Another in the series of early twentieth century pictures showing Matlock Bath's South Parade, possibly taken some time before 1909. Most eyes are watching an early motor car turning round in the road outside what was Williams' garage. There are several shop sign boards but most cannot be read.

When the web mistress's father was a boy the steps on the left, where the railings are, led up to Arthur Baker's hairdressers and flat. Under the steps was a tiny butchery run by the LCM (they later moved further down the Parade). Then there was Boden's shoe shop, which was run by Miss Britland of Cromford. My later father remembered seeing her walking to work when he was going to school. This has been confused with Boden's confectionery shop, but that shop was behind where the photographer was standing^[1].

A sign about half way down the Parade reads Household Stores. William Hackney, a china dealer, was shown as being at the Household Stores on another postcard on this web site. Although it is not easy to read, the sign can be seen in the image below.

Next door to Hackney's in 1911 was Mr. William Smith's Royal Museum. A couple of doors down was the fishmonger and greengrocer's run by Clendon Etheridge who later moved to Small Heath. Mr. Hardy from Wensley had a butcher's shop next door and the caterer and boarding house keeper John William Boden was at Edinburgh House. He is not the John William Boden who ran the large Boden's restaurant next door to the fish pond^[2].

Mr. Maltby was the occupier of Hodgkinson's Hotel although he wasn't in residence in 1911. In May 1911 there was an explosion in the hotel's kitchens. The gas fittings were found to be intact so they were not the cause. It was thought that "after-damp" from the workings of disused lead mines at the back of the hotel had caused the problem. As two of the servants were in the kitchen at the time, and little damage had been done, it was obviously nothing serious^[3].

Enlargement from the Household Stores to the bottom of the Pitchings. Perhaps the man in the white coat outside the fish and greengrocer's shop was Mr. Etheridge.

Compare this card with the photograph of Museum Parade & The Pitchings, Matlock Bath, 1910
Also see: Kelly's Directory 1908 | Kelly's Directory 1912 - both for Matlock Bath

References:

^[1] Recollections of the late Mr. Frank Clay, from private papers and notes owned by Mrs. Doreen Buxton, some of which were written in 1992 and are still within copyright.

^[2] The 1911 census is available on FindMyPast.

^[3] "Derbyshire Times", 27 May 1911. Explosion at an Hotel.