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What was your Mums name dave? I worked at w&G and Redgates

 

Her name was Lily Hall, and it must have been about 1960 ish.

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Ah I worked there from 1970 till it closed and then transferred to Redgates.

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I remember going into W&G and gawping at the model railway stock - they were one of the few shops who stocked Trix trains, which is what I had. That would be circa 1962.

 

Did they also sell records? I can remember a shop closing down their record dept. and selling off lots of singles on rare labels like Island, which as a schoolboy I couldn't afford. Was it W&G, or does my memory deceive me?

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I think WG's used to sell Dinkys without boxes during the early post war years due to paper rationing ? Before Marples was rebuilt, it remained a bomb site for many years. Up above it,on the adjoining wall of the WG block, was a large painted sign of a cinema audience if memory serves ; anyone clarify ?

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When I was small my mum used to take me to look in WG's I remember a glass case full of dancing puppets, Pelham I think. When Redgates took over and went down the Moor and my kids were small, I took them to see the toys. Happy days.

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I have two WW1 Prisoner of War letters written by Ernst Gumpert to Miss Spring c/o Wilson, Gumpert Co. Ltd.  It appears he was interned at Lofthouse Park internment camp  During the War.

The letters are very business oriented.

 

Thanks to the contributors above for solving a mystery for me! 

 

I wonder if if he was interned again during WW2?!

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Hi Alan Lines - welcome to the Forum! I really don't know if Ernst Gumpert was interned during WW2 - by then he may perhaps have become a naturalised British Subject. The '1939 Register' finds Ernst and Eleanor living at 65 Wilkinson Street with their daughter Janet and Rebecca Wilson, a director of the firm. The 'Miss Spring' to whom you refer may have been Eliza Spring, described in the 1911 census return as a "Shop assistant. Toy dealer". Aged 32 at that time, she lived with her widowed mother and two brothers on Station Road, Darnall. In case it's of interest, here is a link to a scan of the census page. https://i.postimg.cc/3R8BDfbn/1911-Spring.jpg

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My parents used to call Wilson Gumperts the #dolls hospital #. I remember one Christmas when money must have been tight my favourite doll was taken there. I got it back completely renovated, a crack on head seam fixed and a new curly wig fitted. The doll was as good as new again. Mom made some new clothes for it and that was my Christmas present AGAIN.

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Hi hillsbro, John Arthur Spring was my grandfather (died before I was born).

I remember visiting 'auntie' Spring fairly regularly at Wilson Gumperts when she was shop manager. My Dinky toy collection (sadly long gone) was largely accumulated as a result of these visits.

Here's a link to a photo showing Lizzie Spring in the garden at the aforementioned Station Road:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1cocuU6aSa6jlSnKoBVT1m-9F8cSDcmrl

 

 

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Hi ping - it's nice to have your input, and to see the photo of Lizzie Spring. I see that she lived to the good age of 92 and died in 1971. She would have been an interesting person to talk to!

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If it is of any help,  Mr Gumpert was a Doctor .

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I worked at Wilson  Gumperts in the late 60s.  when Redgates  took it over W G was closed and the staff moved to Redgates shop.

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