An appeal for information about Bradford’s Marshall and Snelgrove store on last week’s Remember When? page has prompted a lively response.

Reader Matthew Williams asked if anyone knew where the city centre shop was and, judging from the volume of e-mails and phone calls we’ve had, it seems many of you remember it well.

“It was an exclusive ladieswear department store, selling anything from lingerie to fur coats,” recalls Diane Milner. “It was at the top of Darley Street, on the right-hand corner now occupied by Oxfam.

“The building was originally a hotel and could have been called the Cresta Hotel. Those were the days for Bradford, many moons ago.”

Eileen Barker, of Wilsden, adds: “In the late 1950s and early 1960s it was a very exclusive shop that sold women’s fashions. I worked a bit further down Darley Street at John Mollett’s, a family hardware shop that later became Jackson’s the china shop, and directly opposite this was Betty’s cafe where I had my wedding reception 56 years ago.

“I never bought anything at Marshall and Snelgrove, but on the top floor, up the very imposing staircase was a Steiner hair salon where I used to have my hair done – my one extravagance. The store was very luxurious, you could feel the air of grandeur when you went in.

“Your article brought back very happy memories.”

Jean O’Hara got in touch to say: “As a teenager I worked at the Busby’s store, in the hairdressing department, and at lunchtime I used to go looking around the shops, Marshall and Snelgrove being one off them. It was at the top of Darley Street on the corner with Upper Piccadilly. Sadly, I could never afford to buy anything.”

Rita Hustler, of Shipley writes: “It was a very posh shop, as was Novellors which stood opposite the top of Ivegate. There were lots of lovely dress shops in Bradford at one time I remember. Where have they all gone?”

We had this e-mail from A V Archer: “I worked at J H Dewhurst the butchers in the 1960s both at 77/1 and 77/2 – shop code names for 99 Godwin Street and Ivegate.

“On Westgate, was the only pub in Bradford to have a six-day licence – the Sir Robert Peel.”

Patricia Crabtree remembers going to Marshall and Snelgrove as a child with her mum and sister, in the early 1970s. “Mum was looking for an outfit for a wedding. The shop seemed very exclusive and the assistants very superior!” says Patricia.

Monica McNulty says: “It was a lovely shop, on the corner of Darley Street and Duke Street. It sold really smart clothes.”

Eunice Rhodes of Ecceshill e-mailed: “Your reader Matthew Williams is correct, Marshall and Snelgrove was in Darley Street, at the top corner next door to Jackson’s china shop. On the opposite side of the road was the Scholl shoe shop and Mitchell’s Chemist.”

Pauline Dearnley recalls the name engraved in stone. “I’m not sure if you can see it now, but if you look at the stonework in that area, there was the name of the store engraved. I was born in 1945 and probably saw that sign when I was in my teens in the mid-to-late Fifties.”

She adds: “Does anybody remember Lingard’s being on the end of Broadway before C&A was built?

“An acquaintance insists that Lingards was always up at the top end of Bradford and has since become an amusement arcade.”

Over to you again...