South Town, Cheltenham - 200 Years of Local Trading History
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  • South Town
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    • Tivoli map >
      • An Introduction to Tivoli
      • Tivoli Triangle >
        • 2a) Severn Furnishing
        • 3a) ATC Floors and Doors
        • 4) Tivoli Stores
        • 5) Tivoli Butchers
        • 6) W. L. Langsbury
        • 7) The Tivoli Pub
      • Tivoli Street >
        • 8) Patrick Oliver Antiques
        • 9) St. Stephens Sports and Social Club
        • 10) W.A. Williams clock repairs
        • 11a) Nick's Barber Shop
        • 11b) Helene Hair and Sun
      • Andover Road (West side) >
        • 12a) Catherine Colebrook
        • 12b) Cheltenham Hot Tubs and Spas
        • 13) Tivoli Trading
        • 14) Hard Pressed for Time
        • 15) Read Maurice Estate Agents
        • 16) Century 21 Cheltenham
        • 17) Maison Chaplais
        • 18) Vale Kitchens
        • 19) Tivoli Wines
      • Lypiatt Street Area >
        • 20) Tivoli Glass
        • 21) Groves Batteries
        • 22) Prinbox Works
        • 23) The Royal Union
        • 24) St. Stephen's Anglican Church
        • 25) www.glos.info
    • The Suffolks map >
      • An Introduction to The Suffolks
      • Suffolk Parade area >
        • 1) The Beehive
        • 2) Roylan Cycles
        • 3) Ebury Interiors
        • 4) 5 Suffolk Parade
        • 6) Once
        • 5) Moss Prints
        • 7) Suffolk Rock
        • 8) Gorgeous Hair
        • 9) The Retreat
        • 10) Charlie Allen's Canine Comforts
        • 11) Zizzi
        • 12) India Lounge
        • 13) Vallenders
        • 14) Sorella Hair Boutique
      • Suffolk Parade (Daffodil Street to Suffolk Road) >
        • 16) Timber Windows of Cheltenham
        • 17) Cheltine
        • 18) Falcon Estates
        • 19) Suffolk Coffee
        • 20) The Daffodil
        • 21) Chef's Pantry
        • 22) The Copy Shop
        • 23) Triton House
        • 24) True Tone Music
        • 25) David Hayward Design
        • 26a) The Giltwood Gallery
        • 26b) David John Barbers
        • 27) 32 Suffolk Parade
        • 28) 33 Suffolk Parade
        • 29) Bodega
      • Suffolk Road (Suffolk Parade to Bath Road) >
        • 30) RJ Spicer Jewellery
        • 31) Atelier 19
        • 32) Centrepiece
        • 33) Paco Delgado
        • 34) Daniel Keenan Interiors
        • 35) Cheltenham Computer Centre
        • 36) Signature Barber's
        • 37) Cotswold Physiotherapy Centre
      • Suffolk Road, south side (east of Suffolk Villas) >
        • 38) HSBC
        • 39) 2 Suffolk Road
        • 40) My Face
        • 41) Ko Hairdressing
        • 42) B Ten Tandoori
        • 43) Siam Smile
        • 44) Antique Restoration
        • 45) Mo22 Gallery/Turtle Framing
        • 46) The Guild Hairdressing
        • 47a/b) QEC Militaria and Cotswold Dental Lab
        • 48) Le Champignon Sauvage
        • 49) The House Clearance Shop
      • Suffolk Road, west of Suffolk Villas (south side) >
        • 49a) 32-38 Suffolk Road
        • 50) The Suffolk Arms
        • 51) El Barbero
        • 52) Eden Health and Beauty Spa
        • 53) Newcombe Residential Lettings
        • 54) Baker & Graze
        • 55) Fifty Lounge Bar
        • 56) bhoomi
        • 57) Armada Exports
      • Great Norwood Street (Suffolk Rd. to Bath Terr.) >
        • Part 1 >
          • 58) 2 Great Norwood Street
          • 59) Baby Face
          • 60) Cygnini
          • 61) Cafe Boho
          • 62) Tea at Ten
        • Part 2 >
          • 63) Revamp
          • 64) Bloomers
          • 65) Mint
          • 66) Hounam
          • 67) Gilchrist
      • Great Norwood St (Bath Terr. to Andover Rd.) >
        • Part 1 >
          • 68) The Shoe Repairer
          • 69) MacDonald vets
          • 70) Leckhampton Chiropractic Clinic
          • 71) Antique & Modern Fireplaces
          • 72) ShoeMed
          • 73) Sam Oldfield Photography
          • 74) Graeme Wright Hairdressing
        • Part 2 >
          • 75) Wonder Food
          • 76) Llewellyn-Smith & Co.
          • 77) Goose Chase Quilting
          • 79) The Jolly Brewmaster
          • 80) The Stick Club
          • 81) Cleevely Motors
          • 82) UK NARIC
          • 83) Falcon Residential Lettings
    • Bath Road map >
      • Bath Road (North) >
        • Suffolk Road to Victoria Place >
          • 80) Thirlestaine House
          • 1) Christian Science Reading Room
          • 2) Moran's
        • Kew Place to Clare Street >
          • 3) Perry Bishop
          • 4) Subway
          • 5) Cheltenham Independent Eyecare Centre
          • 6) Indian Brasserie
          • 7) Andy's and Co.
          • 8) The Natural Grocery Store
        • Victoria Retreat to Bath Terrace >
          • 9) V.W. Lane
          • 10) Cheltenham Nutrition Centre
          • 11) Sainsbury's
          • 12) Rowlands Pharmacy
          • 13) Balti Walla
          • 14) Age UK
          • 15) Nat West Bank
        • Clare Street to Exmouth Street >
          • 16) Coral
          • 17) Bath Road Butchers
          • 18) 162-164 Bath Road
          • 19) Big Fish
          • 20) Dodwells Direct
          • 21) Post Office
          • 22) Cotswold Care Hospice
          • 23) Andrews Estate Agents
          • 24) Newman & Bloodworths
          • 25) Norville Opticians
          • 26) Parsons
        • Bath Terrace to Upper Bath Street >
          • 27) Bath Road Cards
          • 28) Domino's
          • 29) Bath Road Beers
          • 30) Sue Ryder Care
        • Upper Bath Street to St. Phillip's Street >
          • 32) 163 Bath Road
          • 33) Toasties
          • 34) The Exmouth Arms
      • Bath Road (South) >
        • Exmouth Street to Hermitage Street >
          • 35) MY Coffee
          • 36) The Co-Operative
          • 37) Jane's Pantry
          • 38) British Red Cross
          • 39) Red Cross Bookshop
          • 40) Thompson Dry Cleaners
          • 41) The Curious Cafe
          • 42) Burger Star
          • 43) Ella Hairdressing Salon
          • 44) Lee Longland
        • St. Phillip's Street to Suffolk Street >
          • 45) Bargain Booze
          • 45a) Lucy's Cafe
          • 46) Emporium
          • 47) Beauty Box
          • 48) Lloyds Bank
        • Hermitage Street to Francis Street >
          • 49) Adcock Shoes
          • 50) Flames Restaurant
          • 51) Ocean Fayre
          • 52) Hair Systems
          • 53) 226 Bath Road
          • 54) Linc
          • 55) Inside Out
          • 56) Five Alls
        • Suffolk Street to Gratton Road >
          • 57) The Cheltenham Clinic
        • Francis Street to Norwood Roundabout >
          • 58) The Corner Shop
          • 59) Happy Gathering
          • 60) Jim's Barber Shop
          • 61) Timpson
          • 62) Robi's Indian Takeaway
          • 63) The Brown Jug
          • 64) Rowlands Pharmacy
        • Grafton Road to Shurdington Road >
          • 65) Rosa Blue
          • 66) Brew & Bake
          • 67) Twig Clothing
        • Norwood Roundabout >
          • 68) Daisychain Benevolent Fund
          • 69) Fat Flyers
          • 70) Cook
          • 71) Roots and Fruits
          • 72) Bath Road Market
          • 73) The Norwood Arms
        • Shurdington Road >
          • 74) Norwood Interiors
          • 75) The Record Shop
          • 76) Peter Ball and Co.
        • Norwood Road >
          • 77) Paul Malvern
          • 78) Shurdington Stores
          • 79) Studio 19
  • Tramroad
    • The Norwood Triangle Project
  • Local Memories
    • Percy Nash Fruit and Flowers
    • E.C. Waltham, Butchers
    • Armada Antiques
    • R.E. Caudle, Fruiterer
    • E.C. Waltham horsemeat article
    • E.C. Waltham Golden Jubilee article
    • E.C. Waltham 60 Years feature
    • Gilbey Cooles, Ironmonger
    • Thomas's Newsagents 9 Suffolk Parade
    • Leckhampton Dairies
    • Burrows Newsagents, 54 Tivoli Street
    • Gurnsey Cottages
    • V.W. Lane, Butchers
    • R.R. Skemp
    • Banks Bakers & Confectioners, 17 Suffolk Parade
    • Big Fish
    • Robert Young's
    • The Five Alls
    • Dolman's Chemists
    • Bath Road Butchers
    • The Corner Shop
  • Books
  • Local School Projects
    • 2011 Local Trading History Project
  • Cheltenham Connect
  • Contact
  • Links

The Suffolks │19  previous / next │main map / suffolks map


17 Suffolk Parade (formerly 3 Suffolk Parade South)


In 1830, at or shortly after the time that Suffolk Parade was developed, number 3 was probably occupied by a shopkeeper called Richard Claridge, although it is not clear that he actually ran a shop from these premises. By 1838 this had changed to a Miss Matthews, who was listed as being among the "resident gentry" of the town. 
Picture1859
The commercial development of this property had certainly occurred by 1850, when Richard Lamb had a chemist shop here. He left Cheltenham in 1855, after which the premises were taken over by Mr Edward Gregory, a surgeon-dentist. His advertisement of 1859 may cause us to be thankful for modern dentistry! He soon sold it to Mr Edmund Wood who resumed the chemist's business until about 1870. 


By 1881 John Sims had acquired these premises, and number 2 next door, for his bakery business. John, born in Wotton under Edge in 1830 where his father was a baker, was married to Matilda and lived here with their 5 children and various apprentices and servants. He not only baked bread here but was also a corn factor, or corn dealer. 

In 1892 Sims was already an institution in Suffolk Parade and they were then trading as bakers, corn factors and seedsmen from the double-fronted shop. They also had a branch at Montpellier Exchange, advertising themselves as confectioners, producing fancy goods such as wedding cakes, ices, jellies and blancmanges. 

John Sims' son Frederick was born in Cheltenham in 1861, becoming an assistant to his father in the 1880s and then progressing to master baker and shopkeeper, eventually inheriting the business. 
Picture
Fred Sims owned this 1903 Oldsmobile dogcart, registered to him at 17 Suffolk Parade. It had a smart curved dashboard to keep splashes off the drivers legs and was a revolutionary car when it was introduced - silent, light, easy to drive and reliable. Steering was by means of a tiller, on which was mounted the horn. A one cylinder engine, generating 4hp, occupied the space under the seats, previously used to carry dogs. The top speed was 20 mph. Typical of the type, the slim, high wheels resemble those on a bicycle. The bodywork was painted black, with details picked out in red and the sidelamp and headlamp were oil-filled. Although fitted with a hood, the car would have provided little protection from inclement weather. 

Picture1943
Fred Sims died at the age of 66 in 1926, at his home in Montpellier Terrace, passing the shop to his son John Fred Sims, but not before Fred had founded and become managing director of the Daffodil cinema next door. The Sims business closed in the late 1930s and these premises were divided back into two shops, this one remaining a bakers and confectioners under Mr Tom Banks. He was here throughout World War II and passed the business on to Walter Raven in about 1950. 

Picture1950
The bakery trade finally ended here in the late 1960s and by 1975 this property housed one of the many antique shops that have graced Suffolk Parade, called A.Brook, Antiques.



In the early years of the 21st century this was the home of White Room Images, which produced wedding and portrait photography and was owned and managed by David Dare.

In February 2015 the shop changed hands once more to become  The Suffolk Anthology, a popular independent bookshop and cafe owned by Helene Hewett. This in turn closed on 8th January 2022 and was replaced by a cafe called Suffolk Coffee. 
Picture
2014
Picture
2015

Researcher: Stuart Manton (Jan 2023)

Suffolk Coffee

Suffolks Bookshop
For more information click here.
See the Local Memories page for this property.

If you have any further information or photographs of this property please let us know via the contacts page.
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  • Home
  • South Town
  • Interactive Map
    • Tivoli map >
      • An Introduction to Tivoli
      • Tivoli Triangle >
        • 2a) Severn Furnishing
        • 3a) ATC Floors and Doors
        • 4) Tivoli Stores
        • 5) Tivoli Butchers
        • 6) W. L. Langsbury
        • 7) The Tivoli Pub
      • Tivoli Street >
        • 8) Patrick Oliver Antiques
        • 9) St. Stephens Sports and Social Club
        • 10) W.A. Williams clock repairs
        • 11a) Nick's Barber Shop
        • 11b) Helene Hair and Sun
      • Andover Road (West side) >
        • 12a) Catherine Colebrook
        • 12b) Cheltenham Hot Tubs and Spas
        • 13) Tivoli Trading
        • 14) Hard Pressed for Time
        • 15) Read Maurice Estate Agents
        • 16) Century 21 Cheltenham
        • 17) Maison Chaplais
        • 18) Vale Kitchens
        • 19) Tivoli Wines
      • Lypiatt Street Area >
        • 20) Tivoli Glass
        • 21) Groves Batteries
        • 22) Prinbox Works
        • 23) The Royal Union
        • 24) St. Stephen's Anglican Church
        • 25) www.glos.info
    • The Suffolks map >
      • An Introduction to The Suffolks
      • Suffolk Parade area >
        • 1) The Beehive
        • 2) Roylan Cycles
        • 3) Ebury Interiors
        • 4) 5 Suffolk Parade
        • 6) Once
        • 5) Moss Prints
        • 7) Suffolk Rock
        • 8) Gorgeous Hair
        • 9) The Retreat
        • 10) Charlie Allen's Canine Comforts
        • 11) Zizzi
        • 12) India Lounge
        • 13) Vallenders
        • 14) Sorella Hair Boutique
      • Suffolk Parade (Daffodil Street to Suffolk Road) >
        • 16) Timber Windows of Cheltenham
        • 17) Cheltine
        • 18) Falcon Estates
        • 19) Suffolk Coffee
        • 20) The Daffodil
        • 21) Chef's Pantry
        • 22) The Copy Shop
        • 23) Triton House
        • 24) True Tone Music
        • 25) David Hayward Design
        • 26a) The Giltwood Gallery
        • 26b) David John Barbers
        • 27) 32 Suffolk Parade
        • 28) 33 Suffolk Parade
        • 29) Bodega
      • Suffolk Road (Suffolk Parade to Bath Road) >
        • 30) RJ Spicer Jewellery
        • 31) Atelier 19
        • 32) Centrepiece
        • 33) Paco Delgado
        • 34) Daniel Keenan Interiors
        • 35) Cheltenham Computer Centre
        • 36) Signature Barber's
        • 37) Cotswold Physiotherapy Centre
      • Suffolk Road, south side (east of Suffolk Villas) >
        • 38) HSBC
        • 39) 2 Suffolk Road
        • 40) My Face
        • 41) Ko Hairdressing
        • 42) B Ten Tandoori
        • 43) Siam Smile
        • 44) Antique Restoration
        • 45) Mo22 Gallery/Turtle Framing
        • 46) The Guild Hairdressing
        • 47a/b) QEC Militaria and Cotswold Dental Lab
        • 48) Le Champignon Sauvage
        • 49) The House Clearance Shop
      • Suffolk Road, west of Suffolk Villas (south side) >
        • 49a) 32-38 Suffolk Road
        • 50) The Suffolk Arms
        • 51) El Barbero
        • 52) Eden Health and Beauty Spa
        • 53) Newcombe Residential Lettings
        • 54) Baker & Graze
        • 55) Fifty Lounge Bar
        • 56) bhoomi
        • 57) Armada Exports
      • Great Norwood Street (Suffolk Rd. to Bath Terr.) >
        • Part 1 >
          • 58) 2 Great Norwood Street
          • 59) Baby Face
          • 60) Cygnini
          • 61) Cafe Boho
          • 62) Tea at Ten
        • Part 2 >
          • 63) Revamp
          • 64) Bloomers
          • 65) Mint
          • 66) Hounam
          • 67) Gilchrist
      • Great Norwood St (Bath Terr. to Andover Rd.) >
        • Part 1 >
          • 68) The Shoe Repairer
          • 69) MacDonald vets
          • 70) Leckhampton Chiropractic Clinic
          • 71) Antique & Modern Fireplaces
          • 72) ShoeMed
          • 73) Sam Oldfield Photography
          • 74) Graeme Wright Hairdressing
        • Part 2 >
          • 75) Wonder Food
          • 76) Llewellyn-Smith & Co.
          • 77) Goose Chase Quilting
          • 79) The Jolly Brewmaster
          • 80) The Stick Club
          • 81) Cleevely Motors
          • 82) UK NARIC
          • 83) Falcon Residential Lettings
    • Bath Road map >
      • Bath Road (North) >
        • Suffolk Road to Victoria Place >
          • 80) Thirlestaine House
          • 1) Christian Science Reading Room
          • 2) Moran's
        • Kew Place to Clare Street >
          • 3) Perry Bishop
          • 4) Subway
          • 5) Cheltenham Independent Eyecare Centre
          • 6) Indian Brasserie
          • 7) Andy's and Co.
          • 8) The Natural Grocery Store
        • Victoria Retreat to Bath Terrace >
          • 9) V.W. Lane
          • 10) Cheltenham Nutrition Centre
          • 11) Sainsbury's
          • 12) Rowlands Pharmacy
          • 13) Balti Walla
          • 14) Age UK
          • 15) Nat West Bank
        • Clare Street to Exmouth Street >
          • 16) Coral
          • 17) Bath Road Butchers
          • 18) 162-164 Bath Road
          • 19) Big Fish
          • 20) Dodwells Direct
          • 21) Post Office
          • 22) Cotswold Care Hospice
          • 23) Andrews Estate Agents
          • 24) Newman & Bloodworths
          • 25) Norville Opticians
          • 26) Parsons
        • Bath Terrace to Upper Bath Street >
          • 27) Bath Road Cards
          • 28) Domino's
          • 29) Bath Road Beers
          • 30) Sue Ryder Care
        • Upper Bath Street to St. Phillip's Street >
          • 32) 163 Bath Road
          • 33) Toasties
          • 34) The Exmouth Arms
      • Bath Road (South) >
        • Exmouth Street to Hermitage Street >
          • 35) MY Coffee
          • 36) The Co-Operative
          • 37) Jane's Pantry
          • 38) British Red Cross
          • 39) Red Cross Bookshop
          • 40) Thompson Dry Cleaners
          • 41) The Curious Cafe
          • 42) Burger Star
          • 43) Ella Hairdressing Salon
          • 44) Lee Longland
        • St. Phillip's Street to Suffolk Street >
          • 45) Bargain Booze
          • 45a) Lucy's Cafe
          • 46) Emporium
          • 47) Beauty Box
          • 48) Lloyds Bank
        • Hermitage Street to Francis Street >
          • 49) Adcock Shoes
          • 50) Flames Restaurant
          • 51) Ocean Fayre
          • 52) Hair Systems
          • 53) 226 Bath Road
          • 54) Linc
          • 55) Inside Out
          • 56) Five Alls
        • Suffolk Street to Gratton Road >
          • 57) The Cheltenham Clinic
        • Francis Street to Norwood Roundabout >
          • 58) The Corner Shop
          • 59) Happy Gathering
          • 60) Jim's Barber Shop
          • 61) Timpson
          • 62) Robi's Indian Takeaway
          • 63) The Brown Jug
          • 64) Rowlands Pharmacy
        • Grafton Road to Shurdington Road >
          • 65) Rosa Blue
          • 66) Brew & Bake
          • 67) Twig Clothing
        • Norwood Roundabout >
          • 68) Daisychain Benevolent Fund
          • 69) Fat Flyers
          • 70) Cook
          • 71) Roots and Fruits
          • 72) Bath Road Market
          • 73) The Norwood Arms
        • Shurdington Road >
          • 74) Norwood Interiors
          • 75) The Record Shop
          • 76) Peter Ball and Co.
        • Norwood Road >
          • 77) Paul Malvern
          • 78) Shurdington Stores
          • 79) Studio 19
  • Tramroad
    • The Norwood Triangle Project
  • Local Memories
    • Percy Nash Fruit and Flowers
    • E.C. Waltham, Butchers
    • Armada Antiques
    • R.E. Caudle, Fruiterer
    • E.C. Waltham horsemeat article
    • E.C. Waltham Golden Jubilee article
    • E.C. Waltham 60 Years feature
    • Gilbey Cooles, Ironmonger
    • Thomas's Newsagents 9 Suffolk Parade
    • Leckhampton Dairies
    • Burrows Newsagents, 54 Tivoli Street
    • Gurnsey Cottages
    • V.W. Lane, Butchers
    • R.R. Skemp
    • Banks Bakers & Confectioners, 17 Suffolk Parade
    • Big Fish
    • Robert Young's
    • The Five Alls
    • Dolman's Chemists
    • Bath Road Butchers
    • The Corner Shop
  • Books
  • Local School Projects
    • 2011 Local Trading History Project
  • Cheltenham Connect
  • Contact
  • Links