15 Frogmore Street

Main details

 

Address:
Present Occupier:
Present Owner:
Ground Floor:
Other Floors:
Date when first used by present occupier:

15 Frogmore Street
Mezze Me  (Turkish)

 

August 2018 approx

Before and After Images

 

1979/80

2016

 

About the building

The cottages, now shops, along Whitehorse Lane, were turned into business properties in 1924. The entrances to this property are on Whitehorse Lane, although it bears the number 15 Frogmore Street. The shops were occupied by J Batten, hairdresser, John Jones, bookmaker and E Loxley, shoe repairer.

 

Recent history

 

August 2018 : Mezze Me – Turkish style mezze food, building owned by Penny Lewis

June 2018 : Corner Cafe appears closed but sign in window requesting licence

From 2017 : “Corner Cafe”  (? new owners from previous?)

from ?? to 2017 : St Mary’s Bakery & Cafe

1993:A G Pinch & Son, bakers, branch also in Cross Street

1980: May’s fashions (with no 14-16)

1979: May’s fashions (with 16)

1972: May’s fashions (there in January) but opening at no 18 at Easter

1971; May’s fashions

1976: Gordon Court, Gents outfitters, other floors, stock rooms.

to 1976: W H Lewis, Gents outfitters

1969:H Lewis & Son, men’s clothing, Double Two Shirts

 

 

Previous occupiers

Year

Name

Detail

Source

1970

W H Lewis

Gents outfitters

local knowledge

1937

”     ”

”     ”

Kelly

1934

”     ”

”     ”

Kelly

1930

”     ”

”     ”

Car/Npt & Dis

1926

”     ”

”     ”

Kelly

1923

Lewis & Powell

Tobacconist & laundry agents

Kelly

1920

Brown & Seymour

Tobacconist

Kelly

1914

”     ”

”

Kelly

1910

Charles Ross

Tobacconist & hairdresser

Kelly

1909

—

—

Kelly

1906

W J Hodges

Hairdresser

Kelly

1901

F W Newton

Hosier

Kelly

1895

—

—

Kelly

1891

J Crosby

Fish & Game dealer

Kelly

1884

—

—

Kelly

1879

Miss Harrhy

Tobacconist & stationer

Thacker

1877

James Williams

Grocer

Owen

1875

”     ”

”

Mer & Croc

1871

”     ”

”

Kelly

> 1868

—

—

—

1865

”     ” (was in 56 Frogmore Street in 1862)

”

Webster

1862

—

—

Morris & Co

1858

—

—

Slater

1851

Margaret Chinery

Charwoman

Census

1845

—

—

Pigot

1844

—

—

Slater

1841

—

—

Slater

1835

—

—

Pigot

1834-45

—

—

Pigot

1834

—

—

Car/Npt & Dis

1822

—

—

Pigot

1792

—

—

Pigot



 

 

Other information

William Henry Lewis, acquired the property after the First World War in 1924 and set up business as a gentleman’s outfitter.  He may well have been the Lewis in the Lewis and Powell who were in the premises in 1923, but I am not sure about that.
He and my grandmother, Joyce Augusta Lewis (nee Roberts) lived over the property initially, as many people did then when starting out in business.  My grandmother had been a bookkeeper and had worked in Bank House when it was a drapery store, Bank House now being part of the King’s Head, I believe. Her father, Charles Augustus Roberts, was a cabinet maker and upholsterer and also traded on Frogmore Street at some point, but I don’t know which number.
Once my grandparents’ business was established, my grandparents moved to live at Lynwood on the Hereford Road, then to Parkside on the Hereford Road and eventually they built a bungalow, again on the Hereford Road, which they called Mardyville.
My grandfather initially traded as W.H.Lewis, but he was eventually joined in the business by my father, Richard John Lewis, and they traded as W.H.Lewis & Son.  When my father became ill, the family ceased trading and my mother turned the property, which then included as one building the former cottages 1, 2, and 3 Whitehorse Lane, into three rentable commercial properties. Number 1 Whitehorse Lane is now a part of 15 Frogmore Street, while 2 and 3 currently house a barber’s and music shop respectively.  (The fourth shop on the lane was a building conversion by David James.)
At my father’s death, 15 Frogmore Street & 2 and 3 Whitehorse Lane  passed to my mother, Mabel Ada Lewis (nee Price) and on her death in 2009 to me, Penny Lewis.
The current tenant in 15 Frogmore Street is Mehmet Muftuoglu. Prior to that in reverse chronological order, tenants in the property KC’s Cafe, St Mary’s Bakery, Ferrari’s Cafe, Pinch the Baker and Gordon Court, gentleman’s outfitter.
The account on your website says that May’s, ladies fashions, was in 15 Frogmore Street, but I do not remember that being the case.  It may be that someone has confused my mother with Mrs Griffiths who owned May’s.  They were a bit facially alike and my mother was running the business in the 1970s, but as far as I am aware, May’s always traded out of the property next to the Old Post Office which is now Nicholls.
Information from Kathryn Barnett:

I hope you don’t mind me contacting you with a  little more information about 15 Frogmore St, my dates are a little different than yours for one ownership. You have WH Lewis there up to 1976 and then Gordon Court……. But my belief is that Gordon Court had the business from 1972.

Leaving school at 17, I was too young to start my nurse training and worked in Gordon Court Outfitters until I turned 18. Mr Court had his original shop at Ebbw Vale and expanded into  the Frogmore St shop after the Lewis family ceased business.  I turned 17 in 1972 and left for Birmingham in early 1973, so was with Gordon Court from mid-1972- 1973. The Manager from WH Lewis stayed on with Mr Court, I’m sorry but I can’t remember his surname, only his first name – Cecil. I remember that when Mr Lewis’ widow came into the shop, Cecil treated her like royalty! He held her in very high regard.

It was a very small shop, and very old fashioned. Lots of wooden drawers on the walls behind the counters containing shirts, socks, underwear, handkerchiefs etc. Halfway down the shop was a staircase set into the back wall, very tight and turned as it went up. Upstairs was used for stock, but to my very young eyes it seemed very old, dusty, and creepy.

If you have any further information about this property please email alhs@live.co.uk