“Come with me for a wander down memory lane”.  This was the opening line of John Walker’s talk as he used old photographs and invoices to recall the Old Town businesses and characters of yesteryear.

John recalled how in 1963, already an enthusiastic member of the Augustinian Society, he was given permission to retrieve anything of historical interest from an abandoned solicitors office. This included invoices with elaborate headings from many local shops going back to the Victorian period.

John’s used his extensive knowledge of Old Town to link the invoices to photographs of the businesses and some of the people involved.

One of many examples was a bill for 30 dinners at the now demolished Green Dragon Inn for a golden wedding celebration. Another was from Harry Pashley declaring him to be a “Licenced Hawker”. A photo showed him and his horse and cart in a then very narrow St Johns Street.

Also mentioned were piano lessons for a Miss Milner at Swiss Cottage, and a few businesses in Quay such as Burrells.

The vote of thanks was given by Bro Rick Hudson.