45 Sydney Street

Image: © Simon Carey Taken: 24 Jul 2011

An early occupant was Mrs Trowbridge who moved from Image to continue trading as a straw bonnet maker but after that the house became residential until the late 1920s when two businesses from Image expanded into this building. Neither lasted long and were soon followed by a number of other businesses namely a costumier, a drugstore which then moved to Image and a confectioner. In 1938 Alfred May moved over the road from Image and remained repairing boots for the next thirty years before being replaced by a stone merchants though it is unclear whether it refers to masonry or jewellery. From the 1980s the shop became an antiques dealer then a leather goods shop before the current incumbent moved in from a stall in Kensington Gardens. Bonsai KO deals exclusively in Japanese bonsai trees from retailing to information about their care as well as their cultural aspects. OCCUPANTS 1929: GRAMOPHONE DEALER: West’s 1930: CYCLE DEALER: Joseph Westrich 1931: COSTUMIER: Percies 1933-36: DRUGSTORE: The People’s Prescription 1937: CONFECTIONER: Ted Heald 1938-69: BOOT MAKER: Alfred May 1970-74: STONE MERCHANTS: Stone Craft 1980-82: ANTIQUES: Paraphernalia 1984-93: LEATHER GOODS: Leather Fayre 1995-2011: HORTICULTURAL: Bonsai KO

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