75 years ago, there was a lot more employment and many fewer homes in Milton than there are now – much of the light industry that was here has gone, as have many of the educational and medical/health jobs.
What survives are the jobs in local pubs and shops. Interestingly, whilst some pubs have disappeared, those that are left are the same as they were during the war. They have obviously been updated and managers/tenants/owners have changed, but they have survived.
By comparison, very few shops are unchanged. Many have gone – especially the corner shops such as those that were on the corners of Meryl Road, Stowe Road and Glasgow Road for example and of those that remain, the vast majority are now quite different.
Those that have the same name and business are few and far between – the Co-Op’s in Milton Market and in Winter Road, Gilberts sweet shop and Rileys newsagent in Locksway Rd are among the few.
Below there is a table of what we have been able to learn about the main parades of shops. Our information source is the Portsmouth Kelly’s Directory for 1941 – obviously we would have preferred the 1944 version, but the only wartime edition published was for 1941. So as far as we know, this is what the shops were selling and what they were called on D-Day, but if you know differently do please let us know.
There are some omissions – for example Bicycle Boutique on Winter Road and Art&Framing in Milton Road are obviously shops that have been there for a long time, but there is no record of them being a shop in the 1941 Kelly’s Directory.
For those shops listed, we have produced a sign which they may display in their window, stating what was being sold there on D-Day. If you have a shop and we have omitted you, do please let us know and we will do our best to ascertain what your shop was on D-Day and to get you a sign to display as well as updating this page.
| No. | THEN | NOW |
| MILTON MARKET | ||
| 140 | Lloyds Bank | Empty |
| 142 | Netton, Dairyman | Private House |
| 152 | Wm Banting, Butchers | Best Food & Wine |
| 154 | Miss F Morey, Wool Shop | Best Food & Wine |
| 156 | Chapmans Laundry | Vintage Pig |
| 158 | Pink&Sons, Grocers | Scissors Hair Salon |
| 160 | Wm Peace, Fried Fish Shop | Deep Blue |
| 162 | Walter Evans, Hairdresser | South Coast Carpets |
| 164 | Harry Stanford, Surgical Boot Maker | Balti Express |
| 166 | Osbornes Stores, Provisions Merchants | Just Eat |
| Regal Cinema | Rowlands/Co-op Funeral Care/BetFred | |
| 137 | Young Bros, Fried Fish Shop | Poundwise |
| 141 | Chas Cooper & Sons, Butcher | Bransbury Park Butchers |
| 143 | Stokes E & Son, Wireless Dealers | Eastney Gardens |
| 145 | Mary Johnson, Café | About Time Watch & Clock Restoration |
| 147 | Miss Marion Green, Tobacconist | Rainbow Charity Shop |
| 149 | Neville Oldfield, Greengrocer | Curious Weasel Tattoo |
| 151 | Stationer & Post Office | Milton Market |
| 153 | Ditman & Malpas, Corn Merchant | Ladbrokes |
| 155 | Violet Nash, Woolshop | Ladbrokes |
| 157 | Josiah Kessel, Baker | Green Rose Beauty Rooms |
| 159 | Wm Moore, Ironmonger | Grande Wines |
| 167 | Co-Op | Co-Op |
| 169 | Dannan & Cobbell, Greengrocers | Portsmouth Fruit & Flowers |
| 171 | Lindfield Thomas, Draper | Bells Boutique |
| 173 | Fletcher W&R Ltd, Butcher | Winnies |
| 175 | Sydney Mould, Provisions Dealer | Daisy O’Neil Hair Salon |
| 177 | Walter Godding, Stationer | The Brewers Tap |
| 181 | Gilberts | Gilberts |
| 183 | Archibold Tribe, Fruiterer | Eastney Barbers |
| 187 | Brays Ltd, Chemist | Rowlands |
| WINTER ROAD | ||
| No. | THEN | NOW |
| 99 | Arthur Dankester, Confectioner | Mannys |
| 105 | Brunswick Family Laundry | Searsons |
| 107 | Frank Caldwell, Hosier | Insurance |
| 109 | Misses V&R Wing, Baby Linen, Ladies Underwear & Wool Dealers | Cameron |
| 113 | Co-Op | Co-Op |
| 115/ 117 | Thos. Hooper, Haberdasher | Rowlands / Empty |
| 119 | Miss Amy Humby, Ladies Outfitter | Florist |
| 121 | G&M Lowther, Fancy Repository | Skin Solutions |
| 123 | Herbert Sims, Watchmaker | Hair Tree |
| 125 | Andrews & Sons, Undertakers | Seeded |
| 127 | Miss MA Sanigar, Wool Stores | Cyd |
| 129 | Harvey Frank, Butcher | Wok & Chips |
| 131 | Harold Goodall, Milliner | Lawson Rose |
| 133 | Reginald Tutton, Greengrocer | Acronym |
| 135 | Miss S Chapman, Confectioner | Hardware |
| 139 | Herbert Moore, Household Stores | Kathleens |
| 141 | Moore & Tutton, Fishmongers | Curry Leaf |
| 143 | Harry Sparks, Optician | Tattoo Parlour |
| 145 | Bike Boutique | |
| 147 | Smith&Vosper, Bakers | Fishing tackle shop |
| 149 | Homer Hartland, Drug stores | David Antony |
| 151 | Herbert Gibb, Grocer | David Antony |
| 153 | Portsmouth Fruit & Flower Stores | Express |
| 155 | Miss G Keene, Draper | Rose Studio |
| 157 | Ernest A’Court, Leather Seller | Empire Contractors |
| 159 | Albert Taylor, Butcher | Advance |
| 161 | Mrs L Harding, Confectioner | Newsagent |
| 163 | Dennis Pike, Ladies Hairdresser | Zen Chinese |
| 165 | Harry Clement Steele, House Furniture | Milton Glass |
| PRIORY CRESCENT | ||
| No | THEN | NOW |
| 44 | Miss D Grave, Florist | Hair @ 44 |
| 60 | Percy Glasson, Decorators Merchant | The Parlour |
| 62/64 | Chas Dobson, Tobacconist | John Doyle |
| 66 | Frederick Moth, Chemist | Ladbrokes as was.. |
| MILTON ROAD | ||
| No. | THEN | NOW |
| 257 | Campions Bakers | Rutherfords Solicitors |
| 257b | Miss Duffy, Ice Cream Manufacturer | |
| 259 | Wm Pierce, Newsagent | Holt Alarms |
| 261/ 263 | Frank Offen, Draper | Escape Hairdresser |
| 265 | ?? | Art&Framing |
| LOCKSWAY ROAD | ||
| No. | THEN | NOW |
| 68 | Percival Snook, Shopkeeper | Private House |
| 70 | Herbert Murray, Grocers | Londis/Post Office |
| 72 | Jn Goldsmith, Confectioner | Londis/Post Office |
| 74 | Geo Goode, Cooked Meat Shop | Rachel Lee Hair |
| 76 | Barnet & Sons, Fishmongers | Crispy Cod |
| 78 | Jas Dickson, Confectioner | Shanghai Bay |
| 80 | Archibold Hiscock, Butcher | Batman Grill |
| 82 | Harry Middleton, Fruiterer | Caring For You |
| 84 | Frederick Winslade, Grocer & Post Office | Harrington Jenkins Hair |
| 90 | Riley’s Newsagent | Riley’s Newsagent |
| 96 | Ronald Street, Fruiterer | Private House |