Sorry to contradict Ian but this is the ‘Clock House’. We’ve got another photo on the site taken about the same time. Can’t find it at the moment as the search box doesn’t seem to be working.
By Graham Stevens (11/05/2012)
You may be right, but I had this slide labelled as Holmes Bros .
By Ian Hawks (11/05/2012)
Hello Holmes Bros garage/filling station was in what is now C.J. Autos on the north side of the high street near Mitchells avenue. They later had a shop opposite Stevens bakers which was taken over by Halcon. Regards Sparrow
By sparrow (11/05/2012)
Worked for Rodney Hall, Halcons at the time of the taking over of Holmes Bros, am sure my photo is of the old shop as it was being pulled down, the photo was taken for our records.
By Ian Hawks (11/05/2012)
It’s definitely what used to be the Clock House… Interesting to know its final occupier was Holmes Bros. I remember in the 1970’s the little hut attached on the right had a little shop selling collectors cigarette/tea cards. A friend Jason Swirwin lived in the house that was built on this plot.
By David Bullock (12/05/2012)
hi Dave Holmes bros [later Halcon] was futher along the high street on the south side, roughly opposite Stevens shop or Baardvyck ave Regards Sparrow
By sparrow (12/05/2012)
Thanks, Dave for confirmation, I’m still looking for that other photo of the derelict Clock House, can’t remember whether it’s on your site or the Archive. Perhaps I should have a dig around for the original.
Your almost right Sparrow, Holmes Bros was situated next-door to the garage (west side) which for many post-war years was owned by Ivan Smith, Dave (Timbercraft) Smith’s uncle. The building is to all appearances a pre-war structure. The line-up in the 50s would have been; W to E; The Cosy Cafe on the corner of Gills Ave, a spare plot of land that provided a side-way and access to storage (I think) for Holmes Bros, the large hardware shop, the garage and then Greenglades on the corner of Mitchells Ave.
Re the Holmes Bros/Halcon site opp. the bakery I hope you will find a definitve history(well the best I could manage) here. I’m afraid I can’t recall a physical transfer of the Holmes Bros business to the Clock House site.
By Graham Stevens (12/05/2012)
I seem to have started a witch hunt as to the site of Holmes Bros. Working at Smallgains corner with G.Prout & Sons. 1950’s we use to buy a lot of our hardware from Holmes. I had my lunch at the Cosy Cafe which was on the North side of the High Street fairly near to Holmes shop. Am sure I have seen an advert in one of the old local papers for Holmes Bros, which may have an address giving the house number.
By Ian Hawks (13/05/2012)
Thanks for the photo Ian – It’s great. Don’t worry we won’t duck you in a pond! There’s a thread on the Canvey.org forum about the clockhouse…
By David Bullock (13/05/2012)
That’s the one! Thanks Dave, saved me rummaging around. Don’t worry Ian you’ve re-introduced interest into a popular subject. It would be great if you could find your slide of Holmes Bros. Some Archive members have just completed a presentation(map and old photos)of the shops and old buildings in Furtherwick Rd up to 1953 which we’re using for interested organisations and schools. Our next project is the High St in the same period so any photos of that area would be very important to us.
By Graham Stevens (14/05/2012)
Holmes bros hardware shop was pulled down to make way for the flats on the corner of Gills avenue. Holmes were never connected to The Clock House. I believe they may have relocated down towards the point where GMDA mowers are now opposite Stevens Bakers. The two pictures are both of The Clock House. The earlier one did not have a habitable flat above but did in later years the Carol Kennedy lived there with her grandparents (at. Least I think the were )
By Joan liddiard (05/04/2013)
Yes Joan! you are quite correct, The old wooden structure which was used by the Holmes Brothers was sited somewhere around the car parking area of the block of flats which replaced it after demolition, I seem to recall it being on an unmade piece of ground, the flat block was hence named as Holmes Court (I resided in one of the top flats for some 7 years in recent times), when my Parents first moved onto Canvey around the mid 1960s I remember going into Holmes building supplies there to purchase various components from then, one of the older brothers was a tall slim fellow who loved a good old chat as I also have always enjoyed and we both got on like a house on fire, he was a very knowledgeable, Friendly & helpful fellow LOL!.
They also joined forces with another company and had a commercial vehicle premises built on the Charfleets Industrial Estate which was titled Halcon-Holmes Bros, not certain but seem to think after a while they parted company with Halcon’s & had a new building constructed dealing as builders merchants again, which these days is occupied and run by the Durrant family trading as G.M.D Mowers on the corner of Station Road in the High Street towards the Point.
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Sorry to contradict Ian but this is the ‘Clock House’. We’ve got another photo on the site taken about the same time. Can’t find it at the moment as the search box doesn’t seem to be working.
You may be right, but I had this slide labelled as Holmes Bros .
Hello Holmes Bros garage/filling station was in what is now C.J. Autos on the north side of the high street near Mitchells avenue. They later had a shop opposite Stevens bakers which was taken over by Halcon. Regards Sparrow
Worked for Rodney Hall, Halcons at the time of the taking over of Holmes Bros, am sure my photo is of the old shop as it was being pulled down, the photo was taken for our records.
It’s definitely what used to be the Clock House… Interesting to know its final occupier was Holmes Bros. I remember in the 1970’s the little hut attached on the right had a little shop selling collectors cigarette/tea cards. A friend Jason Swirwin lived in the house that was built on this plot.
hi Dave Holmes bros [later Halcon] was futher along the high street on the south side, roughly opposite Stevens shop or Baardvyck ave Regards Sparrow
Thanks, Dave for confirmation, I’m still looking for that other photo of the derelict Clock House, can’t remember whether it’s on your site or the Archive. Perhaps I should have a dig around for the original.
Your almost right Sparrow, Holmes Bros was situated next-door to the garage (west side) which for many post-war years was owned by Ivan Smith, Dave (Timbercraft) Smith’s uncle. The building is to all appearances a pre-war structure. The line-up in the 50s would have been; W to E; The Cosy Cafe on the corner of Gills Ave, a spare plot of land that provided a side-way and access to storage (I think) for Holmes Bros, the large hardware shop, the garage and then Greenglades on the corner of Mitchells Ave.
Re the Holmes Bros/Halcon site opp. the bakery I hope you will find a definitve history(well the best I could manage) here. I’m afraid I can’t recall a physical transfer of the Holmes Bros business to the Clock House site.
I seem to have started a witch hunt as to the site of Holmes Bros. Working at Smallgains corner with G.Prout & Sons. 1950’s we use to buy a lot of our hardware from Holmes. I had my lunch at the Cosy Cafe which was on the North side of the High Street fairly near to Holmes shop. Am sure I have seen an advert in one of the old local papers for Holmes Bros, which may have an address giving the house number.
Thanks for the photo Ian – It’s great. Don’t worry we won’t duck you in a pond! There’s a thread on the Canvey.org forum about the clockhouse…
That’s the one! Thanks Dave, saved me rummaging around. Don’t worry Ian you’ve re-introduced interest into a popular subject. It would be great if you could find your slide of Holmes Bros. Some Archive members have just completed a presentation(map and old photos)of the shops and old buildings in Furtherwick Rd up to 1953 which we’re using for interested organisations and schools. Our next project is the High St in the same period so any photos of that area would be very important to us.
Holmes bros hardware shop was pulled down to make way for the flats on the corner of Gills avenue. Holmes were never connected to The Clock House. I believe they may have relocated down towards the point where GMDA mowers are now opposite Stevens Bakers. The two pictures are both of The Clock House. The earlier one did not have a habitable flat above but did in later years the Carol Kennedy lived there with her grandparents (at. Least I think the were )
Yes Joan! you are quite correct, The old wooden structure which was used by the Holmes Brothers was sited somewhere around the car parking area of the block of flats which replaced it after demolition, I seem to recall it being on an unmade piece of ground, the flat block was hence named as Holmes Court (I resided in one of the top flats for some 7 years in recent times), when my Parents first moved onto Canvey around the mid 1960s I remember going into Holmes building supplies there to purchase various components from then, one of the older brothers was a tall slim fellow who loved a good old chat as I also have always enjoyed and we both got on like a house on fire, he was a very knowledgeable, Friendly & helpful fellow LOL!.
They also joined forces with another company and had a commercial vehicle premises built on the Charfleets Industrial Estate which was titled Halcon-Holmes Bros, not certain but seem to think after a while they parted company with Halcon’s & had a new building constructed dealing as builders merchants again, which these days is occupied and run by the Durrant family trading as G.M.D Mowers on the corner of Station Road in the High Street towards the Point.
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