On February 14th 2014, Harbour Cycles opened at 200 Coldharbour Lane, the latest in a long line of businesses occupying these premises for just over 150 years.
In early 1860’s the railways arrived at what became known as Loughborough Junction. This led to substantial development of housing and businesses in what was only a few years before, mostly farmland as this extract from Edward Stanfords Map of London dated 1862 shows.
The first business we find at 200 Coldharbour Lane was J Martin, Fishmonger & Poulterer. At that time 200 Coldharbour Lane was known as No 1 Chandos Terrace. He opened his business in 1867. The following advertisment was published in the South London Press in the 19th September 1868 issue.
A gap of a few years until in 1872 and 1873 we have records of Frederick Heyn listed at 200 Coldharbour Lane, still referred to as 1 Chandos Terrace. This advertisment is from the South London Chronicle, dated December 7th, 1872
The next date we have confirmed from local directories is dated 1883 when a Mr R Stallard is listed at 200 Coldharbour Lane as a wine merchant. He was followed by George Albert May in 1887 through 1897 with a wine & spirit merchant business.
In 1891 Casper Coomer was running a Drapery business at 196 & 198 Coldharbour Lane . Mr Casper Coomer was in trouble with the law in this news report from The Standard 19th July 1894
In 1899 he expanded through to 200 Coldharbour Lane as well. He ran this business until 1940. The following photo was taken by GN Southerden in 1936 and is to be found in Camberwell & West Norwood Tramways by Robert J Harley published by Middleton Press.
From 1907, around the corner at 200a Coldharbour Lane (entrance in Flaxman Road) Mrs Louisa Coomer ran the relocated wine & spirit merchant business succeeded by Frederick Laing Collison from 1924-1926 and by Frederick Thurlow from 1927 to 1932. In 1936 the business was renamed Loughborough Wine & Spirits.
Headquarters and General Supplies was a mail order company selling military surplus and other items from Whitcomb St, off Leicester Square. They moved to 196-200 Coldharbour Lane in 1946 and slowly grew their business over the next twenty-two years. Here are a couple of advertisments from The Whitstable Times & Herne Bay Herald 14th October 1947 and the Brechin Advertiser 14th September 1948.
This photo dated 1951 taken by John H Meredith and featured in Camberwell & West Norwood Tramways.
In 1962 they ran an advertisment in the 17th November issue with an added West End Store in High Holborn.
This photo has recently appeared featuring the Headquarters & General Supplies Fascias on the Flaxman road wall dated 1972. From Lambeth Landmark.
By 1968, they were running 8 stores.
This advertisment was the latest I could find. They seem to have completely disappeared, out of business. If anyone has any further information about Headquarters & General I would love to hear from you.
After a few years standing empty 196-200 Coldharbour Lane was taken on by Ernie Noad as a shoe shop in 1974. Haven’t been able to track down a photo of Noads at Coldharbour Lane , so here is a shop fascia from his shop in Lambeth Walk from 1946 posted onto an ancestry forum by Chloe Deeth.
I understand that Noads had a few shops around London, one is mentioned located in Northcote Road, Clapham Junction. Noads closed in 1983, and the premises reverted back to individual stores. 200 Coldharbour Lane became home to 2nd Time Around, a second hand furniture shop.
In 2002 , 2nd Time Around was succeeded by The Trading Post which was run by a man known as Yellaman.
The next photo was taken by Google Streetview in June 2008 and the one after also taken from Google Streetview is dated May 2012.
This brings us up to date and Harbour Cycles run by Brenton. A community minded business, here is a poster from 2015.
The mural on side Flaxman Road wall.
And this new mural has been painted on the side of Harbour Cycles,
Loughborough Junction 
This is a fabulous account of the local area. Shortly after you published this, we had a local artist paint a second mural next to the one above that actually draws upon the local history. I think it would compliment this article nicely.
Feel free to drop by sometime for a cup of coffee in our shop cafe and grab another photo to add to your collection here.
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came across your website, man in road purchased an ex army radio transmitter from hq&general supplies became a radio pirate playing music from the 60s until gpo traced him after 3 years!
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We lived in Flaxman Road from in the 1960’s/70’s. I remember H&G Supplies very well. It wasn’t a shop we used much, but as a small boy the window displays of army surplus and then imported “stuff” was always quite wondrous. My recollection of Ernie Noad’s was that they had a big shop in Wandsworth.
Loughborough Junction was quite a busy little centre, the station, several off licences, launderette, 2 wet fish shops, Kingston’s greengrocers, Midland Bank, Advance Laundry, fish and chips, Muhl’s Baker’s, Supreme motor spares, Standivan TV and Radio rental, pubs, Osbourne’s repair garage and pumps up Herne Hill Road, chemists, men’s clothiers and some news/tob/cons. Other shops in the Terrace were Tiffin the Butcher, Co-op supermarket (double shop), Co-op Butchers, then the triple unit of H&GSL.
At that end of Flaxman Road was a minicab office, a bookmakers, a hardware and ironmongers shop with a spiral staircase (Spicers Stores?) and a clothing factory/store.
John Major lived on Coldharbour Lane at some stage.
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Thanks Dean, great to hear your memories. Know Flaxman Road pretty well, have a number of friends still there. Just about remember Standivans myself and one or two other names you mention. And not to forget the Wickwood Tavern, my hangout for many years until it closed.
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The Headquarter & General Stores expaneded In to a group of 7/8 stores around the country before it disappeared “ overnight “
It was a classic long firm fraud, a police officer I knew at the time told me this.
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In the late 1960’s my mum did evening work at headquarters & general, packing the goods for mail order. We lived at West Dulwich, where she would catch the train to Loughborough Junction, 5 nights a week. The pay was low, so she left after a while but not before buying a new radio (staff discount!). The radio was made in China which was unusual at that time & was housed in a vibrant turquoise coloured plasic case, which after some use started to melt from the heat of the valves inside!! In the 1970’s there was a tv repair shop further along Coldharbour Lane, who used to contract me to install tv aerials around Brixton, Herne Hill etc. Happy days!!
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Thanks Chris, amazing how many people had some kind of connection to Headquarters and General. Was The TV shop Standivans?
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