Blacklers store, founded in the early 20th Century by partners Richard John Blackler and A.B. Wallis, stood on the corner of Elliot Street and Great Charlotte Street and was one of Liverpool's finest, a multi story emporium, based on The Lafayette in Paris. Richard Blackler died in 1919 and his wife Margaret took his place on the board. During the blitz of 1941, German bombers damaged the Blacklers building badly. The store was forced to move to many smaller temporary shops in Bold Street. and Church Street. After the war, work began on rebuilding the the original store with the first part reopened on the 29th of March 1953. The store had six floors with an excellent stationary department in the basement where hours could be spent looking at the books and searching for bargains.
A rather famous horse 'Blackie', made by local toymaker Hubert Duffy, was situated outside the gents department and was a real children's favourite. They would give him a huge hug and a stroke of his mane before getting on to ride. There was always a big queue of children waiting their turn for a ride. Sadly it did not survive the 1941 Bliz and a new 'Blackie' was commissioned from the famous toymakers J Collinson and Sons of Smithdown Road. It was gifted to Alder Hey by the department store when they sadly closed their doors for the last time in April 1988 after 80 years. He went on to become a well-loved feature of the central admissions and cardiac clinic. He was kindly donated to the Museum of Liverpool by Alder Hey Children's Hospital League of Friends in 2004.
Much-loved by the city residents was the Winter Wonderland Christmas Grotto in the basement advertised by a huge 18 foot Father Christmas which again has been restored by the Liverpool Museum with Phil and Alexis Redmond, past Trustees of National Museums Liverpool, generously funding his transformation. It was originally made in 1957 by artist Peter Blazey and his colleagues in the Blackler’s display studio and more than 10,000 visitors a week marvelled at the magical scenes when they came to tell Santa what they'd like for Christmas. The
design for the Grotto began in January or February, and dozens of artists
and sign-writers would work on it all year around. No expense was
spared.
Huge, theatrical sets crammed with silver painted coaches, pirate
ships and shimmering castles were just some of the larger than life creations which transformed the store.
Nobody would forget the Gulliver's Travels-themed grotto
which featured a man-sized Gulliver. The scene depicted showed a tied
and bound Gulliver with the Lilliputians swarming over him. It was there
for only one year; some assumed that it was because the scene was so
realistically frightening to children that it didn't last longer.
Another popular Blacklers' grotto starred Aladdin and his
magic lamp. The store used a theatrical technique in which the genie
appeared to a loud clap of thunder in a cloud of smoke. The noise would
scare children so much they refused to go past the genie.
During it’s heyday, Blacklers employed a 1000 people one of which, during 1959 was George Harrison. After he failed to make the grade with his exams at The Liverpool Institute, in an effort to get some kind of job without any qualifications, the Labour Exchange sent him to Blackler's, where they needed a window dresser. Unfortunately, by the time he got his interview, that post had been filled, and they offered him a job as an apprentice electrician, so he took it. George is quoted as saying, "So I got a job cleaning all the lights with a paint brush, all those tubes to keep clean, and at Christmas, I kept the Grotto clean." It is here also that Pete Best's mum bought his first drum kit from Blacklers music department!
Margaret Blackler died in 1957 without children, at which point the store became the property of several individuals, of which the major shareholder was the sportswoman Vera Kingston (Margaret's god-daughter). In 1983 following Vera's death the store was sold on once again, and all links to the original owners disappeared. The store remained open only a few years more, closing in April 1988. The site now is mainly occupied by one of the Wetherspoon chain of public houses and is named Richard John Blackler in honour of the store's founder.
see also:- http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2021/12/remembering-liverpool-structures_22.html
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