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Hi Janetell,
gosh you realy do have a great insight.. doyou live near there.?
so was it 33 drapery then adnitts.. is this the place where my relie used to work as draper assistant? and all those poeple living there too...oh my..
i am goin to google ti again..chat in a minute
jack

Yes, I do live near the old Adnitts store. I worked in a little shop opposite the place for 8 years.

The old shop where I worked was once occupied by a Glover (glove maker) and his family. They had a little servant girl if my memory serves me well. Not that I can actually REMEMBER them, but I looked them up on the census and I used to think of the Glover and his family when I was alone in the shop and preparing the food for the day. It was a sandwich bar but it closed just before Christmas. I'm still looking for another job!

I forgot to say, I don't know if it was number 33 but I can assure you that you are on the right track. All those people on the list with your relative worked and lived in the store. Wouldn't you just love to creep in like a ghost and look at the store as it was? I know I would! The Drapery is very old and full of history. It's supposed to house a few ghosts as well. There is a tiny pub at the end of the street that has been there for donkey's years. The old Market Square is just behind The Drapery but trade is bad now and I suppose we'll lose this eventually.

Hi Jacki, Francis Frith has some photo's of "The Drapery" Northampton, not sure if this is what you're looking for.

http://www.francisfrith.com/northampton/photos/the-drapery-1922_72174/


http://www.francisfrith.com/northampton/photos/drapery-c1955_N40056/

hey Janetell,
thnx i am definatly pickin yr brains, hehehe hope you dont mind i wish i lived near u cos id luv to have met u and u could show me where u r talking about..
an yes I'd luv to go with u ghost/spirit hunting. im realy into al htat. some people may think its weird but i dont.. can u imagin how stuffy it would have been with all those people.. so would my willly and the others(lets not forget them)they must have worked somewhere away from the posh knobs....or have i gt that wrong.. would you be able to tell me more or if anyone in that bar knows anything.. or maybe have any old pics of the road and where it ws.. only askin if its possible..
this is rather exciting for me as i didnt grow with my family so all this research has uncovered alot for me.
ciao for nw
see ya later
jacki
x

Hello Nettie,
thnx for that
but i have them .
but im realy trying to find (now i have the name) ADNITTS department store...some old pictures or any info on it realy..
but thnx still
jacki

nudgin

Jacki - no I don't have any photos. When I was working in the Drapery I didn't think anything was worth photographing! The people who work in the tiny old pub are quite young and I doubt they know much about the history of the place.
Adnitts/Debenhams is a large store with several floors. Your Willie and the rest would have had living accomodation above the shop floors but I have no idea if it was in dormitories or single rooms. I would guess the former as it was designed to pack everyone in; the staff comfort wouldn't have been paramount!
As to the 'posh' attitude of some of the staff, it was like domestic service. The lower ranks had to obey the supervisors but a young girl who had just got a job at Adnitts probably went home and showed off to her sisters. I remember reading a novel where one sister got a job in a big store and came home lording it over her sister and mother. In the end she left as she was bullied; this was just a novel but not far from the truth, I expect.

Janet

Jacki

I have sent you a PM. I have found photos of Adnitts in an old Northampton book and I've scanned them for you.

Janet

thats real sad she hd to leave the family...because of bullying...
ive been there myself.but in the earlier days ws hard....
hop u fin another job..

hey janetell. someone has given me some more pictures of Adnitts i will email them to you so you can also have a look.. im at work at the mo so will do it weni gt home.. see you later
jacki

I have wrapping paper from a gift from Adnitt's store given to my father in Law in 1966. I kept it as a memento! could scan it if you're interested. Margaret Adnitt

Margaret - haven't seen Jacki around for a while unless she posts off the main boards.

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