160 Regent’s Park Road: Fitzroy George and 100 Years of Clothes Care

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2013 Dry Cleaners (since 1986)

History:

  • MILLINERS          Miss Harriet Phillips  & Miss Mary Castle            1870-85
  •  DRESSMAKER   Fitzroy George Foreman  (a male dressmaker) 1890

 This shop has been in clothes-care for over 100 years:

  •  LAUNDRY                 Henry Bird                      1900-15
  •  DYERS & CLEANERS  &/or VALETING SERVICES [various firms]             1920-65
160 Regent's Park Road

Flying Cleaners, 1972

Valeting was mainly for men’s clothing such as suits. Only wealthier people would have used this service. Victorian dyers had a steady business in dyeing clothes black, as upon a death in a family the whole household was expected to go into mourning. People often had their oldest or least favourite garment dyed. For lighter mourning purple and mauve were acceptable.

There were specialist shops in central London selling only mourning clothes and associated items.

DRY CLEANERS Flying Cleaners Ltd            1970-c. 85

From 1970 Flying Cleaners appear to have shared the premises with other trades:

  • Economy Showers Ltd, water heater makers       1970
  • R.K.Wines (Shippers) & Co., wine merchants      1980 

 

  • DRY CLEANERS        Sycamore               1986-present