Matterson Huxley and Watson

Does anyone have any memories of working at 'Mattersons'? I worked there for a few months after leaving school in 1974 aged 16. I worked in the furniture department with Mary Bates, Oliver Hodeon (not the correct spelling, sorry Oliver) and Michael Cunningham. It was 9 till 5 Monday to Saturday, with Sundays off, (well it was 1974 ha!) and we got every other Thursday off or we finished at 1pm as Thursday was 'half day closing'. All this for £11 a week!

Hello Anthony and welcome to the Forum You will find several posts about MHW on the "Shops of yore" thread

Just found a lovely photo of a Mattersons truck and I think an old shot of Coventry, just about make out a sign that says 'Butts'. All round a lovely shot, there is another close up of the truck which I'll find. Mattersons Truck Close up of Truck

That's a view of Spon Street bridge as seen from the junction with the Butts road. Notice how many old buildings are on the left where the rebuilt Spon Gate School stands today. The shop on the right was demolished "to give drivers a better view of the junction" but has since been made one-way in any case! The low rise block behind it is Sherbourne House.

Thanks Dutchman, I was struggling along and did find a picture that I thought could be the same corner shop but I needn't have bothered because you have told me the lot Seeing as I have found this picture, I will put it on. Pictures of Coventry

Matterson's truck. Those are parallel bars they are using, they were used to check wheel alignment. Nowadays it's done with lasers ps. The truck is a Commer Karrier

Dutchman is far more up with the knowledge but the Sherbourne is running under the bridge just behind the lorry. Water was a magnet for me, I either fell in the Sherbourne, Swanswell or any other body of water I was near before going home, much to the regret of my mum.

It's great on here, you bring life into a photo in seconds! As for you Mattash, it's a good job you weren't schoolmates with Radford Kid, you both sounded a pair of live-wires! These photos on the last few links seem to have been taken for some Truck Safety Competition, I'll put one more on. (I could go on forever with them, there's a lot of other local companies on that link, showing trucks) I wonder where they were staging it. I did see the winning truck that might be a clue. Oh, I'll put two on. Safety Week Massey

Well it wasn't in vain Foxcote I remember walking from town over the bridge there often to the Broomfield.

Not sure when this was taken, but the saying "Fell off the back of a lorry" springs to mind.

Blimey Baz. A mower for less than a quid, them were the days

It`s a shame the likes of Mattersons and Phillips are gone, can`t ask for advice with confidence on bolts screws or the like in modern DIY stores, employees of the old companies always knew what they were on about, particularly Les who worked for Phillips for years

Yes. I worked at Mattersons from 1980 to 1983 and remember Mary Bates and Oliver Hodierne. I worked upstairs in the ironmongery and tools department alongside Steve Simpson, Colin Blatchford, Nigel Ferrar, Andy Hopkins, Gary Baker and Joyce and Irene Cockbill. This was at a time when the DIY sheds were opening up across the UK and Mattersons didn't have a plan to compete, so the writing was on the wall. It's a real shame because their unique old fashioned trading style was their biggest asset, but they felt they had to modernise to compete. I have very happy memories of MHW and the happy friendly and fun staff who worked there.

Hello 992264OP UK & welcome to our forum.

In the thirties Matterson Huxley and Watson had salesrooms in Hales Street, but I thought they had a second building somewhere in West Orchard, repair shop and large implements, but nothing about it on this topic - anyone have any idea? They were one of the largest and busiest shops in Coventry in those days.