3. Boyes Department Store, Scarborough

Boyes Department Store – A Scarborough institution

People often ask me, ‘Kev, whereabouts in Scarborough should I go for bargain housewares, haberdashery, small black cross head screws and ultrafine wire wool?’

Of course, there’s only one answer – Boyes, or Boyses as it’s often known locally. It’s a Scarborough institution. You’ll find it on Queen Street, just set back from Scarborough’s main shopping street, where it was established as ‘The Remnant Warehouse’ in 1886 – and it’s still regarded as a good place to go for fabric, wool, brocade, buttons, lace, frills and tassels. In fact, I think when I followed the Blue Peter instructions to make a gonk back in 1970, I got some of the components from Boyes – no lace, frills or tassels though, it was quite a manly gonk.

You can find out more about Boyes on their website: http://www.boyes.co.uk/ - which seems like some kind of travesty because when you step into Boyes you do feel you’ve stepped into a world of shopping that existed long before anyone had thought of the internet. But, if you like to browse, Boyes is a treasure trove and I’d defy anyone not to find a little knick knack or gizmo that they couldn’t find anywhere else – at least not at such a bargain price. As the Boyes’ value statement says, ‘To Boyes "Good Value" is a combination of quality and price.’

If you’re moved to find out more about Boyes’ history then why not plan a visit to Bridlington where the local Boyes has a museum about the history of the store. As the more famous value department store Woolworths has declined, Boyes has expanded – there’s even a Boyes in Melton Mowbray now, although somehow it doesn’t have the charm of the original Boyes in Scarborough. Coming from Scarborough, seeing Boyes in Melton Mowbray just seemed wrong – but maybe people from Melton Mowbray feel the same when they see a pork pie in Scarborough.

Boyes appears to have thrived since it opened in 1881. A 1903 sale advert on display outside Boyes’ café in Scarborough (top floor) features ‘Cycle bells, Japanese Bread Boats, Bed Ticks, Tea Cosies and Children’s Overalls.’ You can probably still buy all those items from the modern store, well, maybe not the bed ticks. In fact, what better; when the children are asking for some cheap plastic tat on sale along the Foreshore, get them a pair of overalls and get them sweeping a chimney. Those were the days.

The old posters and advertisements outside the café are worth a look. They’ve advertised on cricket score cards over the years:

1927: ‘Famous WALK ROUND stores.

1947: ‘The shop a man can stroll round.

1980: ‘Hi folks, having a great time at Boyes Department store. It’s got something for everyone and it’s open 6 days a week as well as lifts to all floor and car parking facilities. Wish you were here. Scarborough’s most popular walk round department store.’

That’s probably still true.

Here are my small black cross head screws and ultrafine wire wool:

You can see the screws in use holding the room numbers in place at popular Scarborough b&b accommodation The Waves.

Kevern
2009