Bonds: Refurbishment and Extension

The Partnership takeover of Bonds was a massive upheaval for both the staff and the customers, who had been very much used to the cosy running of a family business; but change continued to come. In 1987, a major programme of extending the selling space was announced, coupled with plans for the construction of a multi-storey car park and the conversion of some adjacent properties into office space. Original deadlines for completion of the work were Christmas 1990.

The diagram above shows an aerial view of the site, coupled with the three stages of extension work.

By 1988, the first two phases, the cottage conversions and the multi-storey car park, were complete. This paved the way for the third stage of extension, the selling space, to begin in a bid to alleviate the current cramped selling conditions. By October 1990, work was complete. The new Bonds looked incredible. Selling space had been increased by almost 40%, a new Place To Eat restaurant was installed to cater for hungry customers. Such changes propelled Bonds into the new century with ease.