Racks of suits, and a fitting mirror
A Portrait of Hopgoods: Gentlemen's Outfitters, Diss, Norfolk - 4th January 2006
Hopgoods in Diss announced sometime during 2005 that it was closing down, as the proprietor wanted to retire. It's a quintessential traditional Gentleman's outfitters, and has customers who come far and wide, at least as far as London and Peterborough. Sadly, there doesn't seem to be much interest in buying into such traditional niche markets any more - even though it's popular in its own field - and so it seems unlikely that it will be taken on as a going concern and another part of rural life will disappear. Not really being a regular, despite the purchase of several belts and ties and suchlike over the years, there would not normally be grounds to pester for a photo-shoot, but luckily Nosher's chum Peter Allen works in the shop on Mondays and Wednesdays, so it provided a perfect opportunity on the last full day of holidays before the return to work to look round and document some of it - with thanks to Peter, and Mr. Hopgood for permission.
next album: Dom in da Chapel, Safeway Chickens and Evil Supermarkets, Harleston and Grimston - 15th January 2006
previous album: New Year's Eve and Day, Thorndon and Thornham, Suffolk - 1st January 2006
A customer in Hopgoods
A whirly sock rack
Towards the changing rooms
Boxes of things
A tailor's tape measure
Stacks of shirts
Pigeon-holes, full of gloves
A pair of long-johns
More cubby-holes, relfected in a convex mirror
More stacks of shirts
The bottom half of a manequin, suitably dressed
A box of coat hangers, and a price list
Peter mills around
Peter puts some pyjamas away
Peter checks that everything's OK
Clerical, Lovat, Rustic and Oatmeal: mystery boxes
A discarded pricing gun
Peter at the front of the shop
Jackets in a row
A strange ex-window-display owl keeps watch
A box of Hopgoods paper bags
A collection of till rolls
In the office, a small model of a Hopgoods van
An 1860s-ish sketch of Diss's market place
The Hopgood's repair and alterations room
A sewing machine covered in fruit stickers
Some repairing is done
On the phone
Another Singer sewing machine
Some ironing is done
Creases are pressed into a pair of trousers
More backroom action
A wooden pheasant on a shelf
Piles of paper in a cupboard
The staff 'kitchen'
A ton of business cards
The repairer looks up
A curious lever
Peter checks a pile of clothing
Branded coathangers: Butlin's and Cunard White Star
A little memorabilia corner of Hopgoods
Peter at the counter
Peter, surround by shirts, looks at a red sock
A Hopgoods clothes-brush
Another bit of the shop
Extras from an Auton episode of Dr Who
A heap of size 7-and-a-quarter cloth caps
Peter stands by the trousers
Boxes of randomness
A Hopgoods sign
Peter and his assistant
Peter runs out with a forgotten tripod
Hopgoods - front aspect
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Racks of suits, and a fitting mirror
Racks of suits, and a fitting mirror
A customer in Hopgoods
A whirly sock rack
Towards the changing rooms
Boxes of things
A tailor's tape measure
Stacks of shirts
Pigeon-holes, full of gloves
A pair of long-johns
More cubby-holes, relfected in a convex mirror
More stacks of shirts
The bottom half of a manequin, suitably dressed
A box of coat hangers, and a price list
Peter mills around
Peter puts some pyjamas away
Peter checks that everything's OK
Clerical, Lovat, Rustic and Oatmeal: mystery boxes
A discarded pricing gun
Peter at the front of the shop
Jackets in a row
A strange ex-window-display owl keeps watch
A box of Hopgoods paper bags
A collection of till rolls
In the office, a small model of a Hopgoods van
An 1860s-ish sketch of Diss's market place
The Hopgood's repair and alterations room
A sewing machine covered in fruit stickers
Some repairing is done
On the phone
Another Singer sewing machine
Some ironing is done
Creases are pressed into a pair of trousers
More backroom action
A wooden pheasant on a shelf
Piles of paper in a cupboard
The staff 'kitchen'
A ton of business cards
The repairer looks up
A curious lever
Peter checks a pile of clothing
Branded coathangers: Butlin's and Cunard White Star
A little memorabilia corner of Hopgoods
Peter at the counter
Peter, surround by shirts, looks at a red sock
A Hopgoods clothes-brush
Another bit of the shop
Extras from an Auton episode of Dr Who
A heap of size 7-and-a-quarter cloth caps
Peter stands by the trousers
Boxes of randomness
A Hopgoods sign
Peter and his assistant
Peter runs out with a forgotten tripod
Hopgoods - front aspect