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Willson and Gumpets

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I used to go there in the late 50s and early 60s with my Dad and 5 pounds to spend on fireworks every Guy Fawkes.

 

Catherine wheels, rockets, crackerjacks, etc - nothing ferocious like now!

 

Most of my toys came from Redgates though.

 

Five quid on fireworks in the fifties ? My dad got about eight quid a week then !

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I was in the fireworks savings club abt 1950 and managed 30bobswirth of fireworks

Mostly squibs and mighty atoms, crackers and a couple of rainbow showers

And the got to have rockets . The streets were strewn with depleted rockets next morning.

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I may be wrong but I thought Redgates bought Wilson and Gumpets at some point - or have I missed reading that in the thread?

 

When I was a school kid (Burngreave ,1962), we had a teacher, Mr.Nunn a nice, placid 'gentleman' who was then in his late forties. He used to wear immaculate suits and drove a 'Rover'. He was from the family that owned 'Redgate's and told us that 'Wilson-Gumpert' was part of them, even then.

Edited by stpetre

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When I was a school kid (Burngreave ,1962), we had a teacher, Mr.Nunn a nice, placid 'gentleman' who was then in his late forties. He used to wear immaculate suits and drove a 'Rover'. He was from the family that owned 'Redgate's and told us that 'Wilson-Gumpert' was part of them, even then.

 

Confirmed.

 

Wilson Gumpert & Co Ltd

Proprietors: The Redgate Co (Sheffield) Ltd

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/K1-8-Ephemera-Advert-Sheffield-Wilson-Gumpert-Co-Ltd-Toys/322309506012?_trksid=p2047675.c100011.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D38661%26meid%3D6f9f7a23700243fab941781e2d75a8cc%26pid%3D100011%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D5%26sd%3D322220530984

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I must add that 'Nunney' never referred openly to us school lads in his classes as to his family's business connections, he was a too polite and a refined 'chap' to do that. We got to know by other means. However as 'gentile' and soft spoken as he was, he took no s*** in a working class area Sheffield secondary school !

Edited by stpetre
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The Nun Family who owned Redgates also bought Wilson & Gumperts There was about 6 of us working at Gumperts till we were all transferred to Redgates.

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It's interesting to see this item of printed ephemera - for two quid I'm almost tempted, but in the meantime... :) Kelly's directories show Wilson Gumpert & Co. at 10 Fitzalan Square until 1964. The 1965 directory doesn't show the Fitzalan Square shop in the street-by-street section, but it is still shown under "Toy etc. Dealers" in the classified section, so I would guess that some time in 1964 (when the 1965 directory was published) would be when the Fitzalan Square shop closed. Interestingly, Wilson Gumpert & Co is shown under "Toy Merchants - Wholesale" with premises in Matilda Way, from 1964 until the last Kelly's directory of 1974, and so it would seem that when the Fitzalan Square shop closed they continued in the wholesale trade under the Wilson Gumpert name.

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Wilson and Gumpert closed down when I worked there I was 16 so the year would have been about 1970. Redgates had a whole upper floor dedicated to wholesale toys using the name of Wilson & Gumpert. Yes they did continue to use that name.

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We would always window shop the train sets that we could not afford to buy.

 

Yes SHYTOT, I had the same experience as a kid (late 1950's') looking into Wilson Gumpert's window in Fitzalan Square next door to the Marples. There were two bus stops directly outside: the Petre Street (where I lived) bus to Grimesthorpe and the No.4 to Wincobank.

Edited by stpetre
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Yes Redgates did buy and take over Wilson and Gumperts and used the name.

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I used to go there in the late 50s and early 60s with my Dad and 5 pounds to spend on fireworks every Guy Fawkes.

 

Catherine wheels, rockets, crackerjacks, etc - nothing ferocious like now!

 

Most of my toys came from Redgates though.

 

My mum worked there, and I remember her bringing home a great box of unlabeled fireworks they couldn't sell. Loose wooden handles fitted some but couldn't be sure what each was until we lit them! Wow, what a night !

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

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