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:
9. Work well underway on Jones and Co (later Debenhams) - 1953
The window cut-outs remain at the former Debenhams store today with only the middle section changed for the glass where the elevator is located. This is the view from Horsefair. | Bristol Archives
10. Looking at Jones and Co from Broadmead roundabout - 1967
Now fully pedestrianised, this busy image from the late 60s shows Jones and Co (later Debenhams) situated on The Horsefair at the end of Merchant Street. | Bristol Archives
11. Jones and Co fully open - 1968
No bus lane here - Horsefair with cars lining the road and the Jones and Co store on the righthand side. This was taken three years before Debenhams would take over the store. | Bristol Archives