Joseph Harris Raymond's Shops

The following piece appears with the kind permission and thanks to Vanessa Hannington...

Joseph H Solomon's Cheltenham Antiques Shop in the War Years...

72 High Street Cheltenham Gloucestershire

 Joseph (Solomon) Raymond owner 1939-43

Then:

Now 

                                               

Events at 272 High Street

This was taken during the second world war in Cheltenham,a bomb landed near and some of the windows to Josephs shop were damaged.As he was selling Furniture and Antiques he used some of his paintings to board up the windows.That's Joseph in the photo and you may be able to see part of a dog going into the shop door,it's an Alsatian dog that was called Cella (or Sella -don't know the spelling).

This photo was published in a local newspaper at the time,a son of a garage owner that Joseph had his cars repaired at was serving in Africa and had seen the article as someone had sent him the newspaper as a memory from home,he recognised 'Mr Raymond and his shop' and mentioned the newspaper article to his father (the Garage owner) in a letter.The Garage Owner told Joseph who made inquiries with the newspaper and he was sent a copy of the photo.Joseph had no idea that anyone had taken a picture of him that day,it's strange to think that we would not have known of its existence if it hadn't been sent to Africa.

Apparently he use to buy the pictures and sell the frames to a gold dealer who would burn the frames down to get the goldleaf  that the frames were painted with.

272 High Street Today

This picture was found on the internet 272 is the building behind the fire engine,it is on the High Street with the Shakespeare Pub further up which would be the correct location.

History of 272

Kellys Directories for Cheltenham:

1938 Mr Far Grocer

1939 Mr Reginald Cummings Grocer

1940 Mr Joseph Raymond Furniture Dealer

1941 Mr Joseph H Raymond Furniture Dealer

1942 Mr Joseph H Raymond Furniture Dealer see ad

1943 Mr Joseph H Raymond Furniture Dealer see ad

1945 Mr Joseph H Raymond Furniture Dealer

59. Mr Ted Raymond continued to run the stop as a

Second Hand Furniture Store

In 1957 the number was changed to 392 due to changes in Road layout and additional shops along the High Street.Ted later run the shop next door.

Here are some photos of 272 (now 392) taken July 2009-07-09

Photo shows Burton Street in foreground

Seen from High Street

Burton Street looking to High Street