Older locals will remember the Carltons department store which occupied the site of what is now the Boyes shop. Humphrey Keenlyside, a friend of the Carlton family has written a booklet about the store’s history. He presented an illustrated history to the Augustinians.

Among the 65 members and guests present were guest of honour Rachel Carlton, the 99 year old widow of Philip Carlton, and three of her five children.

Humphrey explained how Robert Hall Carlton bought the store from Norman Jones in 1911. With his son John, he set about combining a series of shops into a department store under the name of Carltons. Philip Carlton joined the store in 1951 after learning the trade in similar shops in other cities.

Carltons was like Grace Brothers in “Are you being served”, said Humphrey. Staff had to be respectful of the staff hierarchy and could only wear black or grey. The floor walker could have a splash of colour, perhaps a buttonhole flower. Philip Carlton always wore a bow tie.

Humphrey gave several anecdotes showing how the staff and customers were cared for, and some of the idiosyncrasies that made Carltons the shop it was.  He also told how the family lobbied to improve Bridlington’s railway connections and its library service.

When Philip died in 1968 with his children too young to take over, his father John decided to sell up. The old shop was demolished and Bridlington lost a loved shop and its iconic clock.  A new store was built by the Hammonds group called Binns, later to become today’s Boyes store.