Part 2 of the complete Southernhay history, covering southernhay shops & businesses: nos. 6–48.
C.E. Wignall was recorded at No. 6 from 1962, with Refuge Assurance also associated with the address. No. 6A housed the Basildon Staff Bureau on the first floor from December 1962 before the agency later moved to No. 59.
Gainsborough opened as a ladies' hairdresser in 1963. Later occupants included Music City, selling musical instruments and equipment, and National Schoolwear Centres.
The address was associated with Pearl Assurance and later the offices of the Basildon Standard and Basildon Standard Recorder.
Jessop's operated a DIY centre here from around 1970. By the mid-1980s Forward Trust & Savings was associated with the unit as a finance business.
J & A Fleming, a textile manufacturer, was recorded from 1960. The unit later moved into financial services through Forward Trust, HFC Bank and Beneficial Finance.
Taylors Furnishing Stores was an early occupant from 1959 before relocating to East Walk. Midland Bank later occupied the units, becoming HSBC in 1999 and eventually relocating to Town Square. Fishy Friends Aquatics also used the premises in the 2000s.
Forster's For Fashion traded here as a menswear and wedding-attire business. Other occupants included bespoke tailor D.J. Discombe, Alliance Building Society and later the Cartoon Shop.
Williams Deacon's bank occupied the unit from 1959. Through banking mergers it became Williams & Glyn's and then Royal Bank of Scotland, which remained until January 2019.
H.T. Dwyer operated as a newsagent and confectioner before relocating to No. 30. Leonard Ashley & Co was also recorded at the unit.
Stanwood Radio sold televisions and electrical goods and had a first-floor showroom. Abbey National and later Dedman Property Services followed.
Midland Bank initially occupied the unit before moving to Nos. 16–20. H.T. Dwyer then relocated here, followed by Beneficial Finance and later Griffin Residential estate agents.
Stewards opened around 1959. The long sequence of later occupants included Dolland & Aitchison opticians, Schick beauty salon, taxi businesses, Newton's/Market Stores, and Soundzone Records.
Regal dry cleaners was an early occupant. The unit later housed carpet businesses including Lockett Carpets and Basildon Carpets, followed by Church & Hawes estate agents.
Leytonia Radio & TV Centre opened in 1964, followed by Quality Carpet Co., menswear businesses Bernard Rae and Baccus, and later Spicer McColl estate agents.
These adjoining addresses shared a similar succession: Bernard Rae menswear, Godfrey Photographics, Halifax building society, Premier Homes, Church & Hawes and Hunt Roche estate agents.
Frederic ladies' hairstylist was followed by Downtown Discount Records & Tapes, which also offered video hire in the 1980s, and later Hilbery Chaplin estate agents.
No. 44 housed Wash Dry Clean Launderette. No. 46 was associated with Woolwich Building Society and later Early Learning Centre. No. 48 was occupied by Fantasy Y-Shoes during the 1980s and 1990s.
Before some permanent shops were finished, temporary Midland Bank and Barclays premises operated near the then-incomplete South Walk shops. Westminster Bank and Brentford Nylons are also recorded in the Southernhay business chronology.