Emery's Newsagents, 6 Holyrood Street

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The photo shows Edwards store in Victorian times when a dog and horse could still wander down Holyrood Street. It also clearly shows that Edwards was established in 1840 and it was still in existence in 1902.

It was a drapers, selling cloth, for making up into garments, also women’s clothing, bonnets and household items. The shop is a listed building, so that is why the shop front remains remarkably unchanged from the photo from Victorian times.

For a long time, 6, Holyrood Street was owned by the Sparrow family. Mr and Mrs Sparrow, ran the shop as a newsagents and lived upstairs.

After the couple had passed away their familyoffered Maurice Emery the opportunity to rent the property in 1985. Maurice continued the newsagents, also selling cards and jigsaws. Andrew Emery, Maurice’s grandson, worked with him from 1999.

In 2011 Andrew and his wife were able to buy the premises. For a time, part of the shop sold pre-loved baby clothes and toys under the name “little emery’s”. That part of the shop is now an ice-cream parlour.