Like an ocean liner, the construction and opening of Lewis’ (now Primark) in 1957 brought huge excitement to the city. The department store, along with Jones and Co, provided a huge attraction for visitors to Broadmead.
The stores were also another sign of Birstol’s recovery from the ravages of the Blitz.
On opening, Lewis’, which was so big it featured 200 departments, had 100,000 visitors. There was even a roof garden restaurant with a fountain and flower beds. In the early days it was asuccess, but in the late 70s competition led to the store’s downfall and it would later be operated by John Lewis, Bentalls and Primark as it is today.
Jones and Co opened four months before Lewis’, and just like its competitor it offered shoppers virtually everything under one roof, including a ‘meeting place with 35 seats on the third floor’. The store was taken over by Debenhams in 1972, which closed in 2021 and has since been purchased by a London group.
Here are pictures documenting the history of the two sites:
5. Lewis’ not long after opening - 1950s
Lewis’ (now Primark) stands proudly at the end of Horsefair with shoppers passing by | Bristol Archives
6. Roof garden at Lewis’ - 1950s
What a better way to take a pause from shopping than to have a drink in the ‘futuristic’ roof garden at the top of Lewis’ (now Primark) | Bristol Archives
7. Steel frame of Jones and Co - 1955
This picture, taken from Horsefair, shows the bones of the Jones and Co store (later Debenhams) as construction starts to take hold. | Bristol Archives
8. Jones and Co construction, the view from St James Barton Roundabout - 1955
First thing which strikes you will be the lack of traffic on the busy roundabout - but with construction now well underway on the Jones and Co store (later Debenhams) it appears that the junction is closed to traffic. | Bristol Archives