North Watford (108)

Waitrose Watford 1987
John Lewis Partnership archive collection
Waitrose Watford opening 1961
The Gazette
Waitrose Watford opening 1961
The Gazette
Experimental blue nylon business dress 1960s
John Lewis Partnership archive collection

The Gazette announced that the Partnership had entered into an agreement to lease the old Odeon Cinema in St Albans Road, North Watford, on 19th August 1961.

Waitrose North Watford (Branch 108) opened on Tuesday 28th November 1961 with 32 Partners, as well as a number of Junior Partners working weekends only. The Manager was Mr H A Ainsworth, and his deputy, Mr J G M Turnbull. Women Partners were to wear blue nylon overalls – ‘an experimental Waitrose overall which was proving very popular in the branches in which it was being tried.’

A small, informal party was held on early closing day on Wednesday 6th November 1961, to celebrate the opening. Those who attended included: the Chairman Mr O B Miller, Mr P May, Brigadier M S K Maunsell, Mr G C Walton, Mr H Legg and the Waitrose MD, Commander W D Shaw. After the guests had gone, Partners had a dance in the rest room.

The branch closed on 24th October 1987, as long term prospects for good trading were not sufficient to justify the expenditure to bring it up to date. The closure date was timed to coincide with the opening of Waitrose at Northwood to give Partners the best opportunity of alternative long-term employment as close as could be to their present branch.

Comments about this page

  • Hey Richard those were good days. You went on to work at Bracknell I think? I started as a weekend assistant i 1974. Trevor Tutt was manager then.

    By John Canvin (04/06/2020)
  • I worked on the deli Thursday/Friday night after school/college and all day Saturday during 1979. I worked with Kim Cahill and the deli manager whose name escapes me. I went till training for the dayt at an office near the GPO Tower in London. Mr Garfinkle was the store manager at that time.

    By Tracey McDonald (05/09/2019)
  • I remember you Richard when I was Manager Layouts and we were trying to resolve your layout issues.

    Having a guided tour of the warehouse in what was the cinema balcony was a surreal memory.

    By Terry Hammond (03/01/2018)
  • So many happy memories when I worked there between 1976 and 1984. I remember the night fill team, pre-picking, riots coming toward us from the town when I was the key holder and overseeing maintenance work etc. Anyone else remember these times?

    By Richard Hind (02/11/2017)

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