History of our shop unit on North Cross Road - help needed

[rigbydan]

Help needed from those with long memories...

Our store, ed, on North Cross Road celebrates 25 years this year. As part of the celebrations we are looking in to the history of the unit. With a lot of help from the amazing Dulwich Society and Southwark archives we have a pretty comprehensive history of businesses that traded from 41 North Cross Road going back to 1887 - it includes hatters, tailors, butchers and travel agents.

ed took on the unit in 1999 from Transylvanian Express (Travel Agents) and we know that there was a Butchers (B S Coppins) trading there in 1986 but not sure what went on in between those dates - anyone know?

Any ideas, anecdotes, memories and photos are MUCH appreciated.

Many thanks
Dan

Edited March 5, 2024 by rigbydan

[Jenijenjen]

This is based on my memory only and so perhaps not very reliable but I thought the butcher was one of the casualties when Sainsbury's opened (1993?). They tried to carry on as wholesalers only for a while but this wasn't successful, perhaps because they made a lot of noise at 6am and perhaps there were complaints. There may have been a gap between the butchers vacating and Transylvanian Express opening but not sure.

[rigbydan]

Thanks Jeni. 
Thanks for this, much appreciated. That could well be it- I have an advert for Transylvanian Express from 1997 so know they were in situ then. IF B S Coppins were still trading when Sainbury's opened around 93 they may have struggled on for a couple of years and then sold up. We had a couple come in to ed just the other day - on a trip down memory lane as they lived in the flat above the shop for 5 years 1968 - 1972 - they had to walk through the butchers to get in and out.
Thanks again
Dan

[Sue]

After the butcher, wasn't there a sort of gift shop cum coffee shop? The coffee part being a sort of alternative to the Blue Mountain opposite, and part of the beginning of gentrification? 

I  can't remember its name now, but it was owned/run by someone called ?Rose? , who then became a publican and changed the Magdala to the Magnolia (now the Lordship - via the Patch) with her then partner.

And then moved away from the area.

Or has senility struck again and  I am thinking of another North Cross Road shop completely?!

I'm pretty sure it must have been yours, Dan,  because of the size.

[Jenijenjen]

Sue - I think you must be thinking of Grace and Favour which was where Forest is now, previously Luca. 

It seems that Willow on the corner has now vacated

Edited March 6, 2024 by Jenijenjen

[rigbydan]

Grace and Favour went about 2012 - Rose moved down to Hastings. Trying to remember what came next - was it Duck Egg?
Our store was originally a lot shallower but we extended out back pretty early on.

[lilolil]

http://www.camberwellboroughcouncil.co.uk/the-boy-from-dulwich/
Have a look here. There’s lots of history about the area and someone on there might be able to answer your question!

[Jenijenjen]

Yes Duck Egg. I'd forgotten about them though I can visualise the precise shade of blue of their fascia board. Weren't there long

[Sephiroth]

I moved to ED in 2001 so I remember the "shallow" version of eD before the extension out the back but nothing before then

Always glad when I come back to the area to see the place still going

[Sue]

1 hour ago, rigbydan said:

Grace and Favour went about 2012 - Rose moved down to Hastings. Trying to remember what came next - was it Duck Egg?
Our store was originally a lot shallower but we extended out back pretty early on.

Ah yes, Grace and Favour.  I must be misremembering it as having been bigger than it was.

Everybody seems to have either moved to Hastings or be about to 😂

I don't remember Duck Egg at all!

 

[kford]

Here it is, in the Green Cross Code Man ad from the late 70s: 

 

[rigbydan]

Thanks - the Boy from East Dulwich memoir is brilliant - I never knew Francis Rossi had links to the area!

The Green Cross Code video is wonderful - its the parade up from us that features - bookended by The Clipper and Glazer Delmar today. There were so many shops and local businesses.

[rigbydan]

Other than Green Cross Code does anyone know of any other filming that has taken place on North Cross Road over the years?

[rigbydan]

Hi All

Following incredible assistance from The Dulwich Society, a visit to the Southwark Archives and lots local insight from this forum, social media and visitors to ed we have created a visual history of ed's home, 41 North Cross Road. We think it looks great, you can see it on our Instagram and Facebook pages:

https://www.instagram.com/p/C6UJsC3MDsS/

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=947290310732033&set=pcb.947290447398686

There is a much less pretty but more detailed version for anyone interested.

Many thanks for all your help.

Dan

[Froglander]

Very interesting. Thanks for posting.