John Jarman (Swanley) Ltd
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A Battersea boy, John Jarman learned his father’s trade of Painting and Decorating in the Jones’ company of Kensington, London. He went on to work successfully as a self employed decorator in some of the best homes in Kensington and this gave him the confidence to take on the of a small shop in Swanley. John and his wife Joan were living in a new council house in nearby St Mary Cray, with their young family. People had started to move out of London looking for a better life and new housing availability. Swanley and the surrounds were still fairly rural with farms and orchards all abouts. The 1950’s however, brought about social changes including the post war abundance and new homes.
John was interested in the fashionable trend for DIY and he conducted his own survey at Swanley Station, asking the commuters about their decorating and where they shopped for their paints and wallpapers.
Station Road, Swanley had a shop available, as Mr Palk the Grocer was looking to rent out his premises. For £5 (old money) a week John decided to give it a go and he took on the rent. Joan worked the shop with her sons in tow whilst John finished off his Kensington commitments. Then, within a few years he managed to secure the purchase of the shop, number 35, sited between a Chemist (Browns) and a Printers. In Station Road there was also a Toy shop, Sweet shop, a Butchers and a Launderette, as well as Dawes the auto repairer, amongst others.
John Jarman, the sign said above the door, later to become John Jarman (Swanley) Ltd. But people just knew it as ‘Jarmans’. An Aladdin’s Cave of paint, wallpaper, brushes, tools, ironmongery, screws by the half dozen and nails by the quarter pound. All wrapped in brown paper or into a brown paper bag. John took on customer orders and helped his customers out with friendly advice from his wealth of knowledge in the decorating trade. He went on to invest in a shed to go behind the shop and he started to stock timber. Especially Hardboard which began to be in great demand in the 1960’s, as people boarded over their panel doors and balustrades, so that everything became a flat surface easy to decorate and clean. He would make curtain pelmets to order and Joan would be there with a hand saw, to cut the boards to size for customers when John was at the stockists topping up their restricted supplies. So, the customers kept on coming with their queries and requests and the business flourished as John responded to the local need. He took on a young lad Roy Simpson of Hextable, straight from school. Roy stayed in the business til the end of trading, he was always a smart assistant in his customary long overall, pen in his top pocket. He gained a thorough knowledge of how to help the customers of Swanley and surrounds.
In the 1970’s Swanley Centre, a modern complex of shops and housing was built just on the other side of the Railway Tracks. John took the opportunity to lease a shop immediately from Gough Cooper. The shop was 2000 sq ft and after installing a staircase to reach the first floor, the shop frontage windows and door, with the legendary signage, John was trading some more.
Next door was Betty’s, a ladies boutique, which proved very popular, especially for the ladies going to the Chamber of Commerce annual dinner and dance at the Alexandra Suite. John was a long term member of the Chamber of Commerce and the Chairman for some years. They began the Christmas Lightning scheme in Swanley which proved very popular and the Chamber also organized other good works for the local people.
With the advent of the large companies and the arrival of Asda to Swanley, the retailing industry started to change. Individual proprietors found the competition tough as their stock levels and costs couldn’t compete. When the Swanley Centre lease came for renewal and after two decades of trading in the centre, John semi retired to his Farningham branch at The Old Forge, High Street, with Roy alongside.
COPYRIGHT PAM JARMAN
ALL PHOTOS COPYRIGHT PAM JARMAN
Just wanted to say how much I am enjoying the new Memories section. The latest one about Jarman's brought back so many memories of the early years we spent in Swanley. We were busy from Jan 1972 decorating our Swanley maisonette, and, as we didn't have a car, we used Jarman's, Brewers and Woolworths to get everything we needed. We were so spoilt for shops in those days and could buy everything we needed without leaving Swanley. Eight years later the shops began to suffer after the advent of Asda ! Prior to that we were able to buy our carpets, curtains, white goods, linen, lampshades, shoes and even beds and furniture on our doorstep. Those were the days ! It was nice to see the photos of John and Roy. Judy Brickell (A SHG Member)