WITH all the concerns surrounding the future of Debenhams in the Blue Boar Row, this week’s Bygone looks at the history of this store.

In 1803, a business was established by John Style and John Large, under the registered name of Style and Large Ltd. Trading as wholesale drapers the company expanded and in 1867, John Large was replaced by George Gerrish.

This new company flourished and eventually Style and Gerrish Ltd had within its store, 50 departments selling everything from cosmetics, the latest fashion in cloths, shoes, furnishings, carpets, electrical goods and much more.

I can remember my father taking me to the toy department and meeting Father Christmas – what joy!

What is not commonly known is that Style and Gerrish had belonged to the Debenham Group since 1945 and on March 10th 1973, the group announced that they had decided to adopt their parent company’s name – from that date Style and Gerrish would forever be known as ‘Debenhams of Salisbury.’

In 1972, during the marathon task of laying a new floor, an old staircase was discovered, together with a very fine stained glass window thought to be about 100 years old. It was carefully removed and re-leaded at Salisbury Cathedral workshops before being unveiled by the Mayor of Salisbury Mrs. H.E. Barker.

It can still be seen in Debenhams Blue Boar restaurant and it has the distinction of being the only place in the entire store where there is any mention of Style and Gerrish. As our picture shows, in the middle of the stain glass are the initials, S and G.

When the new Debenhams opened in 1973 it was announced, “as shopping trends have changed, so the store has developed and altered to meet the customer’s demand.” 46 years later we wait to see the future of Debenhams of Salisbury.