38c High Street
Current
38c
High Street
Lowestoft
United Kingdom
We are a small independent ceramics studio based on Lowestoft’s historic High Street.
The studio is run by the ceramic artist Tim Cross, which is home to his own creative practice, specialising in heritage influenced porcelain.
History
Smith's Furnishing Stores occupied 38-40 from at least 1921 as the attached invoice shows. The business had been established over 100 years at that time so I guess must have been one of the oldest businesses in Lowestoft. The proprietor in 1921 was a lady, Charlotte S Sims so it's not clear if Mr Smith was still around then.
The business also had premises at 160-161 High Street and 4-7 Tonning Street according to the 1921 invoice, and at 38 London Road North as the purchase stamp on the 1929 invoice (attached) shows.
By 1929, the directors were C Bull and F H Bussey (my great-uncle Frank). The 1921 Census shows Frank Bussey and his family were actually living at 40 High Street. CREDIT:Brian Horne
In 1980s it was the site of the Aslea Boys Club.
Since the 1990s the only thing the same is the Golden Phoenix which is still trading after all the old businesses are long gone!
Before the building looked like it is today it was just two numbers which are 38-39, in 1880 the site was the Seaview Temperance House and Boarding Establishment and it replaced an earlier business run by Charles Collier.
By 1932 Smiths Furnishing Store had moved in but during the 1940's this building was bombed, knocked down and rebuilt into what we see today. In 2000, No38 was the Almost English Bistro (previously ffrench's). In 2019 it was Footprints Coffee Shop (source:TheJournal)
Before Footprints 38C was Krush Milk Bar In 1967 the Chinese Restaurant was listed at No40, Moore's Tyre Service at 40a and the Ashlea Boys Club at 40b. This no longer exists since catching fire in November 2004. CREDIT: Crispin Hook
Architecture
That's a fascinating building. It probably... it's gone now, as we shall see. It probably dates from the 18th century and judging by this parapet here at some point an extra storey has been added and it was a very very high quality Georgian house at one time and... in the late 1800s it was... became a hotel. It became the 'Sea View Temperance Hotel'.
So, if you wanted to stay there there was no alcohol on the premises. And... it was later when the the hotel business folded in the early 20th century it was taken over by a Mr Smith who was a furniture dealer and so it was Smith's Furniture Emporium and and much to his shame he actually knocked a hole in the front of it to put a shop front in so it's a building that has evolved.
It's a fascinating building. CREDIT: Ivan Bunn from transcript - Poetry People - High Street Histories
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