Floral Expressions
When I visited Kirkby in August 2023, the florist Floral Expressions were still at 42 Station Street. But, there was a sale on. It seems they have since permanently closed. Their Facebook page is no longer accessible. They had been there since at least October 2008.
Current Owner
In a comment on Facebook, Zoe Thompson noted that she and her sister were the current owners of the property. They had decided to close in September, after almost 24 years having owned the shop since October 1999. They intend to continue the funeral flower side of the business from home. She continued, “the property is now going to auction, we will be very interested to see what it becomes in future, the property holds very dear memories for us and has served us well. The history is very interesting, a psychic once came to the shop, as a customer, and said she saw a black dog around the place, a huge man at the top of the stairs and a little boy who would sit on the stairs. I wonder if the man she saw was the policeman? Very interesting.“
Pask Gent’s Hairdresser
I have not found any entry for 42 Station Street in either of the Kelly’s Directories for 1928 or 1941. However, Pask Gents Hairdresser appears at this location on Jacques’ List of Station Street retailers circa 1920-1940. But, I wonder if this location is correct. In 1928, John Henry Pask was listed as a hairdresser at 54 Station Street.
C Kalynycz
History of the Name
I am grateful to Heather Mulholland, on Kirkby Living Memory Facebook Group, for explaining that this electrical and lighting business belonged to her parents. She noted, “my parents’ electrical and lighting business was actually in my mother’s name C (Clarice) Kalynycz, the reason for this being when my father arrived in the UK in 1947 as a displaced person from the Ukraine the rules within the UK stated that as a foreign alien my father could not have a bank account or own a business, hence the business was in my mother’s name. My father became a naturalised British Citizen in 1961, but the business remained as C Kalynycz until they retired in 1997, the business was then at 42 Station Street.”
Originally on Ellis Street
She further explained that her parents started the business at 3 Ellis Street and then, when Wilbourn’s wanted to extend into number 3, they moved across the road to number 2 Ellis Street which they rented from the TSB. Then, when the TSB wanted to modernise their premises which meant extending into number 2 Ellis Street, “my parents bought the old Co-operative Chemist at 42 Station Street“.
Photograph of C Kalynycz Shop
Memories of C Kalynycz
In comments on Facebook, a number of people recalled this shop and family positively. Megan Finney noted going here for “some shades“. Carol Jones got ceiling shades here for her first house in Vernon Road. Jean Bradley commented that Mr and Mrs Kalynycz were “lovely, lovely people… you could get anything you wanted from their shop“. Laurine Stafford recalled that she and her mum used to get light bulbs there. Alwyn Bowskill recalled that they later moved to larger premises on Urban Road.
Royal Wedding Bunting
Gill Crisp remembered “Mrs Kalynycz hanging bunting from the upstairs window in July 1981 all ready for the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer! I was working at NatWest Bank across the road and Station Street joined in with the excitement of the upcoming celebrations of the time!“
School FRiends
Megan Finney had known Michael at school and Lynn Buxton-Wood noted going to school with Angela. Loraine Prewett remembered them living on Welbeck Street. Kath Williams recalled that she was friends with another daughter Marion. She remembered, “when we were in the St Johns nursing cadets and her mum told her she could not go on the annual trip to Rhyll . So myself and a couple of others called for her… we took the short route along Ellis Street then down Lowmoor Road . Only thing was her mum was in the shop serving and not wanting to be spotted we all crawled under the shop window then legged it as fast as we could.”
Chemist and Butcher
John Hickman remembered that his grandparents ran this business noting, “I lived here for a short period in the mid nineties after the shop was closed. Interesting to read of what the psychic mentioned. I can remember seeing chemist bottles about the place as a child and heard things about possibly a butcher as right at the back of the shop is a cold room.” Heather Mulholland, whose parents ran C Kalynycz, noted that they “first bought the old Co-op Chemist at 42 Station Street. Later they bought the old butchers cold store which was located at the bottom of the yard and was attached to the bottom of the property. This is why it felt very cold at the back of the property.“
Co-op Chemist and Butcher
Based on what Heather Mulholland said about her parents starting C Kalynycz, it seems that 42 Station Street previously housed a Co-op Chemist.
In a comment on Facebook regarding 44 Station Street, Paul Brown recalled that the Co-op was here in the mid to late sixties. He thought it might have been a butchers. Frank Ball commented that there had been a Co-op Chemist here in the early sixties.
Lettering
Ivan Braddow explained that “‘Floral Expressions’ shop used to be the electrical shop (name of which I can pronounce but not spell) [C Kalynycz] some years ago. Behind the modern shop sign, you could, at one time, see the outline of the lettering ‘ Co-Op Pharmacy’. All that can be seen now is one row of brown tiles above the sign.” Ivan was confident that the outline of the lettering is still there.
In response to a question I asked on Facebook, Zoe Thompson, the current owner, commented that there is no lettering behind the sign. But, this may be because I asked about lettering whereas Ivan was talking about outline of lettering. He explained, “it was only the outline of where the letters used to be. In other words, it was where dirt had built up around the letters and when the letters were removed you could see where they were because the brown tiles were cleaner where they used to be. That should still be there but not the letters.“
Residents of 42 Station Street
1939
In 1939, no-one was listed as living at 42 Station Street.
The Mountains
In 1921, William and Hannah Mountain were living at 42 Station Street although Hannah’s name has been transcribed as Minnth. The Mountains are of interest as, in 1911, they were living at 46 Station Street and, in 1901, at number 44. He was described as a colliery banksman for the Butterley Company. One of three daughters, Ethel (b1894) was living with them. She was working as a shop assistant for grocer Fred Hutton at 52 Station Street. However, I wonder if there is an issue with numbering. My understanding is that Fred Hutton operated from 50 Station Street.
The Hallams
In 1921, William Sleath, Mabel Harriet, Ernest and Thomas William Hallam were lodging with the Mountains. From their ages and sexes, I assume William Sleath and Mabel Harriet were married and Ernest (b1913) and Thomas William (b1914) were their sons. William Sleath also worked for the Butterley Colliery Company as a stallman. From entries in earlier censuses, I wondered if Manel Harriet was in fact the daughter of William and Hannah Mountain even though she is described as a boarder. I was able to confirm that William S Hallam married Mabel H Mountain in 1912.
The Tomlinsons
In 1911, Walter and Mary Ann Tomlinson were living at 42 Station Street with their six children, Arthur (b1891), Cissy (b1899), Julia (b1900), Mary (b1903), Annie (b1907) and Amy (b1911). Walter was described as a sergeant of police and Arthur was a colliery labourer above ground.
The Townsends
In 1901, Thomas and Elizabeth Townsend were living at 42 Station Street with their three children, John W (b1881), Cecil (b1885) and Ethel M (b1888). Thomas was a police constable, John was a coal miner (loader) and Cecil was a colliery horse driver (below).