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History of the House The house was built by a well respected local businessman called Edward Dent Brough. Brough began a grocery business which survived until the 1970s, eventually being taken over by Liptons. Liptons were later taken over by Presto, who were in turn taken over by Safeway. Brough, however, had sold his interest in the business in 1914. This was the year in which he built this house. The name 'Broughs' remained on the stores until the Liptons takeover, and the company's prime store was on Newcastle’s New Bridge Street until 1970. Edward Brough paid the princely sum of £1,913.17/-10d (£1,913.89 in the new money) to have the property built. |
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He used no less than three building plots, two on Moorfiled, and one on Albury Road, and in addition bought land on the other side of Moorfield, which he used as gardens for himself and the people of Albury Road. He donated this land to the Freemen of the City in 1934, and it became part of the Town Moor. This land has recently passed into the hands of the council, but is still used as gardens by the residents, managed by an allotment association. |
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Broughs Self Service New Bridge Street 1970, shortly before the block was demolished and replaced with a delightiful brutalist concrete wonder, called Pearl House. A Halifax Bank now stands on this spot. |
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Simon at Beamish Open Air Museum with one of Broughs' original enamel advertisements. Broughs is remembered by most Newcastle people as a pioneeering supermarket, or 'self service' shop, as it was called at the time. The Brough name had in fact first became famous in the north east when the company's horse-drawn vehicles supplied outlying villages with pre-ordered groceries. The orders would be taken the previous week, at the time of delivery. Not a million miles from Tescos Online, really. Probably with less microwave meals, though. |
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If you are interested in Simon's house and would like more information, |
See pictures of Simon's house (Edward Brough's house), again ripped off his website without permission click here