Closing down after 170 odd years at those premises - knew they'd been there for as long as I could remember as a kid. The famous round clock that juts out from the building with its red and blue neon sign is a memory from when I used to play around the steble fountain. Rosemary, the manageress, who is 73 started work there aged 14.

Hi Ged

Many thanks for this information. I thought for a few moments that Brown's might have been the name of a jewellers I dealt with in London Road a few times years ago but they aren't. The firm I am thinking of is Pryor's of London Road, on the south side, at 110 London Road, up by the equestrian statue of George III. They are an old established company as well and appear to be still there from what I can glean from the web. The establishment you have mentioned must be closer to Lime Street judging by their address of 12 London Road.

Chris

Browns is on the south side but down closer to the bottom of London Road near the 'Legs of Man' pub (now part of the Empire theatre). I bought my dad a Rotary watch from them. I have inherited the watch. I also bought a Sewells watch from them and would take it in to them for cleaning and any needed adjustments whenever I was home. I still have the Sewells and it keeps time as good as any modern quartz timepiece. Alas, Sewells, which was located on Cornhill, no longer make watches, however, they were the last remaining watchmaker in Britain. They were the makers of chronometres for the Royal Navy and fell on hard times when the RN switched to satelite navigation and didn't renew the contract with Sewells.

Pryors changed owners a couple of years ago, sadly ending the Pryors family buisness after many years and heirs. Its a completely different shop now although the new owners like to use Pryors good name and reputation.Before It was like going into Aladdins cave with so many beautiful things,all decently priced.That magic has gone.

Pryors changed owners a couple of years ago, sadly ending the Pryors family buisness after many years and heirs. Its a completely different shop now although the new owners like to use Pryors good name and reputation.Before It was like going into Aladdins cave with so many beautiful things,all decently priced.That magic has gone.

Thanks for that information about Pryors jewellers, jimbo. When I was a teenager I bought a number of Roman coins there as well as a shilling of Edward VI and some old foreign coins as well.

Chris

Good stuff. There's a feature on it in tonight's Echo.

Lovely photos, Gerard.

It's a great clock.
A true Liverpool Icon.
Very unusual with that neon.
Have a look inside the shop if you can.
The ceiling is very art-deco.

Hi Ged

Many thanks for this information. I thought for a few moments that Brown's might have been the name of a jewellers I dealt with in London Road a few times years ago but they aren't. The firm I am thinking of is Pryor's of London Road, on the south side, at 110 London Road, up by the equestrian statue of George III. They are an old established company as well and appear to be still there from what I can glean from the web. The establishment you have mentioned must be closer to Lime Street judging by their address of 12 London Road.

Chris


Just for you Chris..Pryors London Rd.

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c60/gedfleming/DSC01061.jpg


http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c60/gedfleming/DSC01063.jpg

Lovely photos, Gerard.

It's a great clock.
A true Liverpool Icon.
Very unusual with that neon.
Have a look inside the shop if you can.
The ceiling is very art-deco.


Thank's Phil..I've been in there Loads of Times over the Years and Never Looked at the Ceiling !!

Always looking on the floor for dropped pennies.

Amazing to see how that corner of London Rd looks now man!! I moved away from The Pool when I was 35, four years ago, and the old Legs of Man was managed by an uncle of mine called Tony Tynan, and we celebrated me mar and dars 25th anniversary in there upstairs in the function room. He then went on to manage The Lord Nelson just off London Rd. Anyway, so bleedin different in just 4 years!! :PDT_Xtremez_12:

Just for you Chris..Pryors London Rd.

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c60/gedfleming/DSC01063.jpg

More great photos, Gerard.

Have you noticed the shop next door where the original front is partly exposed?
It could be anything up to 100 years old.
Would it be possible for you to take a zoom shot of it?
Pretty please. :)
My camera isn't capable.

Hi Ged

Many thanks for this information. I

thought for a few moments that Brown's might have been the name of a jewellers I dealt with in London Road a few times years ago but they aren't. The firm

I am thinking of is Pryor's of London Road, on the south side, at 110 London Road, up by the equestrian statue of George III. They are an old established

company as well and appear to be still there from what I can glean from the web. The establishment you have mentioned must be closer to Lime Street judging

by their address of 12 London Road.

Chris
Nice one Gerard:handclap:
Chris, when I was chatting to Gerard a few days back, I was getting

mixed up with Proyor's and T Brown's too.

I was telling Gerard that I can recall as a very young kid Pryor's having a display of shrunken heads in

their Greek St window. I kid you not! All I can remember was that the heads were South American. It's a bit like my memories of dwarf wrestling at Liverpool

Stadium, nobody else can recall that either.

More great photos,

Gerard.

Have you noticed the shop next door where the original front is partly exposed?
It could be anything up to 100 years old.
Would it be

possible for you to take a zoom shot of it?
Pretty please. :)
My camera isn't capable.

doesn't the shop next door have an original

advertisment for Everton Toffees/mints ?

Nice one Gerard:handclap:
Chris, when I was chatting to Gerard a few days back, I was getting mixed up with Proyor's and T Brown's too.

I was telling Gerard that I can recall as a very young kid Pryor's having a display of shrunken heads in their Greek St window. I kid you not! All I can remember was that the heads were South American. It's a bit like my memories of dwarf wrestling at Liverpool Stadium, nobody else can recall that either.


Ta Dave..Midgets on the Stadium !! have you banged yer Ead again !!

I'll get you a close up Phil in the next few days mate of the Deli..

Anybody remember what this Deli used to be Years ago and who owned it !!

Clue !!...A Famous Liverpool Footballers Dad had it..Another Clue..The Footballers Mam was my Mams Cousin !!




Thanks in advance, Gerard.

I cheated!
I've got a 1936 Directory, and it was Noblett's Wholesale Confectioners then.
Was that the same firm as Everton Toffee?

I've got a 1936 Directory, and it was Noblett's Wholesale Confectioners then.Was that the same firm as Everton Toffee?Yes it was, Mrs Noblett had a toffee shop at the top of Everton Brow. The "Toffee Lady" who distributes Everton Mints on match days at Goodison Park is a depiction of 'Mother Noblett'.

No..yer both wrong...I'm not going back that far !!!

Just for you Chris..Pryors London Rd.

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c60/gedfleming/DSC01061.jpg


http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c60/gedfleming/DSC01063.jpg


Great pics, Gerard! The photographs bring back a lot of memories.

ScouserDave, I never remember seeing shrunken heads in Pryors window, although they did have everything else!!! There were shrunken heads though in the museum at Sudley, as well as a stuffed Emperor penguin and other interesting things.

Chris

No..yer both wrong...I'm not going back that far !!!

It was Sammy Lee's dad who ran the deli, he does look so much like his dad I thought he was working there :)

What happened to them exposing that original advert on the facade of the Deli. Remember an article years ago in the Echo saying that conservators from the museum where helping the owners. You'd think someone like English Heritage or the lottery would provide money for something like this. How many 100 yr old painted shop fronts can there be in the country?
Very sad about Brown's! Hope the clock stays whatever!

It was Sammy Lee's dad who ran the deli, he does look so much like his dad I thought he was working there :)


Spot on:handclap:

But yer only get half a Chocolate Frog...
It wasn't a Deli..What was it for the other Half..

Hello I have just read your thread with great interest. It is a shame about Brown's closing but I might have some good news for you. I noticed the mention of Sewills in one of the posts..............

I live in Liverpool and owned two Sewills watches, unfortunately they closed as you already know. However, I came across www.sewills.com, the person who owns it had a close relationship with Sewills and is still supplying the same watches Sewills did. I lost one of my Sewills watches and bought the same model from www.sewills.com, it is exactly the same as the one I lost. It is made by the same company who supplied Sewills. The other good thing is that they are still based in Liverpool.

Anyway I hope this is of interest, especially to the person who always wanted to own a Sewills watch.

regards,

Billy

A L.R.O. pic of Pryors, Noblett's and Colliers to boot and you even have ChrisTgeorge's car outside.

A L.R.O. pic of Pryors, Noblett's and Colliers to boot and you even have ChrisTgeorge's car outside.

Hi Ged

I don't know about it being my car but the motor cars in the pic look like some of the jallopies my Uncle Bruce still had in the Sixties, one of them a Ford Prefect and another a Bentley that had belonged to comedian Rob Wilton. In fact that could be my uncle and us coming down London Road after a reserves match at Anfield, all full of half time Eccles cakes and tea laced with Scotch!!! :PDT11

Chris

Can you see the 3 brass balls hanging up (or is it down) outside Pryor's. Do you remember the payment system in Colliers where they'd put your money in a tube and send it up those pipes to the admin offices above. I think they were hoping you'd get bored and say keep the change.

Can you see the 3 brass balls hanging up (or is it down) outside Pryor's. Do you remember the payment system in Colliers where they'd put your money in a tube and send it up those pipes to the admin offices above. I think they were hoping you'd get bored and say keep the change.

Hi Ged

I don't believe I was ever in Colliers but at the Co-op on Booker Avenue they had such a system of communication with a system of pulleys and wires where they put the money or a note or whatever in a wooden screw-top receptacle to send it from one side of the shop to the other. You probably remember seeing the same sort of thing.

Chris

Yes, I remember being in there one sat getting some school clobber with my mam and dad and the Derby game was on the wireless behind the counter which had varnished wood drawers, a great big chest of them with socks in and all that. Then the bad news, Alan Waddle scored and it remained one nil.

I remember them then getting a glass cabinet out of Hardy's on the corner of London road and a side street, it was on the never never and my mam had to go up there every week to the office above the showroom to pay it off.

Ta Dave..Midgets on the Stadium !! have you banged yer Ead again !!
LOL! Probably imagined it Gerard. Some heavy duty acid around when I was in me teens mate!

Ged, Alan Waddle? Jeez, he had to be the worst player ever to wear a Liverpool shirt. He was also involved in one of the most boring games ever. It was a 0-0 at Maine Road in the early 70s. Almost lost the will to live watching that game.

Back to the pulleys and wires - Chris, I can remember Costigans on West Derby Rd, near to the Olympia pub having that set up. And the bacon slicer! Fascinated by them both. I used to love doing the "messages" for me Mam if it meant a trip to Costigans.

A L.R.O. pic of Pryors, Noblett's and Colliers to boot and you even have ChrisTgeorge's car outside.

I've got a 10 x 8 of that photo, from Oxton Studios.
It's dated 1959.

Even thogh Nobletts is still on the top of the building, it seems to have changed hands.
Chamois, Sponges, Scrim, and Cigarettes are on sale, plus men's socks and nylons, and even Coconut Hair Oil and Rubbing Oil.

That business of sending cash through tubes was operated by compressed air.
The Tesco in Aigburth Road still has it, but I don't know if they actually use it.

Hello Gerard,

Yes, I too had my reservations but I did manage to meet the guy who owns the www.sewills.com website, he delivered the watch to me at my home. I recognised him from when I purchased my original Sewills watches, so I can definately recommend him. I ended up talking to him for a few hours about Sewills and the history etc, he gave me a great insight into the company, he certainly knew his stuff. I also had my watches serviced recently and the watchmaker I took them to confirmed the watch movements were made by the same Swiss factory (ETA) as the ones Sewills were made by. I have learnt over time that although Sewills assembled some watches they bought others in, all from Switzerland, the watch capital of the world. I believe the movements from this particular factory are used in Omega/Tag and other high end watches. The watchmaker told me the watches I had were definately the genuine article and after speaking to the guy from www.sewills.com I have no doubt that they are. Regards, Billy!

Chris, I can remember Costigans on West Derby Rd, near to the Olympia pub having that set up. And the bacon slicer! Fascinated by them both. I used to love doing the "messages" for me Mam if it meant a trip to Costigans.


Dave, the bacon slicer, what was her name?

Dave, the bacon slicer, what was her name?

Eh up, Ged!
I used to be a bacon slicer, and bacon boner.
In fact I started in the "Grocery Business" in the 1950s at school doing the "Order Round" for Irwins, on one of them delivery bikes with a big wicker basket at the front.
A bit tricky to ride at first as the basket always seemed to be going straight ahead, when you're steering left or right.

Eh up, Ged!
I used to be a bacon slicer, and bacon boner.
In fact I started in the "Grocery Business" in the 1950s at school doing the "Order Round" for Irwins, on one of them delivery bikes with a big wicker basket at the front.
A bit tricky to ride at first as the basket always seemed to be going straight ahead, when you're steering left or right.


Aha - the original Wicker Man!

Gerard,

No, I think his name was Mark from memory, definately not Kevin.

Regards,

Billy

Quite possibly Gerard, although I have lost faith in the whole Ebay scene. Watchdog have featured it quite heavily over the past months and I have heard some horror stories. I tend to stay with well know websites etc now for my purchases.

Regards,

Billy

More great photos, Gerard.

Have you noticed the shop next door where the original front is partly exposed?
It could be anything up to 100 years old.
Would it be possible for you to take a zoom shot of it?
Pretty please. :)
My camera isn't capable.

Here's the close ups Phil..Use them on your other Site if you want mate.


http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c60/gedfleming/DSC01753.jpg


http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c60/gedfleming/DSC01756.jpg


http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c60/gedfleming/DSC01750.jpg


http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c60/gedfleming/DSC01755_edited-2.jpg

I would love to see this restored to it's original.
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c60/gedfleming/DSC01755_edited-2.jpg

Here's the close ups Phil..Use them on your other Site if you want mate.



Thanks very much, Gerard.
They're great.

It'll be interesting to take more pictures in a couple of years to see if it's getting bigger, although of course it would be even better if they could reveal it all and then protect it with some sort of varnish.


Later.
I've just been studying your photos, Gerard, and one side shows "Mother Noblett" and the other side shows "Everton", so I'm starting to wonder whether this is natural weathering or not.

It looks more likely that there must be photos of the original somewhere, and somebody has just stripped back the parts that refer to Everton FC?

That Mother Noblett and Everton wording is great Gerard. It definitely should be brought back, I hadn't noticed it before, it's history being returned.

That Mother Noblett and Everton wording is great Gerard. It definitely should be brought back, I hadn't noticed it before, it's history being returned.

It must cover the Whole wall Ged..Wouldn't yer think Lad someone in Power Somewhere would do something about it...I forgot for a Second there ..We are Talking about Liverpool though aren't we !!

Brilliant those Gerard. Fancy working there that long ey, did she get a gold watch?

a brilliant set that captures the day perfectly, did u purchase a bargain?

A real bit of Liverpool history there, Gerard.

Next stop, Lewis's, eh?

A real bit of Liverpool history there, Gerard.

Next stop, Lewis's, eh?

then....the adelphi....

Wow Gerard! Really interesting pics. Never been in the building before. Cracking interior, I hope the fittings don't get stripped out.

Here's the close ups Phil..Use them on your other Site if you want mate.
[/IMG]

Thanks, Gerard.
Here's a link:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/44435674@N00/425016212/in/pool-60302053@N00/

Fantastic pics, Gerard. Sad to see another Liverpool institution disappear. Your photographs serve as a good record of T. Brown's. :handclap:

Chris

Fantastic pics, Gerard. Sad to see another Liverpool institution disappear. Your photographs serve as a good record of T. Brown's. :handclap:

Chris


Thank's Chris..
I've put a Link to St Barnabas on the Beatles Thread..Good Luck mate !!

Thanks Gerard, not just for the pics, magnificent though they were, but also the memories they triggered. Thanks again.

Thanks Gerard, not just for the pics, magnificent though they were, but also the memories they triggered. Thanks again.


Hello Sloyne,I'm pleased you like them mate and even more pleased they bring back happy memories for you.Thank you.

Gerard, fantastic documentary of the last days of a shop the city will never see the likes of again. Anyone coming from Gerard Gardens area didn't own a watch, we had the Liver buildings and the T Browns clock to tell the time.:)

Do you know what the future is for the vacant shop?

What happened to the one o' clock gun. Own up! who's got it ?

Cheers Gang,It really is a Time warp in that place,An amazing experience..
I'm getting meself a nice little Portfolio ere !!..
I am off to Lewis's Next with me Little folder and will telll the Bossman there I'll do him a Free Dvd Slideshow if he lets me in to take some piccies..
No Problem...I can gab me way in anywhere !!

See if you can get some shots of the disused bits as well,the 4th floor and above. Supposedly a lot of it has remained untouched for a decade or more. I asked the lift man if he could go up the 5th so I could stick my head out the door for a minute,but he wouldn't. :( There's a thread about Lewis's on here... ;)

Dave.

Gerard, fantastic documentary of the last days of a shop the city will never see the likes of again. Anyone coming from Gerard Gardens area didn't own a watch, we had the Liver buildings and the T Browns clock to tell the time.:)

Do you know what the future is for the vacant shop?


Until 1976 that is when my dad got me one of those digital watches that had a blank maroon face, then you pressed a button on the side and the LCD/LED light lit up the time. Great for when you were in bed in the dark. Often wondered why you'd want to know the time at 4.20 am. A snazzy easy clasp silver metal strap too that caught the bum fluff hairs on your arm.

Until 1976 that is when my dad got me one of those digital watches that had a blank maroon face, then you pressed a button on the side and the LCD/LED light lit up the time. Great for when you were in bed in the dark. Often wondered why you'd want to know the time at 4.20 am. A snazzy easy clasp silver metal strap too that caught the bum fluff hairs on your arm.

Ow !!..and that used to hurt.