Bendall's Tea: the aroma of tea and roasting coffee on the corner of Gloucester and Sommerville Roads in Bristol for many years.This sign stood proud on the prominent corner site for many years and represented quality of provisions and service until such a shop became outdated. Then, over 25 years ago, Bendall's closed and the shop became a carpet shop (and now 201 Gloucester Road is an estate agent), and the solid wooden sign (painted black in many coats over the years on top of the original gold leaf) was removed and lay discarded in the back of the shop until I rescued it and had it refurbished it to its former, gold-leafed glory.
The T-E-A letters are 3ft high, and the BENDALL'S letters are 12in high. It took hours to letterspace these on the wall in the picture.
A potentially forgotten Bristol tea brand lives on above my dining table in Harrogate, home of Yorkshire Tea!
Brilliant! I lived above Bendalls shop in Stokes Croft, Bristol which was the head office of Bendalls Stores. There were four or five branches in Bristol, my wife was an employee.
ReplyDeleteSadly the whole business was liquidated in 1978 and disappeared without a trace.
Hello Andy, I run the Bristol Tea Company - a small business since 2010, supplying a few cafes and selling online. Would love to know more about Bendalls Stores, especially the pure tea/ teas. Do you have much info? James
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