The opening of the new shop, 1955-1956

Opened in parts

The first completed part of the new shop was opened in June 1955. With space at a premium across its numerous provisional shops, it was decided to habituate the shop as soon as possible. The picture shows the brand new building on the left, and the temporary building on the right. With the whole project basically being completed one half at a time, now the one half was completed and open, the temporary building would be demolished and the second half constructed. Opening of the entire shop was projected for 1956.

Fifteen years of waiting..and worth it

Finally after years of waiting, Tyrrell and Green was opened in its entirety on the 7th May 1956. After 16 years of destruction devastation and temporary structures, finally Partners once again had a permanent. And nice it was too. Light and spacious and both architecturally and decoratively pleasing, it was clear that a sterling job had been. Many of the stores pre-war gems, including the Barova restaurant and the men’s hairdressing department, were redone to eclipse their former selves.

Shaping the future of Southampton

Not only did the new store proudly represent the very best of the John Lewis Partnership but it also marked the beginning of a new era, both for the Partnership and for the city in general. Southampton was on a meteoric rise. Recognised as the one of the ‘major gateways to Britain’, many large companies were being attracted to the area. Also recently baptised as an accredited university town, 5 Tyrrell and Green Partners were also graduates of the University of Southampton. Clearly, the new store was destined to play a fundamental part in the future of the city, a role that those at Tyrrell and Green were more than happy to fulfil.