A MAN whose family ran one of the first shops in Westbury High Street when it was being created in the 1960s recalls the time through the pages of the White Horse News, and asks if other readers have memories of the High Street from then and before.
Martin Gary, who is now 60 and lives in New Zealand, moved to Westbury from Manchester with his family, when he was almost three (pictured), and his parents ran High Street Pharmacy – which is now a Boots pharmacy.
Martin says, “Dad [Brian Gray] worked in Withington Hospital pharmacy, Manchester in the early 1960s. We moved to Westbury in Feb 1964, from Northenden, into the ‘new’ High Street development.
“High Street was being built in two stages… half of both sides of the street at a time. Ours was shop number 11, and we lived for a couple of years in the flat above.”
Martin’s sister Rona attended Westbury C of E infants and Martin went to childcare with Dot Large (who recently died, aged 98) in Church Street.
He says, “I remember playing along the upper landing along the back of the flats.”
As well as pharmaceuticals the shop offered cosmetics, baby and film and photography supplies.
Martin said, “Dad invested all of the proceeds from the sale of our Manchester home to buy opening stock, some £2,000 I believe. There were already two other pharmacies in town: Richard ‘Dickie’ Grenfell on Warminster Road, and another in the Market Place in what became Cripps Newsagents, after the pharmacy owners died in a road accident I believe
“Other ‘original’ High Street shop owners included: Edward Harper [fabrics], Chris Wood [shoes], a dry-cleaners, The Paper Shop [Mrs Mays], Midland Bank, all on our side of the street, Stan Cool [fruit and veg], Parker’s Bakery, Kevin’s Menswear, Victoria Wines, Key Market, and Missen Electrical were on the opposite side of the street.
“Mrs Markwell opened a child clothes shop next to us at number nine, but wasn’t very successful: dad bought this a few years later and knocked through to make one double shop.”
Brian Gray became a respected figure in town, being prominent for more than 21 years in the Methodist Church, local Labour party and a county councillor.
Martin recalls, “During the best times we had 10 staff and the shop became a NuMark Chemist [an independent alliance] in the 1970s. Dennis Jones became a partner in around 1967/68. He died in around 1990, a couple years after mum and dad sold up. His widow, Sue Jones is still alive we think, in a care home – possibly Weaver House in Chantry Lane?
“Our shop and apartments were sold in 1988 to a private buyer, Mr Patel who also had a shop in Swindon, and who was or soon became part of the Alliance Chemists group.”
Martin’s parents semi-retired and moved back north to the Lake District in 1988 and took-over Flookborough Pharmacy until 1996.
Martin adds, “Dad resisted ‘the big boys’ for so long at High Street Pharmacy, so it is ironic that it eventually did become a Boots Pharmacy.”
Brian Gray died in 2016 and Margaret is now 86 and lives in a retirement village in Lannark. Rona is 62 and lives in Edinburgh and Martin is 60 and living in New Zealand.
• Do you have any memories or photos to share about Westbury High Street when it was being built, and before it was built? What was the area like prior to the creation of the High Street? Please contact White Horse News by emailing news@whitehorsenews.co.uk or telephone 01225 708081.
To share them with Martin to aid his research, email martingraynz@gmail.com
