Allans Mens Clothing Store Petworth

I was very happy to get this picture and write up from the folks at my favourite clothes shop. Allens is located just off the Market Square and stocks some good clothes for the discerning gentleman of fashion. They also provide the soundtrack to Christmas by broadcasting carols from their shop.


45 years ago in 1964 Marion and Fred Sneller and their seven children moved to Petworth and took over Allans, a Ladies Fashion and Haberdashery business based in New Street. The first day’s trading finished with a grand total of £1.87 in the till. The business quickly expanded and at one time the whole family plus several local shop assistants were employed in six different shops occupying four premises in the town. By 1974 the shops which included the original ladies fashions now traded in menswear, children’s clothes, dress fabrics and knitting wools and carpets, curtains and homeware.

Following the death of Fred in 1971 and Marion’s subsequent retirement in 1979 plus various family members moving on to other things, the present business is run by Bob and Dick Sneller although their sister Wendy Reynolds still does all the alterations for the shop. Another sister Jane Welch has just written her mother’s memoirs which Allans have published to celebrate the 45th anniversary.

Ronald Chambers Antiques, Market Square Petworth

Ronald Chambers is one of the top antique dealers in Petworth, and enjoys a key position in the corner of Market Square. It is always worth a look in the window as you go by, they have some amazing stuff in there including things like grandfather clocks and old keyboard instruments sometimes. The always put on a good show for the Christmas late night opening in December. In the photo they have decorated the window to mark valentine's day. I doubt very much that valentine's day makes much impact on their trade - they seem to just enjoy an excuse for a bit of flamboyance.

They have a website too http://www.ronaldchambers.com/

I only recently noticed that one part of the shop has another name over it, that of Jacqueline Tudor, so I guess that there must be two businesses operating on the same premises. But as they both use the same phone number they must get on pretty well.

Somerfields

How would any of us in Petworth get on without Somerfields? Knowing that a pint of milk or a rasher of bacon is only a short walk away anytime between 7 and 10 is a great comfort. Apart from the banks, the only big chain represented in Petworth.

Switching on the Christmas Lights

The big event in Petworth this week was the switching on of the Christmas lights in the Market Square. There had been lots of rumours going around the town about who the celebrity was who was going to switch the lights on. It had at one point going to be local resident John Sargent - who had agreed to do it long before he became a household name and national treasure. Some people had said it was going to be Michel Pierre White, others thought that some elves had been approached from the Pantomime in Chichester. On the day itself Ricky Gervais was spotted in town and word went round that he was the mystery celebrity. (He has mentioned Petworth in his blog, see Week 40, but doesn't confirm this story.) In the event, nobody could have predicted the actual surprise in store for the people of Petworth, none other than Julie Stardust wife of the actual Alvin Stardust. To get Scrooge from the pantomime at the same time was yet another coup. Speculation on who will be next year's celebrity will probably start as soon as the lights come down again in January. See the lights being put up in Petworth here.

Putting Up the Christmas Lights in Petworth November 2008

The Christmas lights in Petworth are put up by volunteers from the town.

Here are the lights being put up in New Street between the Red Lion and Artful Teasing on November 2nd 2008.

This job is done on Sunday mornings in November in time for the fair held in the Market Square in November. The lights are officially turned on by a celebrity on the evening of the first Saturday in December. There are stalls in the square and most of the shops stay open late and put on special displays. All in all it is a very enjoyable day.

The Market Square

Petworth's current layout is a fairly new one, having to live with the demands of the modern road network. The A272 runs through the middle of town including through the historic market square. The name is an old one but easy enough to understand. The square is still the home of regular markets and is also used for many local events.

One of the regular fairs held in it is the Charter Fair. This is a fair held by a royal charter, the charter in this case going back to the reign of Edward IV many centuries ago. There are also much more modern Farmers' Markets and the French Market. The French Market, frankly, isn't all that special even if you are a francophile. (In fact especially if you are a francophile.) The Farmers' Market on the other hand is well worth a visit. There are plenty of stalls selling local produce.

The centre piece of the square is the Leconfield Hall, which seems to be pretty old (note to self - do some research). The bust of William III is interesting, but the building doesn't look quite as old as his reign. It is used today as the cultural centre of the town, a handy venue for social evenings and for more serious public meetings as well. It has its own website, http://www.leconfieldhall.org.uk which has a distinctive design and which lists what is going on there. I find it quite endearing that the website gives no details whatever about the history of the building or any background on its architectural significance, but does give a rundown of the state of the curtains inside. This is obviously a working building and not just an historical relic.