Bohemia Village Voice

D C V Silverstone writes (Jul 2008)

Dear Sir, in l993 I purchased my house in Markwick Terrace which I discovered to have been built for a Mr. Charles Edward Webb who had an ironmongers shop, as hardware stores were then called, in Bohemia Road where Scott James is now situated. It was a double one on the corner of Tower Road and was part of a chain with shops in Sittingbourne, Tenterden and Bournemouth.

There is a picture of the shop in the  Hastings library, and to all intents it must have been quite profitable – from this photograph you can still see the outline of the old shop today.  The family came from Birmingham originally, so I was told, and I discovered that the original name for my house was Himley, a local area of Birmingham. Mr. Webb was quite entrepreneurial and had a contract to supply the iron railings along the seafront.

The drain covers of my house, which are cast iron, have the name C.E.Webb on them.  He lived in the area until 1924 and then moved to Bournemouth.  I think he had three sons and no doubt they moved with the family.  Webbs of Battle was opened a few years ago, so the family is still prospering, although alas, the shop in Bohemia Road is no more.  I wonder if any of your readers knew Mr. Webb or remember the shop?

D.C.V. Silverstone.