More Goodies from Dressers of Darlington

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Irene Brand contacted us about our photograph of Dressers staff in October 1961.

Irene went straight from school to work in Dressers in 1956, and started with another young woman called Margaret Dent (nee Wilkinson).

Irene told us: “We both started as juniors in the old shop at the end of the High Row. We became great friends, which lasted almost 50 years. Margaret is in the centre of the photograph, in the second row, and I am at the back centre. I worked there for ten happy years until I moved on.

Dressers staff in October 1961

"When we moved into Lucks all the stock had to be transferred, which we did. I was in charge of the art department, which was located upstairs near the toy department, and I also worked with Margaret Ellerton. The man at the front of the picture is Peter Warrand, who was the manager. We were just like a big happy family. It was a lovely place to work and I am sorry it had to close.”

Dressers of Darlington, next to Barclays bank on High Row

John Young was one of a number of people who contacted us about a photograph of The Goodies’ book signing in Dressers of Darlington.

Mr Young recognised the man leaning over the three comedy actors as Peter Todd. Peter was the Civic Theatre director at the time.

We have also discovered, thanks to some Goodies fans Down Under - Goodies Podcast - that this signing event was for The Making of The Goodies Disaster Movie, which was published in October 1977, so maybe photograph is from October or November 1977

The Goodies at a book signing in Dressers

Brian, from Darlington, has also enjoyed our look back at Dressers.

He said: “It was a good quality shop and I remember seeing Father Christmas there and I also bought fireworks there. I have a pen as a memory, which I bought a few years before it closed.

"I knew someone who worked there for a number of years called Peter, I think. I have a photo of him from the 1970s when he came with us to the Beer Keller at Newcastle. I haven’t seen him since the shop closed.”

The pen Brian bought from Dressers