Gerry Brooke talks to Beryl Tully about her new book on Westbury-on-Trym’s shops, past and present.

Despite the many upheavals in the retail trade the lucky residents of Westbury on Trym can still walk down the road and find many traditional small shops.

The sort of place where they know you and you know them.

And, of course, the sort of personal service that goes with that.

But a few years ago Beryl Tully, who has lived in the village for 43 years, became concerned that the shopkeepers she had known for many years were retiring and that the businesses were changing.

And so five years ago she decided to publish a little book, full of personal details, about the village shops and the people that ran them.

“It was quite a success,” 71 year old Beryl told Bristol Times.

“I had 1000 copies published and sold 800 of them - many through the local shops and others through fetes and things like that.

“But history doesn’t just stop, it keeps on growing” she explained.

“And so for my new book I decided to document as many of the present shops as possible.

“The early traders which I wrote about before were part of the change from a rural village community to suburban Bristol scene.

“But the changes from the end of the 1980s to the present day have been just as great.

One well known name that Beryl has featured in her new book is Kemps, the jewellers, which opened a shop in the village in 1975.

“At that time” says Beryl, “ Kemp’s had just the one shop, which had opened in 1959 in The Horsefair in Broadmead.

“Their very first shop was in Stokes Croft, owned by Mr Walter Wickenden Kemp who was not a jeweller but a clock maker and clock winder.

“His job was to go around the city winding clocks for firms and businesses to which he had sold the clocks.

“Kemp’s later moved to a large, elegant shop on the corner of Corn Street and Wine Street.

“Many famous names, including the Bristol actor Cary Grant, shopped at Kemp’s.

The Westbury shop was opened by David Windebank.

“After leaving QEH” writes Beryl, “ David went to work for E.S.& A. Robinson’s, the printers on the corner of Redcliffe Street.

“These days he might have gone for university but then the majority of school leavers went into a job - university was for the very few.

“He played golf as a hobby and that was how he met Philip Kemp who asked him to join the family jewellery business.

“Co - incidently David’s sister Pat also met Philip and they eventually married.

“When David joined the firm another three shops were opened in Bath, Bridgwater and Weymouth.

“At one point he and Philip diversified as they felt they wanted a change from retailing and a new challenge.

“They did some exporting, chiefly to America, and looked into mail order selling from an offiqce in Park Street.

“But these ventures did not really take off and at one point the firm was near to closing down.

“While looking around for other business opportunities David came to Westbury and saw a vacant unit in Carlton Court.

“It had previously been a jeweller’s run by a Mr Dennis Sealey and was still fitted out as it had been.

“It seemed a golden opportunity and it was obvious from day one that it was going to be a success.

“David ran the shop while Philip dealt with the book work, paperwork, accounts and valuations.

“They worked as a team virtually up to the present day.

“About five years ago Philip’s son, Michael was looking for more responsibility and it suited David to reduce his hours.

“He now works three days a week.

“At Robinson’s David learnt business and management skills and when he came into the jewellery business he did a postal diploma course with the National Association of Goldsmiths.

“This covered the knowledge needed to run the retail business with sales and repairs.

“Philip Kemp went on more advanced courses run by the Gemmological Association of Great Britain.

“ These involved practical courses in gem recognition that would be essential for valuation work, especially in the second hand jewellery trade.

“ Kemps are now doing more second hand trade, having to diversify to compete with The Mall, on line and TV buying.

“The second hand market is an area that the big retailers are not in because it requires knowledge and experience to know exactly what you are buying and how much you can sell it for.

“New outlets, such as the internet, offer what the public sees as bargains but they often bring their goods in to be valued or authenticated, seeking, David thinks, reassurance about their purchase.

“Kemps is still very much a family concern with staff staying for a long time - the average now is 10 to 12 years.

“One member of staff has just retired after 25 years.

“And because staff stay with the firm they become part of the family.

“As well as working together they socialise together.

“When someone has a family crisis everyone else rallies round.

“All are concerned to keep Kemps going; obviously it is their bread and butter but there is also a sense of pride in the job and giving a good service works both ways.

“Customers return again and again and staff share in the pleasure that is part of the purchase of special gifts for engagements, weddings and Christmas.”

About twenty years ago David helped revive the Westbury trader’s association which had lapsed due to lack of support.

The association, which ran for about twelve years, encouraged shops to put lighted Christmas trees above their premises for the festive season.

It also instrumental in getting summer displays of flowers in the village.

Beryl’s book, a real labour of love, also covers about 40 other businesses in Westbury.

“The Butcher, the Baker, the Candlestick Maker (Volume 2) by Bery Tully is published by Malago Press at £6.99

Copies are available from Mogford’s and various other Westbury shops.

If you have any problems getting hold of a copy then the author can be contacted on: 0117 950 0992 of by email: Bgaythwaite@aol.com