealings, their shops belonged to another age.

At no16, Tom Allen, in his tobacconist/sweet shop was almost the opposite – his infuriating play-acting when serving customers made you sometimes wonder how they ever came back, but they did. The Three Goats pub (no.17) has been residential since the 1950s, its last vestiges are three goat-like heads on the roof gutter, but they are actually more lion-like than caprine.

At nos.18-19 upmarket furnisher Cyril Osbourne traded. It was taken over by Clement Joscelyne, which would eventually move to Langton Place, sadly going into administration in 2012.

Surprisingly for a short while recently nos.18-19 were used by Bury Town Council. Moving along, who can forget Peggotys’ excellent carvery on the corner with College Lane (Hogg Lane). It too is now residential, as is Motorspares (once Sneezums pawnbrokers) on the opposite corner. Motorspares was a family-run business owned by the Jenkins brothers. help and advice was always on hand even if a sale was not forthcoming. Opposite, at nos.63-65, was where the Saracen Head brewery and pub operated. Eventually this became the British Legion Club and, when that closed down through lack of patronage, it became The Hunter Club. Owner Andrew Hunter had the actual Saracen’s heads once outside the entrance beautifully restored and they are now on display in the hallway.

Bernie Peachey’s secondhand shop already mentioned was next door, with Norman Bateman’s sweet shop adjacent. For many years during the 20th century no.68 was the bakery of Oliver Childs and his son Claude. They probably had the last horse-drawn bread delivery cart in the town. With the bakery’s closure, the Golden House Chinese takeaway – one of the earliest in the town - took on the property, owned until recently by the Chung brothers from Hong Kong. Charlie, the oldest, was the personification of customer service, the free prawn crackers you received from him in your little brown carrier bag made you want to come back, and you did! Charismatic brother Patrick had the Cantonese restaurant in Hatter Street and would eventually become mayor of Bury; he is still a prominent councillor.

A little known fact is that no.68 was The Black Girl, a short-lived beer-house trading from 1836-44 on the back of the adjacent Black Boy pub whose then owners, the entrepreneurial McLeroth family, had several licensed pubs in the town. To say they were displeased with their exploiting neighbour was a bit of an understatement. The Black Boy was renamed The Westgate after owners Greene King bowed to public pressure to change its name.

You could call the west side of Guildhall Street ‘The Legal Side’ as three firms of solicitors were here, longstanding Greene & Greene at no.80 the only one left. Bankes Ashton, now Ashtons Legal, at no.81 has moved to Fornham St Martin, whilst Partridge & Wilson offices at no.88 are now residential.

Close by, at no.90, another business almost an institution that closed in 1988 was Andrews & Plumptons ironmongers. The firm lingered on in St Andrew’s Street South until 2000. It was a veritable treasure trove of bits and bobs, nuts and bolts etc. In the flat above the shop notable artist Sybil Andrews was born in 1898, her grandfather Fred Andrews having started the business in 1862. After being taken over by the Royal Bank of Scotland no.90 has not fared well as since its departure it has fallen into decline.

To finish, I am sure many readers can recall numerous other businesses that have come and gone in this street, Serendipity gift shop, tailors Parkington & Bowers, Cuttings Antiques, Harold Beeson Bookmakers, the Golden Lion brewery tap to name just a few, fortunately their buildings still remain generally unaltered save perhaps for the odd shop-front.

-- Martyn Taylor is a local historian, author and Bury Tour Guide. His latest book, Bury St Edmunds Through Time Revisited, is widely available.