Citylife in Lichfield December 2022 January 2023

Christmas Gifts from
Lichfield’s Past
By Jono Oates
Today many of the Christmas gifts we buy for our friends, work colleagues and
family, tend to be high technology and at times highly expensive! But the gifts
that Lichfeldians bought in the past tended to be simpler, cheaper and much
more practical.
In December 1889, shoppers could go to Eggington and Brown, the printers and
booksellers on Bird Street, and buy pipe racks, letter racks, purses, handbags and chatelaines
(a belt hook worn at the waist, with chains on to which household items were attached) as
well as Christmas and New Year’s Day greeting cards. Messrs Phillips and Parkes, fishmongers
and poulterers, also on Bird Street, were offering over 500 turkeys and geese for the
Christmas dining table, as well as fish of ‘every description’ and barrels of oysters. Another
fishmonger and poulterer, Henry Welch Junior of Tamworth Street, was also selling oysters
of the finest American quality at 1 shilling per score, and also pheasants, hares, venison,
rabbits, pigeons and wild birds of every description. J Worthington, watchmaker and jeweller,
on the junction of Bird Street and Market Street, could provide watches and jewellery to suit
every budget and were also proud to announce that they were the sole agents for John
Royle’s Self-Pouring teapots. To wash down all of that fine food, Henry Mounsdon, wine
merchants at 33 Market Street, was selling bottles of wine at 1 shilling and bottles of spirits
for 1 shilling and sixpence – about 8 pence in today’s money. For a more unusual gift,
Lichfeldians could head to Frederick Harper, at the County Music Warehouse on Bore Street,
and purchase the ‘new musical novelty’ the Bigotphone, which ‘no Christmas Party would be
complete without’. The Bigotphone was the invention of a Frenchman, Mr Bigot, and was a
type of mirliton, or kazoo, which mimicked the sound of brass instruments and was very
popular in the 1890s.
By 1926 festive shoppers in Lichfield could go to Averill’s Chemists on Conduit Street and
buy bottles of perfumes for just one shilling, hot-water bottles, safety razors and hairbrushes
while they also had a beautiful range of British-made leather goods. Meanwhile, just around
the corner at 37 Market Street, Frisby’s, part of the national chain of shoe shops, declared
that ‘Christmas was Slipper Time’ with the slogan ‘What More Welcome Gift than a Warm
and Cosy Pair of Slippers.’
The Radiospeed TV and radio shop at 21 Tamworth Street was offering a special Christmas
allowance for customers’ old TVs in December 1955. The best 14 and 17-inch screen models
were all ready to accept the new TV channel, ITV, which was due to be launched the following
spring. This included the wonderful PYE VT4, which Radiospeed claimed was ‘undoubtedly the
world’s most reliable television’ and was priced at 87 guineas – just over £91 today.
Lucille, ladies’ hairdressers at 26 Bird Street, had a large selection of gifts from City, Revlon,
Goya, Yardley and Norman Hartnell for Christmas in 1958, as well as delightful French
perfumes by Lucien Lelong and was the only shop across the Lichfield district that supplied
toiletries and perfumes by Worth. In the same year, Worsey’s newsagents at 11 Tamworth
Street had lots of Christmas toys for sale including cowboy and cowgirl outfits, bows and
arrows, boxing gloves, Bagatelle, train sets and dolls’ houses.
Toys for the children were also available at Larkin’s Model Shop at 9 St John Street in
December 1968. Brands included Meccano, Pelham Puppets, Spirograph, Scalextric, Subbuteo,
Triang and Airfix.
Another shop selling toys was the Toybox store at the Bakers Lane Precinct at Christmas
1988. The store manager reported that the Ghostbuster range of toys was popular with the
boys, while the Keypers animal toys from Tonka were proving a hit with the girls, especially
the Pony. For the slightly older generation, Christophers, also in the Precinct, had the latest
technology in stock, including personal stereos, video camcorders, Casio keyboards and
electronic chess games. If you preferred to rent, not buy, then the Multi Broadcast shop could
offer the latest microwave for just £1.50 per week, and you could rent Sanyo audio hi-fi units
from £19 a month.
Today our Christmas shopping lists are very different to those from Lichfield’s past, but one
thing has remained intact over the decades – the spirt of the festive season is still alive and
well in the olde Citye of Lichfield – Merry Christmas One and All!
Sources: The British Newspaper Archive; Trades of a City by J.P. Gallagher.
Vintage photographs courtesy of the St Mary’s Photographic Collection
38
Arhur Worsey Newsagents, 11 Tamworth Street
Lucille Hairdressers 26 Bird Street
Larkin's Model Shop, 9 St John Street
Larkin's Model Shop, 9 St JoBT Sadlers, Drapers,
41-43 Market Street