Greens' Stores

By Duncan Kirkwood

In 1939 my father Harry Kirkwood was manager of Greens Store in Regent Road / Deneside which later became British Home Stores. This photo shows some of the staff with my father in the cafeteria when a large cup of tea was 2d in 'real money' ... that's less than 1p in today's decimal currency. I seem to recall the blonde haired lady fourth from left back row was still working in BHS during the 1960s. My father was in the Gt Yarmouth Home Guard during 1939/41 when he and my mother Elsie Kirkwood lived in Coastguards Cottage, Caister . My father left Gt Yarmouth in 1941 when he was "called up" to work for the Ministry of Supply with the honorary rank of Captain; he used to boast that he would be "piped" on board when visiting Royal Navy vessels. My family returned to Great Yarmouth in 1960 when my father was manager of the Carlton Hotel and subsequently in 1967/68 he managed the Tower Hotel. My family left Gt Yarmouth in 1969 when we bought a "corner shop" in Leatherhead, Surrey. I worked as a GYCT blue bus driver during 1967/69.

From Duncan Kirkwood in Peterborough