| North
Parade, Matlock Bath, about 1960 |
| Matlock Bath : Twentieth Century Photographs, Postcards, Engravings & Etchings |
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Charles Gale's Gift Shop on Matlock Bath's North Parade, with a window
display packed with all kinds of desirable items - "fancy
goods"
- for the tourist trade. Over the doorway is an advertisement for
musical greetings cards, suitable for 45 rpm record players.
The sign advertising the shop's wares was hand painted onto the
glass; this was a commission undertaken by Frank Clay when sign
writing was one of his specialities. Mr. and Mrs. Gale lived at
Rockvale House over their shop. It was the Post Office until recently
(there is currently no post office in Matlock Bath) although the
Post Office in the Gales' time was a few doors down the Parade.
Photographs from the early part of the twentieth century show that
the building used to have a wrought iron balcony at first floor
level, similar to the one shown on the property to the right. It
is unclear when the balcony was removed but perhaps when the first
floor window was replaced or repaired. The green painted window
to the left belongs to what was the George Hotel. |
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This more recent view of North Parade shows what remained of the
Promenade following the widening of the A6 trunk road in 1967. You
can just see the red letter box outside what was once Gale's shop.
The card also shows one side of the War Memorial.
 The War Memorials |
Photographs and information kindly provided by and © Bernard
Gale. Intended
for personal use only
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