This Debenham's store
was one of the first of the modern shops
to open in Bristol's Broadmead shopping
area. When it was completed in 1957,
it was home to Jones and Co and traded
under that name until 1972 when Debenham's
took over.
(note:
the curve in the building is a photographic
trick - in real life it has a flat front)
An article in the Bristol
Post on March 26, 2013, reflected on the
history of the building. It pointed
out that, "As
Broadmead shopping centre started to
develop in the 1950s, so Jones
insisted on choosing their own site
for a new, huge store. In a
prominent position, fronting St James
Barton and The Horsefair, the
steel-framed, Portland stone building,
complete with stock and fittings, cost
nearly £2 million. ... The
staff agree that the biggest change
they have seen in the store was when
the new modern escalators were
installed as part of a 1980s revamp,
replacing the originals. "
One former staff member recalled that, "Many
shoppers were a bit scared to use them
at first as you looked straight out of
the plate glass windows over Broadmead
... Some people even got vertigo and
insisted on using the stairs. .... Debenhams'
roof garden is, amazingly, still there
after all these years. But these days,
I'm sorry to say, while it's looked
after by the staff, it is only
available for their use"
