Bournemouth’s Old Christchurch Road was the place to shop back in the 1920s with the popular department stores of Brights and Plumbers Roddis one of the many shops featured.

The original owner of the Old Christchurch Road store site was R Tyrrell and Sons, who started a small drapery business there in the late 19th century. It became known as Plummer Roddis and Tyrrell and then Plummer Roddis in 1898 when the Tyrrells relinquished their interest.

A few years later, alterations were begun on the Gervis Place side that took until 1916 to complete. Mr Harry Austin, who had been with the firm for 30 years, closed the store’s doors for the final time in late January 1973. Today the building, adjacent to Dingles, is still known as Roddis House.