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Bonds
Bonds (Norwich) Ltd
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| Bonds Thatched Restaurant on All Saints' Green |
Bonds of Norwich had been well-known throughout Norfolk for over 100 years, supplying generations of Norfolk families with quality merchandise.
Laying the foundations
Like so many aspects of Norwich trade and manufacture, the magnificent store in All Saints Green had its beginnings towards the end of the 19th century. It was founded by Robert Herne Bond, a farmer's son, born in Ludham in 1844, who in 1879 came to Norwich with his wife Mary Anne. He bought a small drapery shop at number 19 Ber Street belonging to a Mr. Woodland. At first they lived over the shop and there Mrs. Bond looked after her family and found time to make hats for the business. She also looked after members of staff who 'lived in'.
The extent of his property buying is outlined by Kelly's Directory of 1896, where he is listed as a general draper at numbers 19 and 21 Ber Street. and at numbers 62 & 64 Bridge Street, St. George's (on the west side between Blackfriar's bridge and Colegate). One year later his oldest son, William, joined the business.
The keynote of the business at the time was familial sufficiency. John Bond, the second son, became an architect, and it was he, as the business continued to expand, who designed the many extensions carried out on the original store, which in the early days only fronted Ber Street. His firm, of J. Owen Bond, continued later by his son Robert, was responsible for development within the store until the end of the 1970s.
'A family business'
Robert and Mary Anne Bond had six children, William, Jessie, John, Ida, Eva (known as Gussie), and Ernest, three of whom were born prior to the move to Ber Street. By 1886 Robert had prospered sufficiently to purchase three adjoining properties, including the Jubilee public house, kept by victualler Edward Wilson. Early trading records are not available but it is said that a glass of sherry or port, or a quarter pound of tea, provided inducement to customers spending the princely sum of a golden sovereign
Ernest Charles Bond was educated at The Commercial School, St. Andrews. He left Norwich in 1895 and worked in the drapery trade in other towns, before returning to join the family business in 1903. He served in the 2A Battery, H.A.C. during the First World War, during which time his sister Ida served in the shop.
A Norwich institution
It was at this time that Bonds began to take on a more recognisably modern air. In 1914 the Arcade on All Saints Green was opened, thus giving the business frontages on two wide streets. Similarly, Robert's wife, Mary Anne Bond laid the foundations of the millinery department, which was to become one of the biggest outside the West End of London. By the late 1930s more than 30 assistants were selling hats, and more than 20 milliners were employed making them. The busy day in the week was Saturday, when more than 1,000 hats would be sold, mainly priced between 3s.11d. and 9s.11d. To cope with the demand the buyer had to go to London at least once, and sometimes twice a week, to obtain fresh supplies.
Robert Herne Bond died in 1924. The business continued under William and Ernest, with William (who died in 1944) becoming Chairman. They attracted more and more 'county trade', that vital requisite for the early shopkeeper, selling, amongst other things, servants' uniforms, frocks and aprons.
Further growth came when the lease of the Thatched Cinema expired in April, 1930 and the property was taken over by Bonds for use as Restaurant, Conference Hall and Ballroom. Mr. Richard Bond recalls the sprung floor, suspended all the way round on chains, which literally 'bounced' when walked upon. When used as a cinema a false sloping floor had been laid on top. It was later used as a display window and store, but private functions were often held in evenings and dances took place on Saturday nights, when the room had to be cleared. Dinners were often held for 300 to 400 people, when special gas stoves were wheeled into the corridor running beside the Ballroom. Presumably it was because of owning the Thatched Ballroom that the firm's sports club at Trowse was called 'The Tudor Athletic Club'.
Customer service
Bonds operated a strict training policy. It was the custom for staff to serve a three year apprenticeship, and in most cases pay for the privilege, but Ernest was against this, so apprentices were paid 6s. per week plus lunches. Their first year was spent packing, and unpacking, disentangling string, smoothing out tissue paper, picking up pins, and brushing and dusting the vast departmental displays. After three years they were promoted to 'improvers' and were then occasionally allowed to serve if all the sales staff were busy. All fashion garments carried a 'Bonds' label which had to be sewn in, and this was one of the 'improvers' jobs, as well as going through all stock to ensure that buttons were secure!
Staff worked on commission and the showroom girls thought themselves somewhat superior - they wore long green dresses and black shoes, often made of satin at 1 s. 11 d. per pair. When these became shabby they were painted over with black ink. They worked from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. At Christmas Ernest would give the apprentices and 'improvers' ten shillings.
Eric John Sidney Hinde married Marjorie, only daughter of Ernest Bond, in 1931, and joined the firm, having spent five years working on the London Stock Exchange. Educated at the Norwich School, Gresham's School and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, he had graduated in Economics and Law.
Ida Bond became a Non-Executive Director in 1936, and Ernest's son Richard joined the firm in 1937. Bonds prided themselves on the fact that they could provide a family's needs from the cradle to the grave and used the slogan 'Bonds Goods are Good Goods' .
War damage and recovery
By 1939 the store had become a large organisation, employing over 200 people. But war clouds were gathering. Eric Hinde was commissioned in the R.A.S.C. and was a prisoner of-war at Singapore from 1942-1945, and Richard Bond served in the R.A.(A.A.) 1939-1946 with the rank of Captain. Bonds suffered badly from the air raids of 1942 when the store was hit. When the bombs fell, despite heroic attempts by firemen, flames engulfed the timber framework, and a massive blaze ripped through the whole building. The whole premises were completely destroyed including the delightful Thatched Ballroom.
In common with so many other old established Norwich businesses, Ernest Bond did not allow the war damage to stop their trading. Within three days they were selling what was left of the stock from buses they had bought and placed on their bomb-ravaged car park. The restaurant continued in business from a tin shed, also in the car park, and was later transferred to St. Catherine's House further along Al Saints Green from the Bonds site. Other departments moved into the building now occupied by Barclays Bank in Orford Place, and the furniture and carpet departments were moved into two large semi-detached premises on Thorpe Road, later occupied by Tibbenham Advertising Limited.
In Kelly's Directory of 1933 Bonds still only occupy numbers 9 to 23, and The Arcade, All Saints Green, but in the great re-building programme completed in 1951, the whole shape and style of this part of Ber Street and All Saints Green changed. A new, modern, department store arose from the ashes with the emphasis on quality and personal service, which had enhanced their former reputation. In 1960 when the well-known firm of Greens of the Haymarket closed down, Bonds acquired the stock and goodwill, and in 1962 they opened a branch in East Dereham, taking over and modernising Clutten's.
Eric Hinde played his part in the civic life of the city. He returned to the Council in 1947, and was elected Lord Mayor in 1951. He became an Alderman in 1955, and a Magistrate in 1960. His son Nicholas joined the business in 1957, and was made a Director in 1961, when his father became Managing Director. Ernest remained as Chairman, with Richard as Vice-Chairman, a real family business.
1979 - Centenary celebration
Bonds centenary was celebrated with much pomp in 1979. An Eastern Evening News Advertiser's Supplement of 26th March, 1979, remarked 'It is stepping into its second century with an updated, modernised and expanded image. For last year £1 million was spent on the biggest re-development since the war, adding 14,000 sq.ft. of selling space, making in all 96,000 sq.ft. with many new features. It now has an attractive and individual first floor rustic restaurant which seats 160, a new two-storey extension housing a large confectionery and stationery department and a flower shop, a wine cellar in the basement, and a second floor hairdressing and beauty salon. The store has been re-organised with escalators, automatic doors and a more spacious lay-out, and ground and first floor have been re-carpeted. '
The Centenary was launched with a dinner for Bond's 400 members of staff and guests at St. Andrew's Hall. Six great-great-grandchildren of Mr. Robert Herne Bond were at the dinner. Yet commercial pressures were gathering. Mr. Hinde remarked 'It is increasingly difficult to run a private store, so it is a big challenge to keep the shop going as part of the family'. All the Directors, except one, were members of the Bond family. The board, then in its fourth generation, included the Chairman, Mr. Richard Bond, the founder's great-grandsons Mr. Nicholas and Mr. Stephen Hinde, and great-granddaughter, Miss Susan Bond.
Bonds no longer
Subsequently, as if in testimony to those remarks, in May 1982 Bonds was purchased by the John Lewis Partnership, who within a few years had a expanded the size of the store and in 1988 increased the number of car parking spaces for customers from 100 to 700 by building a multi-storey car park. The Bonds name was retained until 2001 before being renamed as John Lewis.
Joyce Gurney-Read
1987
Amended by Nick Williams March 2008
Supported by HM Treasury's Invest to Save Budget
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