Photoscoot 2020: formerly Griffith Ellis, and Dicks, shoe shop, 12 and 14 Great Darkgate Street, Aberystwyth

Description

The 'Aberystwyth Official Guide and Souvenir' published by the Aberystwyth Corporation in 1924 includes adverts for Dicks' (next door to the Post Office). The shop stocked K shoes, Jaeger, Holdfast, Dryfoot, and Scrimshaw. They provided shoes for golf, the beach, tennis and bathing sandals. The store was also an agent for Lotus and Delta shoes, which are believed to be the oldest brand of shoes in the UK.
The story of Lotus is the story of the Bostock family. In 1759, William Bostock was working as a shoemaker in Derbyshire. His son and apprentice, Thomas, moved to Stafford in 1814 and set up his shoe manufacturing business. Thomas’ three sons would join the business and, in 1903, Lotus Shoe Makers Ltd was incorporated to sell ready-made shoes from the company’s three factories. Lotus were the first shoe manufacturer to adopt 'instock' methods of production, rather than manufacturing shoes to order. They held a range of styles and sizes in stock for faster delivery to the customer, which helped to increase productivity and profits.
Griffith Ellis at number 14 Great Darkgate Street was a general ironmonger. The advert for the store in the 1924 guide notes that they sold household brushes and table knives, forks and spoons, as well as a having a special department for presents for visitors to purchase. Both stores now stand empty.