The Bon Marche - West Street, Fishguard

The Bon Marche shop window seems to be full of household linen and straw ‘boater’ hats. What is the significance of the lavishly decorated bicycle held by the lady standing outside the shop?

In his ‘Childhood Reminiscences of Fishguard’, Ron Thomas recalls that Mr and Mrs C B Lloyd and their daughter, Evelyn, were connected to ‘Bon Marche’. Mr Lloyd ran ‘The Stores’ in Park St while Mrs Lloyd and her daughter ran the West St shop. Later, Miss Evelyn Lloyd changed ‘Bon Marche’ into a music shop. In the 1970s, she was living at the back of the building and would leave the front door open so that you could walk straight down the corridor to her living quarters and knock there. She would appear, an elderly lady with key in hand, ready to admit you to the one roomed shop at the front. There she had lots of sheet music and instrumental accessories for sale. If you wanted new fangled ‘LP’s’, you had to go to Paul Turner’s music shop in the High Street.

Today, the shop in West Street Fishguard, still stands and is next door to a hairdressing salon.

The original stained glass panels running along the top of the window and over the door are still there. The building was in use as a residence until fairly recently.