Many older residents of Weymouth may remember the long established ironmongery business of Thurmans.
It was at 68 St Thomas Street, home, in more recent times, to frozen food store Iceland.
Quirky Weymouth ironmongers Thurmans (Image: Supplied)
The business had been started by Michael Thurman but after his death in 1906 the premises were sold and the business continued under that name until 1967 when it moved to the opposite side of the road.
Quirky ironmongers Thurmans was in the building before the premises were demolished in the 1960s (Image: NQ) It was a wonderful and quirky establishment and my father recalled visiting there and overhearing a conversation between the proprietor and a disgruntled customer who complained vociferously about the poor standard of the egg slicer which she had bought there.
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She held it in her hand with mangled wires. It was pointed out to her that she should have removed the eggshell before inserting the egg!
Thurmans also had a branch in nearby South Street, Dorchester, which is remembered as being near to Eliot’s the dairy with Fred Legg, Mr Scott and his fishmonger’s shop – he was also a fireman. Along this part of the road was the almshouses called Napper’s Mite.
In 1969 the Weymouth premises of Thurmans were demolished with the condition that above street level the façade had to match exactly the original, using discarded stonework.
The St Mary Street premises now (Image: Supplied)
The premises later became Pricerite Grocers and then Iceland, which closed in recent years and is currently being refitted.