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Local history, one street at a timeWednesday 5 November 2026Notes No. 214
Shops
Hammond & Daughters opened in 1871 and closed in 2011. We sat down with the last owner's niece to go through the ledgers, the hand-cranked elevator and the bolt of blue silk that never sold.
By Margaret Doyle · 2 November 2026 · 9 min read
Buildings
It isn't broken. In 1890 the town set it to railway time, then quietly set it back.
28 October 2026 · 4 min read
People
Seven letters, one ration book and a photograph of a rowing boat in the main street.
21 October 2026 · 6 min read
Pubs
A plow, a wheatsheaf, a ship forty miles from the sea: each sign was an advert for a trade.
14 October 2026 · 5 min read
Walks
Start at the bridge, keep the river on your left, and look up above the shop signs.
7 October 2026 · 7 min read
Records
Fourteen households, three lodgers and a nine-year-old listed as "errand boy".
30 September 2026 · 8 min read
Phone